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 Delicately
balanced between Scandinavia proper and mainland Europe, Denmark is a
difficult country to pin down. In many ways it shares the
characteristics of both regions: it's an EU member, and has prices and
drinking laws that are broadly in line with those in the rest of Europe.
But Denmark's social policies and its style of government are distinctly
Scandinavian: social benefits and the standard of living are high, and
its politics are very much that of consensus.
Denmark is the easiest Scandinavian country in which to travel, both in
terms of cost and distance, but its landscape is the region's least
dramatic: very green and flat, largely farmland interrupted by
innumerable pretty villages. Apart from a scattering of small islands,
three main landmasses make up the country - the islands of Zealand and
Funen and the peninsula of Jutland, which extends northwards from
Germany.
The vast majority of visitors make for Zealand (Sjælland), and, more
specifically, Copenhagen , the country's one large city and an exciting
focal point, with a beautiful old centre, a good array of museums and a
boisterous nightlife. Zealand's smaller neighbour, Funen (Fyn), has only
one positive urban draw in Odense , and otherwise is a sedate place,
renowned for its cute villages and the sandy beaches of its fragmented
southern coast. Only Jutland (Jylland) is far enough away from
Copenhagen to enjoy a truly individual flavour, as well as Denmark's
most varied scenery, ranging from soft green hills to desolate
heathlands. Århus and Aalborg are two of the liveliest cities outside
the capital.
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Aalborg |
Copenhagen |
Dragør |
Esbjerg |
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The main city of north Jutland and the fourth largest in
Denmark, AALBORG hugs the southern bank of the Limfjord and
boasts a nightlife
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Copenhagen (København) is Scandinavia's most vibrant and
affordable capital, and one of Europe's most user-friendly
cities. Small and welcoming
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East of
Kalvebod Fælled, at the southeastern corner of Amager, lies
the atmospheric fishing village of Dragør , departure point
for ferries to Limhamn
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The only large city in
southern Jutland is ESBJERG , which was purpose-built as a
deep-water harbour during the nineteenth century and has
generally
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Frederikshavn |
Helsingør |
Kerteminde |
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FREDERICIA - junction of all
the rail routes in east Jutland and those connecting the
peninsula with Funen - has one of the oddest histories
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Frederikshavn is neither pretty nor particularly interesting,
and as a ferry port it's usually full of Swedes and
Norwegians taking advantage of Denmark's
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Some 45km north of
Copenhagen, on the coast facing Sweden, is Helsingør , one
of the most popular day-trips from the capital.
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A thirty-minute bus ride (#890) northeast from Odense takes
you to KERTEMINDE , a sailing and holiday centre that has a
prettily preserved nucleus
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Odense |
Ribe |
Roskilde |
Skagen |
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Odense is proud to be the birthplace of Denmark's best-loved
writer, Hans Christian Andersen, as well as the childhood
home of composer Carl Nielsen
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Just under an hour south by train from Esbjerg, the
exquisitely preserved town of RIBE was once a major stopover
point for pilgrims on their way to Rome
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A visit to Copenhagen is incomplete without a trip to the
ancient Danish capital of Roskilde , the seat of the
country's ecclesiastical and royal power
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If you have the option, skip Frederikshavn altogether in
favour of SKAGEN , 40km north, which perches almost at the
very top of Jutland
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Århus |
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For a long time the junction
of the major roads across Jutland, VIBORG was once one of
the most important communities in the country
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Geographically at the heart of the country and often
regarded as Denmark's cultural capital, ÅRHUS typifies all
that's good about Danish cities
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