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the most helpful backpacking books on the planet
Denmark
Denmark is situated between mainland Europe and Scandinavia, it
is the easiest Scandinavian country in which to travel, both in
terms of cost and distance, but the landscape itself 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 , Funen
and the peninsula of Jutland, which
extends northwards from Germany a total of 16,000 square miles,
on top of this it also has a claim to fame. Denmark is the owner
of the worlds largest Island, Greenland,
at 840,000 square miles it dwarfs any country in Europe. The vast
majority of visitors make for Sjælland
(Zealand), and, more specifically, Copenhagen,
the country's largest city and capital. An exciting focal point,
with a beautiful old center, a good array of museums and a boisterous
nightlife. Zealand's smaller neighbour, Fyn
(Funen), has only one main city, Odense,
and otherwise is a sedate place, renowned for its cute villages
and the sandy beaches of its southern coast. Only Jylland
(Jutland) is far enough away from Copenhagen to enjoy a truly individual
flavor, as well as Denmark's most varied scenery, ranging from soft
green hills to desolate heathlands. In Århus,
Jutland also has the liveliest city outside the capital, pricey
than hotels and they have a high degree of comfort, most of them
offer a choice of private rooms, often with toilets and showers,
or dorm accommodation and nearly all have cooking facilities. Rates
are around 75kr-80kr per person for a dorm bed; non-HI members pay
an extra 25kr a night. An IYHF card
will cost you 50kr. It's rare for hostels other than those in major
towns or ferry ports to be full, but during the summer it's still
wise to phone ahead. As with all Scandinavian hostels, sleeping
bags are not allowed, so you have to carry a sheet bag or hire hostel
linen. If you intend using hostels mostly, it's worth contacting
Danmarks Vandrerhjem, Vesterbrogade
39, DK-1620, Copenhagen V. (31.31.36.12), for their hostel guide
(25kr) or use our Hostel Booking form to book your hostel.
This is something I've only just found
out, Sometimes even cheaper than Hostels, and occasionally free,
are what they call sleep-ins, these
are usually open in the main towns and cities for a two-week period
during the summer (around June and July). You need your own sleeping
bag, sometimes only one night's stay is allowed and there may be
an age limit. Sleep-ins come and go, so check the current situation
at a tourist office.
Places To See
The Öresundsbron
This is the new bridge between Denmark and Sweden. It will be open
to traffic from 23-00hrs July 1st. It will cost about 60 Danish
kr. to cross by train and 250 kr. by car, no matter how many passengers.
If you would like to know more details about the bridge or the festivities
planned for the opening try this site:
Öresundsbron
Århus Denmark's second city, and it's
often regarded as its cultural capital. It's small enough to get
to know easily but has plenty of pretty medieval streets, old churches,
museums, cafés and bars to fill a few of your days and nights.
Christiania Christiania, Copenhagen's
former military barracks famous for the hippies in the Sixties squatting
there and declaring it a "free city", is still a haven for counter-culture
- it has galleries, concerts, bars and one of the best, yet reasonably
priced, restaurants in the city - Spiseloppen.
Odense , capital of the island of Funen,
was the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen
and composer Carl Nielsen. Every year
April 2nd they celebrate Hans Christian Andersons birthday by having
parties, it's called Odin Story Day.
His house is now a museum. There are many timber made houses to
be seen here, plenty of nightlife and some really good sandy beaches.
Ribe If you were to describe anywhere
as picturesque, it would be Ribe in southern Jutland. The surrounding
marshlands have inhibited industrial development, leaving one of
Denmark's oldest towns virtually unchanged since medieval times.
The Roskilde Festival , this is the
place for music lovers, held on the last weekend in June, it is
one of the largest open-air rock festivals
in Europe, attracting close to than 100,000 people and featuring
many famous groups and musicians.
Situated at the northern tip of Jutland, Skagen
is famous for its fantastic light and windswept, heather-clad landscape,
which drew the group known as the Skagen artists here in the late
nineteenth century.
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