Denmark

ACCOMMODATION IN Denmark, like most things Danish, is usually high quality, spotlessly clean and well run, albeit at a price. Perhaps Denmark’s most characterful form of accommodation is the kro, the historic stagecoach inn. Located on main roads (don’t worry – Danish traffic light), the kro is ideal for touring the country and it offers value for money. Leaving aside the lights of Copenhagen and other large cities, Denmark remains essentially a rural country. Farmhouse holidays are enduringly popular, and economical. Staying on a farm for a few days as well as in a hotel or inn could make a happy combination.

WE DIVIDE Denmark into three main areas:

Jutland (Jylland)

The bridge between Scandinavia and Europe, this unhurried rural peninsula makes up Denmark’s biggest land mass. It is the most attractive part of the country, dotted with lakes, and with a coast lined by windswept dunes. East Jutland is home to Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city and cultural capital, while southeast Jutland has Legoland. The former has a useful choice of hotel accommodation while Legoland offers a clutch of child-friendly hotels. Farm accommodation is very popular throughout Jutland, and country cottages and summer houses for rent are particularly common in West Jutland.

Funen (Fyn)

The island-peninsula immediately east of Jutland is known as The Garden of Denmark because of its natural beauty, fruit and vegetable farms and its many flowery gardens. The seaside resorts in the south of Funen feature family holiday centres with a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities and high-quality accommodation. The main cultural draw is the attractive town of Odense, birthplace of the writer Hans Christian Andersen, which has a wide choice of hotels. Elsewhere in this area, accommodation is both simple and relatively cheap.

Many B&Bs have sprung up in recent years, and these are prominently signposted along the main roads and elsewhere.

Zealand (Sjaelland)

The larger island east of Funen and nudging Sweden, Zealand is dominated by the bustling city of Copenhagen and has a wide selection of accommodation; from tourist-board-approved private rooms and cheap hostels, to fivestar hotels.

Out of town there is the Karen Blixen Museum, Helsingør (Hamlet’s Elsinore) and the historic town of Roskilde – all worth a visit. The island of Bornholm, the ‘Jewel of the Baltic’, a seven-hour ferry journey from Copenhagen, is a traditional fishing-and-farming settlement, popular for walking and cycling holidays.

FOOD AND DRINK IN DENMARK

TRADITIONAL DANISH fare comprises hearty helpings of meat (mostly pork, beef and veal) and fish from the Baltic Sea, North Sea and lakes. The quality is consistently high and so, often, are prices. One home-grown food which you probably will not see is Danish bacon – it is reserved for export. In Copenhagen there are all manner of ethnic restaurants, many operating on the traditional Danish ‘open table’ policy: the whole party eats all it can for a fixed price. At lunchtime, around midday to 2:30pm, look out for the dagen’s ret (dish of the day). If you are on a tight budget this is the time to eat, as prices at dinner time for similar food in similar establishments are significantly higher. The local fast food is hot sausages (pølser) dispensed by street vendors. The ubiquitous Danish pastry, called wienerbrød, (literally, Vienna bread) is standard café fare. Unlike its Scandinavian neighbours, Denmark is very relaxed in its attitude to alcohol. The Danes are a nation of beer drinkers – Denmark is famous as the home of Carlsberg lager. Tuborg is the alternative. The Danish version of schnapps is akvavit. It comes in several forms, most often flavoured with dill or caraway, and is drunk as a chaser or (to the consternation of foreigners) to accompany a meal. Denmark’s best known culinary institution is smørrebrød, a selection of open rye sandwiches (rugbrød) and trimmings. This term is sometimes also extended to a complete buffet (det store kolde bord), including traditional fare such as salmon, crayfish, prawns, herring, hot and cold meats, cheeses and dessert. BOOK WELL in advance if you are planning to visit Copenhagen or the popular seaside resorts in Funen during July and August. Note also that many hotels are taken over at weekends all year for local celebrations such as weddings.

Breakfast is usually a buffet of breads, cheeses, cold meats, fruit and cereals. Petrol is very expensive by western European standards. Expect high charges for bridge tolls and ferries.

Language

English and German are widely understood and most menus are also translated into these two languages.

Currency

The Danish krone, written Kr, usually before the amount, and divided into 100 øre.

Shops

Generally open from 9am–5:30pm Mon–Thu, 9am–7 or 8pm Fri, 9am– 1 or 2pm Sat (9am–5pm first Sat of the month). Many supermarkets in larger towns open until 7 or 8pm Mon–Fri and some shops also open until 4 or 5pm on Saturdays. Some also open on Sundays.

Tipping

This is not required or expected – restaurant bills always include a service charge.

Telephoning

To telephone inside Denmark, dial the number, including the first zero of the area code. To call Denmark from the UK, dial 00 45, then the number, dropping the first zero of the area code; from the US, dial 011 45 and drop the first 0 of the area code.

Public holidays

1 January; Maundy Thursday; Good Friday; Easter Sunday; Easter Monday; Great Prayer Day (fourth Friday after Good Friday); Ascension Day (mid-May); Constitution Day (5 Jun); Whit Sunday; Whit Monday (late May); 24–26 December.

USEFUL WORDS

Breakfast Morgenmad

Lunch Frokost

Dinner Aftensmad

Free room? Værelser?

How much? Hvad koster det?

Single room Enkelt værelse

Double Dobbelt værelse