Visiting Denmark: My Best Tips for Enjoying an Artsy Trip
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Denmark is a fantastic destination for the Artsy Traveler–interesting museums, the home of cutting-edge design, a vibrant music scene, one of the world’s most people-friendly capitals, and fabulous food. Smørrebrød anyone?
So far, my travels to Denmark have been confined to the Copenhagen Capital Region, but there’s lots more to explore in this compact and efficiently-run country. On this page, I include my posts about Copenhagen and also list some of the highlights in other areas of the country.
And let’s get one thing out of the way right off the bat! Denmark is not an inexpensive country to travel in. You’ll pay a pretty penny for accommodations and food. However, you’ll also get great value. I spent more money on a very ho-hum hotel in the center of Amsterdam than I did on our fabulously stylish apartment in Copenhagen. Neither were cheap, but the Copenhagen apartment was hands down the better deal in terms of what we got for our money. Check out my review.
Here are my posts about Copenhagen to give you ideas about what to see and do.
Posts About Denmark
15 Must-Dos in Copenhagen for the Artsy Traveler
Accommodation in Copenhagen
Three Recommended Day Trips from Copenhagen
A Trio of Must-See Museums in Copenhagen
What Else to See in Denmark
From an Artsy Traveler perspective, here are just a few highlights you may want to explore if you’re traveling around Denmark:
Roskilde Viking Ship Museum
This place is a must-see for Vikings fans! The museum is built around the five original Viking ships and is part of a global story about ships, people and things on voyages. Roskilde is close to Copenhagen and perfect for a day trip (covered by the Copenhagen Card). Here’s more information about what to see at the museum.
Hans Christian Andersen’s House in Odense
Odense is about a two-hour drive west from Copenhagen. Famed fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen was born here and his legacy has become one of the city’s big attractions. The newly built H.C. Andersen House in the historic quarter, close to Møntergården and the Odeon Concert Hall, houses a children’s cultural centre and an underground museum that intertwines with a surrounding magical garden. The little yellow corner house formerly known as H.C. Andersen’s birth home will be part of the new museum. Check the website for more information.
Legoland Bilund Resort
And why not?! For the young and young-at-heart, Legoland is a great place to spend a day reveling in one of Denmark’s most famous exports. It’s a good three-hour drive from Copenhagen, so too far away fro a day trip, but if you’re exploring the Danish countryside, you might want to put it on your list. Here’s the website.
Practical Tips for Travel in Denmark
This page covers some of the basics of visiting Denmark–when to visit, checking events, transportation (including how to get there), accommodations, and food.
Decide When to Visit
First off, decide when you want to visit Denmark. If you are hoping to enjoy cultural delights such as operas, festivals, and music events, then visit between September and May.
I’ve visited Denmark in both July and September and the weather was perfect for touring apart from the occasional day of rain. During the summer months, the days are long, but in the winter, they shorten considerably. Also, expect lots more rain and cold temperatures in the winter. Even in September, we needed jackets and hats.
Check Events and Exhibitions
Before you visit Denmark, check online for exhibitions and performances. Also be on the lookout for local festivals.
You’ll definitely want to check what concerts are on while you’re in Copenhagen. Good venues for classical music fans include the DR Koncerhuset and the Royal Danish Opera. Also check Concerts in Copenhagen where you can filter by music type.
We got tickets for a classical music concert at the DR Koncerthuset when we visited Copenhagen in September 2022. The hall itself is fabulous and easily accessible by the Copenhagen Metro.
The concert was also first rate and included a piano concerto by Rachmaninoff. Spine-tingling!
Choose Your Transportation
Denmark is a compact country and easy to travel around by car or train. You definitely want to have a car if you’re exploring the countryside, but you don’t need a car in Copenhagen. We took local trains to visit sites around Copenhagen (see my post on Three Recommended Day Trips from Copenhagen) and parked our car at the airport.
Driving to Denmark
We entered and left Copenhagen by way of the ferry from Germany, but you can also drive. Both routes take about the same amount of time.
Choose from 11 ferry crossings from 16 ports to get to Denmark from Germany, Norway and Sweden. We were driving from Lubeck in Germany and so caught the ferry from Puttgarden in Germany to Rodby in Denmark.
The ferry crossing took about 45 minutes. You can book in advance on the Direct Ferries website.
Parking in Copenhagen
Parking in downtown Copenhagen is very expensive, so if you are driving, I suggest parking your car at the airport and then taking a taxi into the center of the city. We did that for our week-long stay, and that rate was extremely reasonable compared to parking in the city. Here’s the website to check rates and to book.
Public Transit
Public transit in and around Copenhagen is included on the Copenhagen Card. This card is truly a bargain, which is not something I can say about every city discount card. I took three day trips outside the city and metros around the city, and never had to bother with buying tickets (which are not particularly cheap).
Buy the Copenhagen Card
If you’re going to be in Copenhagen for longer than a day, consider purchasing a Copenhagen Card. You can buy it for varying lengths. I purchased the five-day pass and it was well worth the money. You save time, you definitely save money, and you end up seeing a lot more of Copenhagen and the surrounding areas because just about every attraction you’d want to see is included.
Click the image below to purchase the Copenhagen card.
Staying in Copenhagen
On both my trips to Denmark, I stayed only in Copenhagen so I can’t speak for the rest of Denmark. That said, accommodation in Denmark is not cheap, particularly in Copenhagen. For our wonderful apartment, we paid about €300 a night. You could possibly save money by staying on the outskirts of Copenhagen and taking transit into the center, but I don’t recommend doing so. In my experience, that strategy rarely works out. Often you end up in a dreary area and waste half your day commuting. Spend the extra money to get a hotel or apartment near the center of the city. We stayed in Nyhavn, the old harbor area that has been beautifully renovated and is now a major tourist hub.
For a giggle, read about the time we tried to save money while staying on the outskirts of Vienna. I chronicle our misadventures in Robbie Bubble, an excerpt from Pastel & Pen: Travels in Europe that I wrote and Gregg illustrated.
Click on the map below to find places to stay in Copenhagen and also check out my post.
Booking.comEating in Denmark
The magic word in Denmark is Smørrebrød. Take one piece of buttered dense, dark brown bread and top it with a dizzying array of cold cuts, cheese, veggies, fish…you name it. That’s smørrebrød and it is delicious.
Traditional toppings include pickled herrings (plain, spiced or curried), thinly sliced cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, pork liver-paste, cured and processed meats, smoked fish, shrimp and a whole lot more. You’ll usually find Smørrebrød served at lunch in cafes around Denmark. Often, a selection of Smørrebrød will be presented at a counter. You go up and make your choices, but don’t get too many at once! They are surprisingly filling.
And of course, there are the famous Danish pastries. Go easy!
Conclusion
Have you traveled to Denmark? Share your experiences and recommendations with other Artsy Travelers in the Comments below.
Here are three posts to read next to help you plan your Denmark trip:
- A Trio of Must-See Museums in Copenhagen
- Three Recommended Day Trips from Copenhagen
- Accommodation in Copenhagen