10 reasons you should visit Denmark

What is it about the Danish way of living that keeps the Danes smiling all year long, even though they apparently get 170 days of rain each year?

There are many reasons why people love living in Denmark and visiting Denmark. Here are a few of my favourite ones.

My Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Denmark

1. Hygge

Hygge, pronounced hoo-ga, is the Danish way of living well. It canā€™t really be translated into a single word but encompasses a feeling of cosy contentment and well-being from enjoying the simple things in life.

If youā€™ve ever enjoyed reading a good book indoors on a rainy Sunday or enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate on a snowy day with your favourite person, youā€™ve experienced hygge without even knowing it.

The Danes take this concept very seriously and I think theyā€™re onto something amazing. Iā€™m sure many other nations could learn from this way of living.

They have mastered the concept of really stopping and taking the time to appreciate the small things in life. Hygge would be my number 1 reason to visit Denmark.

what is hygge denmark
Lots of books about ‘hygge’. I love this concept. Definitely, reasons you should visit Denmark.

2. Demark is a clean country

Denmark is an incredibly clean country. You won’t find people littering and they take recycling very seriously.

The cities are very tidy, the countryside is green, the air is fresh and the rivers are super clear. 

3. A great social system that offers free education and free healthcare

In Denmark, social policy in areas like education, child care, health care and protecting the unemployed are part of a solidarity system. The idea of this is to ensure that nobody declines into economic despair.

The Danish pay high taxes, but in return, they enjoy a very high quality of life. Education is free and higher education is free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Health care is free of charge and of high quality. Prescription drugs are inexpensive and free for those under 18 years of age. Every worker in Denmark is entitled to 25 days (5 weeks) of paid holidays. Every employee is also entitled to 11 paid public holidays.

Of course, this makes it more of a reason to visit Denmark as well as to consider moving here to live.

4. The food in Denmark is so fresh

The Danish enjoy good food and most will spend the money to nourish their bodies on a basis daily. They live a good life here and fresh food is important to the Danes. The markets are full of freshly baked bread, which many Danes consume each day. The food is a very good reason why you should visit Denmark.

They eat lots of fish and salmon, plus the fruit and vegetables here are seasonal and flavourful. The Torvehallerne food markets are fantastic for discovering local food and you can find it in Copenhagen. There are over 60 stalls here selling the best ingredients and dishes around.

My favourite reason to visit Denmark, being a massive foodie.

If you love good food, another option to include in your itinerary in Copenhagen is the Reffen Island street food market. To get there, take bus 9A from the city centre, it goes every 10 min and takes about 10-15 min.

Perhaps join this half-day sustainable bike tour of Copenhagen?

You can also take a canal cruise to Refshaleoen, however, this is the more expensive option and only really worth it if you purchase the hop-on, hop-off ticket for your day in Copenhagen.

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5. Denmark is an active nation

Denmark is a flat country, which makes it ideal for cycling. Roads are built with the cyclist in mind and there are dedicated bicycle lanes for people who commute by bicycle each day. Itā€™s not just cyclists using these lanes, youā€™ll find people pedalling their pets around the cities and their babies in custom-built buggies too.

Once you visit, you’ll notice that this is an active, clean eating nation.

why you should visit denmark
The Danes are an active nation. Copenhagen is a great city to commute via bicycle. – 10 Reasons you should visit Denmark

6. Smorbrod

This is a hearty open-faced sandwich on rugbrod or rye bread. This dish, a Scandinavian tradition is topped with savoury flavours and some of the smorbrod weā€™ve eaten are like pieces of art!

Seriously, take a wander through Torvehallernefood market. If you disembark at the metro station of the same name, I highly recommend you get yourself a beautiful smorbrod here.

The fancy ones will cost you between 60-90 DKK (about US $9-13), however, the ingredients used are super fresh and the flavours are fantastic.

I highly recommend this Walking Tour with Food Tasting in Copenhagen to try smorbrod and local delicacies.

why you should visit denmark
So many reasons you should visit Denmark – The smorbrod are works of art…and so delicious.

7. Incredible restaurants

Some of the best restaurants in the world can be found in Denmark. Copenhagen, the capital city has many of them, with around 27 Michelin starred restaurants. The three most popular in Copenhagen are Noma, AOC and Geranium. If you want to dine at the popular restaurant, Noma, be sure to make your reservation at least six months in advance to secure a booking.

TOP TRAVEL TIP: Purchase a Copenhagen City Card (choose from 24, 48, 96 or 120-hour validity), you will receive great discounts on tours, plus save money at museums, restaurants, cafes and more. Get free and unlimited access to Copenhagenā€™s train, bus and Metro networks too.

8. Great coffee

The Danish are avid coffee drinkers, they love the stuff. Lucky for coffee lovers like me, it’s not hard to locate a coffee here. You can purchase a cup of coffee from a simple supermarket such as ALDI for as little as 10 DKK (USD $1.35). Alternatively, pay up to 45 DKK ($6.75) for a fancier coffee from one of the many cool cafes.

Although you can find amazing coffee in Copenhagen, we never leave home without our portable espresso machine, easily our favourite travel accessory. See what else is on our ultimate packing list for travellers.

coffee in denmark
Marty agrees that the coffee is fantastic in Denmark. Just look at that smile – 10 Reasons why you should visit Denmark

9. Design and fashion

They take pride in the way they dress in Denmark. Tailored, well-fitted clothing and nice footwear are the norm for Danish men.

The women look like theyā€™ve just stepped off the pages of a clothes catalogue, dressed with style and colour.

10. Friendly people and they speak amazing English

Learning to speak English has been compulsory in all schools in Denmark since the 1930s. Itā€™s rare to find a Dane that doesnā€™t speak fantastic English. It is one of the reasons why you should visit Denmark as you will never be lost in translation.

This also applies to the other Scandinavian countries, which makes travelling through this part of the world much easier for visitors.

And there you have it. 10 reasons why you should visit Denmark. Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below.

Travelling further around Scandinavia? You may also enjoy discovering the 10 best cafes in Stockholm

Travel Tips & Inspiration

We love to share our knowledge of travelling, and you may enjoy reading our best-ever travel tips and our ultimate packing list for travellers.

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Weā€™ve got a bunch of tips for how you can save money to travel the world, and even when youā€™re out there travelling, maybe these 20 jobs that PAY YOU to travel the world will help you travel longer. It worked for us, and we bet it can work for you too.

Finally, these top 6 travel hacks to save you money are great to read when planning your travels.

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