 Denmark is a beautiful country with a welcoming and friendly culture. Though very modern with wonderful infrastructure and many museums, Denmark also retains a distinctive medieval feel due to the preservation of magnificent churches and other historic buildings. It is a lively destination renowned for its many music festivals from rock and jazz to classical and country. Yet if you are looking for a relaxing holiday then Denmark also offers many scenic islands, their coasts lined with picturesque fishing villages and little thatched cottages. Whether you're soaking up café culture, cycling the countryside or club-hopping the night away, this tiny country is a great escape for just about any taste.
The Danes have taken strong measures to keep their 4800km coastline clean and tidy, keen for visitors to sample the many unspoilt beaches. Inland from the white-sand beaches and pristine islands, you’ll find a landscape delightfully suitable for cycling. Sleepy villages clustered around whitewashed churches occupy a landscape of heather moors, rolling hills and rich farmland dotted with windmills and thatched farmhouses. Ferries ply between the mainland and the islands, competing with awesome bridges like the 16km Øresund link to Sweden.
Amidst such tranquillity, it now almost seems surreal to consider that this country once spawned the Viking Warriors, feared throughout north-western Europe. Today, visitors to Denmark find a country that is peaceful, introspective, neutral and egalitarian. Its hallmarks are good taste, world-class design and uniformly high standards that apply equally to its accommodation and transport. Cuisine is excellent, especially in the realm of dairy products and scrumptious pastries. Add to this a people both amiable and helpful, with a facility for languages, and the result is an overwhelming sense of welcome.
As the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark retains some of its fairytales atmosphere, alongside its cutting-edge modernity. Enchanting castles and historical rickety buildings are still frequent sights throughout Denmark. Copenhagen is a wonderful cobble-stoned city with many quaint medieval streets and buildings, but there is more to Denmark than its capital, and any visitor to the country will enjoy exploring elsewhere too.
 From the spirited nightlife and lively café and music scene of Copenhagen to a countryside that abounds in Renaissance churches, medieval castles and 18th-century fishing villages, Denmark is a synergy of harmonious relationships.
Weather
 A mild and warm summer extends from June through August, accompanied by rain fall. A chilly winter runs from December to March, also wet with periods of frost and snow. February is the coldest month. Spring and autumn are generally mild and pleasant, although can also see some rain.
The Faroe Islands are under the influence of the warm current of the Gulf Stream, and they enjoy a very mild climate for their northern location. Winters are warm, but the islands are cloudy, windy and rainy throughout the year. Summers in the Faroe Islands are cool, with little sunshine.
When visiting Denmark, bring lightweight clothing for summer and heavy warm attire for winter snows. The chance of rain is year-round, so bring a rainwear just in case.
History
 The word Denmark appears as early as the Viking Age, carved on the great Jelling Stone from the 900s, but there’s a huge difference between what Denmark was and what it is today. In some eras, for instance the 13th and 17th centuries, Denmark was a superpower whose influence was as massive as that of the largest European countries. It can be claimed that the present configuration of Denmark is the result of 400 years of forced relinquishments of land, surrenders and lost battles.
Crucial events took place in the mid-1800s. In 1848, absolutism had been abolished, whereby Denmark got a constitution and a parliament, but in 1864 Denmark suffered a crushing defeat to Prussia in the second Schleswig War and had to relinquish 40% of its land, causing the Danish population to drop from 2.6 million to 1.6 million.
As a consequence of the defeat, Denmark became an almost completely ethnically homogenous society, in which the inhabitants – except the ones in Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland – shared a common language and culture. Thus, the national boundaries of modern Denmark were more or less established by 1864, and the border between southern Jutland and Germany became fixed in 1920.
After 1945 the neutral politics of Denmark ensured the country a smooth journey through World War I, but not through World War II, when Denmark was occupied by Nazi German forces from 1940 to 1945.
In 1949 Denmark was one of the founding members of NATO. In 1972 Denmark voted for joining the European Communities, EC (changed to European Union, EU in 1993). Today Denmark is an active player on the international scene.
| 
