Luxury hotel holiday Hotel Ottilia Copenhagen

Highlights of Denmark

The rugged landscape of Skagen’s beaches are the perfect location to revel in the other-worldly beauty of Denmark’s northernmost region, seeing first-hand the inspiration for painters throughout history. Explore the ancient monuments and stories from the Viking Age, in particular at Fyrkat and Lindholm Hoje. South of here you will find the port city of Aalborg, which marks the start of fjord country and has a historic town centre. For a more immersive experience, the town of Ribe in Southern Jutland is Denmark’s oldest and harks back to the Viking Ages with its mediaeval architecture and 1300-year history. Southern Jutland is also a popular spot for families with Legoland offering colourful characters, rides and shows. To experience more of the natural beauty of Denmark, Southern Zealand to the east of Jutland is home to imposing cliffs and beautiful beaches, interposed with majestic castles and ruins such as those in Koge and Vordingborg, the latter of which was the capital of the Valdemar dynasty during the 12th century and was an important staging post for military expeditions during this period. For relatively untouched areas head to the islands of Lolland and Falster to the south which are more rural in character and offer miles of beaches and woodland. To the north, some of the most impressive royal castles in the country can be found amongst port towns with remnants of the Viking empire: Kronborg was the setting for Hamlet and has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. On the east coast of Zealand is the capital of Copenhagen. This modern and progressive city is known for being one of the most cycle-friendly cities in the world, and this provides a wonderfully relaxed way of nagivating the green spaces, art galleries and designer stores that line the streets. The Amalienborg Palace has been the residence of the Danish royal family for centuries, and today houses a museum featuring exhibits on the lives of the monarchy and their traditions. Other popular museums include the SMK National Gallery and the National Museum, whose exhibits stretch back to the Stone Age.

Cultural highlights of Denmark

Denmark’s capital of Copenhagen is home to a plethora of world-class art galleries and museums. The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery) is Denmark’s largest art gallery and features works from Danish artists such as Constantin Hansen, as well as foreign art from well-known names such as Picasso. The Design Museum celebrates the history of applied arts and industrial design, while the Glyptoteket art museum displays ancient and modern artwork in unique surroundings, in particular the central conservatory, which contains exotic flora, towering palms and bewitching sculptures. The National Museum meanwhile provides an insight into Denmark’s rich history and culture, ranging from the Stone Age to Viking treasures to mediaeval art. The botanical gardens in the centre of the city display more than 13,000 species of plants, and the popular Tivoli Gardens is adored by the Danes, comprising part theme park, part cultural venue with extensive gardens and many dining options. Out of the capital city, there are a number of equally worthy museums and art galleries, in particular the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which features modern masterpieces all set against the backdrop of the Øresund Sound. The city of Aarhus is known for its vibrant cultural attractions and contains a multitude of museums, not least the Vikings Museum and the ARoS Art Museum, whose collection ranges from the Golden Age to the present day.