Colour, castles and eco communities: your travel guide to Denmark’s vibrant cities, towns and islands
You may think you know Denmark, but the regions of this Scandinavian archipelago have their distinct attractions – from award-winning gastronomy and sustainability programmes to Viking world heritage sites and wilderness sanctuaries. What’s more, from small towns to major islands, everything’s connected via cycle-friendly train, bridge or ferry routes, making it easy to hop around.
Lively cities with small-town charm
These places may be home to Denmark’s largest communities, but the chilled vibes and outdoor lifestyle make for slow, relaxing city breaks
Local colour: the rainbow panorama of ARoS Aarhus Museum of Art; The Infinite Bridge in Aarhus Bay. Source: Your rainbow panorama, Olafur Eliasson, 2006 - 2011, ARoS Aarhus Art Museum. Photographer: Robin Skjoldborg; The Infinite Bridge (2017) - Johan Gjøde. Photographer: Dennis Borup Jakobsen
Aarhus had a big moment in the sun when it was named European capital of culture in 2017 – and it hasn’t stopped shining since. On the east coast of Jutland, the city’s circular “Your rainbow panorama” walkway above the ARoS art museum creates a dramatic impact on the skyline, while the singularly innovative urban architecture at the Aarhus Ø (redeveloped docklands) is silver and sleek. The Moesgaard Museum has a range of exhibitions charting human evolution within its impressive partly subterranean concrete design – including one of the world’s best preserved Iron Age bog bodies, Grauballe Man. The Infinite Bridge, a circular wooden structure originally conceived as a temporary art installation, is now reconstructed each spring in Aarhus Bay, allowing walkers to go on seaside promenades. Share in the Danish love of the big outdoors at Mols Bjerge National Park at Djursland, and hire your own guide to kayak or hike within the 18,000-hectare (44,480-acre) reserve.
The Moesgaard Museum, a short trip from Aarhus; the extraordinary landscape of Mols Bjerge National Park was shaped during the ice age. Source: Foto Medieafdelingen/Moesgaard Museum; Frame & Work; Roar Paaske
Viking ships once sailed along the Limfjord in northern Jutland, but the city of Aalborg, with its vibrant old centre, now sits at the vanguard of design. The home town of Jørn Utzon, architect of the iconic Sydney Opera House, Aalborg’s waterfront Utzon Centre celebrates global architecture through exhibitions and education. Its neighbour, the impressively slick Musikkens Hus, has cutting-edge technology in gorgeously designed auditoriums for the best listening experience. After taking your fill of creativity, you might be in need of something more substantial – head to the international street food market at Køkkenfabrikken, or to the Aalborg Tower, which serves up edifying 360-degree views alongside Danish cuisine.
Aalborg’s Utzon Center was designed by the iconic architect Jørn Utzon; the Musikkens Hus is renowned for its acoustics. Source: Rasmus Hjortshoj/Utzon Center; Alamy
Copenhagen might be the Danish capital, but it’s a highly walkable (not to mention cycleable) city filled with harbour swimming zones and relaxed waterfront cafes – and, of course, many of the world’s very best restaurants. Wander at will through foodie hotspots in what are known collectively as the “bros”: Nørrebro, Østerbro and Vesterbro, go shopping along the pedestrianised Strøget, then make a beeline for Nyhavn, the picturesque, historic centre of Copenhagen, with its harmoniously coloured 16th and 17th century townhouses and permanently moored tall ships. Take a canal tour from here to the iconic Little Mermaid statue – but be warned, she really is very little, and best viewed up close, on foot!
Copenhagen is home to 239 miles of cycle lanes; dining at Bæst, Nørrebro; the old town waterfront at Nyhavn. Source: Giuseppe Liverino; Malin Poppy Darcy Mörner; Kim Wyon
Other highlights of Copenhagen include the Tivoli Gardens amusement park, the 17th-century Round Tower (Europe’s oldest working observatory), as well as Amalienborg, home to the Danish royal family. Make sure you time your visit for the daily changing of the guard, and listen to the sound of boots reverberating over the ancient courtyard cobblestones. Amalienborg’s so laid-back, you can stroll right up to photograph the beautiful rococo four-palace complex. Cross the water to explore the western side of the Copenhagen harbourfront and enjoy a range of street food stands at Reffen and The Bridge Street Kitchen. While you are on this side, take greater care at Freetown Christiania, where you need to heed the written advice on entry regarding safety – but it’s a very liberal, alternative-living enclave that’s worth taking a guided wander through.
