Northern Europe · Europe

Denmark

Discover Denmark - the land of Vikings, LEGO, hygge, and world-class design, consistently ranked among the happiest and most livable countries on the planet.

Where Is Denmark?

Denmark is a country in Northern Europe. Its capital is Copenhagen.

Where Denmark isNorthern Europe · Capital Copenhagen

Plan a trip · 2 guides

Capital Copenhagen
Population 6.01M
Area 43,094 km²

Denmark is a flat country that has somehow managed to be at the top of nearly every global ranking that matters - happiest, least corrupt, most equal, best work-life balance, best food scene, best design. The Danes have a word for their secret, hygge, which roughly translates to a feeling of cozy contentment, and they have built an entire society around it. Candles, bicycles, pastries, social trust, and a welfare state that actually works.

The Vikings set out from these shores a thousand years ago to discover Greenland, Iceland, and North America. Today Denmark is considerably more peaceful but no less ambitious. Copenhagen has become one of Europe's coolest cities - home to Noma (repeatedly named the world's best restaurant), Tivoli Gardens (the amusement park that inspired Walt Disney), and a cycling culture so embedded that more people commute by bike than by car. LEGO was invented in a small Danish town called Billund. Hans Christian Andersen wrote the fairy tales here. And the Little Mermaid sits on her rock in Copenhagen harbor, looking somewhat unimpressed by all the tourists.

At a glance

Language

Danish

Currency

Danish Krone (DKK)

Calling Code

+45

Drives On

Right

Internet

.dk

Timezone

CET (UTC+1)

Script

Latin

Government

Constitutional Monarchy

Independence

Unified c. 965

Travel guides

Plan a trip to Denmark

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By population

Largest cities in Denmark

Copenhagen

Capital city of spires, canals, and Nyhavn's colorful harbor houses, consistently ranked among the world's most livable cities

1,400,000

Aarhus

Denmark's second city and cultural capital, a university town with ARoS art museum and its famous rainbow panorama

285,000

Odense

Birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, a charming city on the island of Funen

180,000

Aalborg

Northern Jutland's largest city, transformed from an industrial port into a cultural waterfront destination

120,000

Roskilde

Ancient capital with a UNESCO cathedral housing 39 Danish monarchs, and home to northern Europe's biggest music festival

52,000

Helsingor

Home to Kronborg Castle, the real-life setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, overlooking the narrowest point of the Oresund strait

47,000

People

Famous people from Denmark

Hans Christian Andersen
Literature
Author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, and The Emperor's New Clothes - the world's most translated fairy tale writer
Niels Bohr
Science
Won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his model of atomic structure, foundational to quantum mechanics
Soren Kierkegaard
Literature
Philosopher considered the father of existentialism, whose ideas shaped Western philosophical thought
Lars von Trier
Film
Co-founded the Dogme 95 movement and directed Melancholia, Dancer in the Dark, and Breaking the Waves
Peter Schmeichel
Sport
Legendary goalkeeper who won the Champions League with Manchester United and Euro 1992 with Denmark
Mads Mikkelsen
Film
Actor known for Hannibal and as a Bond villain in Casino Royale, one of Scandinavia's biggest film stars
Karen Blixen
Literature
Author of Out of Africa and Seven Gothic Tales, writing under the pen name Isak Dinesen
Ole Kirk Christiansen
Business
Founded LEGO in 1932 in Billund, creating what would become the world's most popular toy brand

Food

Traditional cuisine of Denmark

Smorrebrod: Open-faced rye bread sandwiches with elaborate toppings - pickled herring, roast beef, shrimp - an art form in Denmark
Frikadeller: Pan-fried pork and veal meatballs, the most common everyday Danish dish, served with potatoes and gravy
Flæskesteg: Roast pork with crispy crackling, the traditional Christmas dinner served with red cabbage and caramelized potatoes
Wienerbrød: Danish pastry (they call it Viennese bread) - flaky, buttery, and filled with custard, marzipan, or jam
Rugbrød: Dense dark rye bread, the foundation of Danish cuisine and the base for every smorrebrod
Stegt Flæsk: Voted the national dish - crispy fried pork belly served with parsley sauce and boiled potatoes
Rødgrød med Fløde: Red berry pudding with cream - beloved dessert and a tongue-twister that Danes use to test foreigners' pronunciation
Æbleskiver: Round pancake puffs cooked in a special pan, dusted with powdered sugar and served with jam at Christmas

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Denmark

Møns KlintCoast: Dramatic white chalk cliffs rising 128 meters above the Baltic Sea on the island of Mon
SkagenCoast: Denmark's northernmost point where the North Sea and Baltic Sea meet, famous for its unique light that inspired Impressionist painters
Wadden SeaCoast: UNESCO World Heritage tidal flats stretching along the west coast, one of the world's most important wetland ecosystems
Thy National ParkNational Park: Denmark's first national park on the wild northwest coast, with windswept dunes, heath, and forest
BornholmIsland: Sunshine island in the Baltic Sea with round medieval churches, rocky coastlines, and a thriving artisan food scene
Rold SkovForest: Denmark's largest forest in northern Jutland, with ancient beech groves, springs, and the Rebild Hills

Sport

Sports in Denmark

Football: Won Euro 1992 as a last-minute replacement team, one of the greatest underdog stories in sporting history
Handball: Men's team won Olympic gold in 2016 and World Championship titles, consistently among the world's best
Badminton: Historically one of the world's dominant badminton nations with multiple Olympic and World Championship medals
Cycling: Copenhagen hosted the Tour de France Grand Depart in 2022, and Danish riders regularly compete for Grand Tour wins
Sailing: Paul Elvstrom won four consecutive Olympic gold medals in sailing (1948-1960), a record in the sport

Facts

Did you know?

LEGO was invented in Billund, Denmark in 1932 - the name comes from the Danish leg godt meaning play well
Denmark won Euro 1992 despite not qualifying - they were called up as a last-minute replacement when Yugoslavia was disqualified
Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens opened in 1843 and directly inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland
The Danish flag (Dannebrog) is the oldest state flag in the world still in use, dating back to 1219
Denmark has roughly 7,300 kilometers of coastline and no point in the country is more than 52 km from the sea
There are twice as many bicycles as cars in Denmark, and Copenhagen has more than 450 km of designated bike lanes
The concept of hygge - cozy togetherness - is so central to Danish identity that there is no direct English translation
Denmark consistently ranks as one of the three happiest countries in the world