Street eats and craft beer can be found in abundance in Copenhagen – not to mention Denmark’s other great cities. Source: Rolands Varsbergs
On the island of Funen, the cultural city of Odense has produced two of Denmark’s most famous artists – the composer Carl Nielsen and Hans Christian Andersen. A whole multimedia experience opened in 2021, inviting visitors to fully immerse in the world and characters of Andersen’s fairy tales, while Nielsen’s life is celebrated in a museum and a new sound-enhanced walking trail, which is presented only in Danish but still absolutely worth it for the music. The Funen Village, where 18th- and 19th-century Danish history is brought to life – something the Danes do so well – is not to be missed. Or visit Odense in the summer for the Tinderbox music and international film festivals.
Hans Christian Andersen House, Odense; thatched roofs in the Funen Village; Tinderbox festival. Source: Daniel Jensen; Kim Wyon; Johan Tobias Joensen
Small towns and islands with big ideas
With so many islands and small towns dotted over the Danish archipelago, there’s something on offer for every kind of visitor
Sustainable and naturally wonderful locations
Samsø, in the Kattegat Sea between Jutland and Zealand, is the sunny isle that’s at the heart of eco living. Cycle around the island that was the first to generate 100% of its electricity from reneweable sources, thanks to people-power, and journey there on a new electric ferry (in operation from January 2025). Known for its horticulture too, try the typically Danish open sandwich, kartoffelmad – showcasing the island’s fabulous new potatoes, and one of the few vegetarian smørrebrød. Ærø, the idyllic, small island south of Funen, also boasts world-leading green technology, spearheaded by its community-driven initiatives.
Plunging into the harbour bath at Bornholm; the island is known for its seafood – as well as its herring smokehouses (above). Source: Niclas Jessen; Johny Kristensen; Kim Wyon
For a taste of authentic laid-back Danish island life, though, Bornholm, in the Baltic Sea, is just perfect. A haven for summerhouse living and wild winter swimming, the fishing villages here have traditional herring smokehouses, not to mention Kadeau, perhaps the world’s only Michelin-starred restaurant in a converted beach shack – find it near the fine white sands and grassy dunes of Dueodde beach.
Windswept and beautifully wild, Skagen is Denmark’s northernmost town, poking out at the top of North Jutland, where the North Sea and Baltic waters meet. With its natural setting and oh-so-perfect light, you will be just as inspired as the French realism-influenced Skagen painters who, in the late 19th century, depicted the beauty of the seascapes here. Cosy up with a bit of hygge in the town’s quaint museums and cafes, after a walk over the dunes.
Skagen’s stunning, rugged coastal landscapes inspired a whole school of Danish painting in the late 19th century. Source: Mette Johnsen
Family-friendly, educational and Unesco heritage locations
It’s fair to say that the entire country of Denmark is family-friendly, but for a bit of extra fun, head to Billund’s Legoland, the original resort built from coloured bricks. Billund is actually the town where Lego was invented by local carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen. Initially fashioning the toys from wooden blocks in the early 1930s, he moved on decades later to injection-moulded plastic. And the rest is history.
Building blocks: the Lego House in Billund; the majestic spires and fortifications of Kronborg Castle, a Unesco world heritage site. Source: Lego; Lasse Bruhn
Just 45 minutes north of Copenhagen, the beautiful town of Helsingør, or Elsinore, is known to be William Shakespeare’s inspiration for Hamlet. At Kronborg Castle, where the Bard’s work is performed in scenes around the castle and grounds, you can mingle with the actors. With glorious sea views too, the old-world charm of the small town’s timber-framed houses and narrow streets make it a wonderful place to while away a lazy afternoon.
Denmark’s oldest town, Ribe, is one of the best places to experience Viking history. Stretching back to approximately AD710, the street plaques and local guides tell the story of this fascinating pre-Christian settlement. The tower at Ribe Cathedral looks out over the Unesco heritage Wadden Sea National Park and the island of Mandø, a newly certified Dark Sky Park, where seal and bird life abound.
A Viking ship on Roskilde Fjord. Source: Martin Auchenberg
Roskilde on the main island of Zealand is only a short drive from metropolitan Copenhagen, yet it’s full of Viking heritage. Visit the Viking Ship Museum and the medieval, Unesco-listed gothic cathedral, the resting place of 40 Danish kings and queens, including the infamous 10th-century Viking king Harald Bluetooth, who united Denmark and Norway.
At Jelling, the Viking rune stones are part of Denmark’s long history and are Unesco world heritage listed, alongside the newest entry – the country’s five Viking ring fortresses. Spanning the country from Aggersborg near Løgstør to Trelleborg close to Copenhagen, it’s possible to drop in on at least one of them, whichever part of Denmark you choose to visit next.
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