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The home pages for the Usenet newsgroup soc.culture.nordic

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Subject: 3.4 
Main tourist attractions

3.4.1 Getting there and getting around

<by Jens Chr. Madsen>

• Copenhagen Airport has a large number of connections to destinations within the Nordic Countries and the rest of the world. The Airport is also connected to Malmø on the Swedish side of The Sound (Øresund) by a gigant bridge. Local trains between Copenhagen and Malmø stop at the airport every 20th minute.
• Numerous ferries connect Denmark to Britain, Norway, Sweden, Poland, and Germany.
• ...And of course there is also a "land connection" from Germany.
• There are several daily direct trains to Denmark from Germany and Sweden.

Due to the country's modest size and general topography it is easy to get around in Denmark, be it by bicycle, car, or public transportation.

Denmark is an almost ideal country for cyclists: Relatively short distances, practically no steep roads, and a dense network of bike paths and small country roads. Even large cities are bicycle-friendly (compared to many other countries at least) with bike paths on most major streets. The reason for this, of course, is that a significant number of Danes from all groups of society commute by bicycle.

There is not much to be said about traveling by car in Denmark, except that you should be aware of the large number of bicycles, as mentioned above. *Please* be careful and look for bicycles, especially when you make a right turn.

Traveling by air in Denmark is also possible of course; all domestic flights go to/from Copenhagen and none of them is longer than 45 minutes. You do save some time, but often at a rather high price. However, there are often some good offers during the summer holiday period, so especially if you are going to Bornholm, Billund or Ålborg from Copenhagen, flying there might be worth considering.

Otherwise, public long-distance traveling is done by train (there are, however, a few coach lines from Copenhagen to Århus, Ålborg, and Fjerritslev; 2-3 departures per day and prices approximately as for the train). There is an hourly intercity train service connecting cities on "the main line" from Copenhagen via Odense and Århus to Ålborg. Intercity services to other larger cities in Jutland normally run every two hours. In addition to the intercity, there are regional trains every hour on most lines. Short distance travelling is mostly done by bus.

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3.4.2 Zealand and surrounding islands

• Hillerød: Frederiksborg Castle
• Roskilde: the cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum.
• Elsinore (Helsingør) with Hamlet's Castle (Kronborg) and the most narrow part of The Sound (Øresund) - the town Helsingborg (captured by Sweden in 1658) is in sight and in reach by ferry only a few kilometers to the East.
• Louisiana art museum (along the road between Elsinore and Copenhagen) has excellent collections of contemporary art, while Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen concentrates on older sculpture and painting.
• Scania, on the Scandinavian peninsula, lies only 40 minutes away from downtown Copenhagen? Except for the feeling of having visited yet another country (Sweden), Scania as a prior Danish heartland is pretty much more of the same with old towns, old castles, and so on... Except for the nature: Scania has more of woods and hills and mountains than all of Denmark together.
• The view from the top of the Copenhagen City Hall (Rådhuset) is not to be missed.

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3.4.3 Copenhagen

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Den lille havfrue © Hans-Henrik T. Ohlsen

Copenhagen's metropolitan area is the home of more than 25% of Denmark's population. The city lies on the eastern shore of the island of Sjælland (Zealand), at the southern end of Øresund (The Sound), the waterway that separates Denmark from Sweden and links the Baltic with the North Sea.

Until the 30-Years War Copenhagen was centrally located in the Kingdom of Denmark. Then the rich provinces on the eastern side of The Sound were lost to Sweden, and Copenhagen located on the verge of the realm.

Copenhagen is protected from the Baltic by the small island of Amager. Between Amager and Sjælland there was formerly a group of sand flats. Drained and reclaimed. They now constitute the islet of Christianshavn, which has been developed as the chief dock area of the city. The harbor of Copenhagen occupies the narrow waterway between Christianshavn and Sjælland.

The nucleus of the city is Slotsholmen, or Castle Isle, where a fortification was built in 1167. Its site is now occupied by Christiansborg Palace, constructed between 1907 and 1915 as a home for the legislature and government ministries. Nearby are the Thorvaldsen Museum and Børsen (the Exchange), built from 1619 to 1640, with a twisting spire made up of the interwoven tails of four sculptured dragons.

North of the old city is Frederikstad, a planned suburb built in the 18th century. In it is the Amalienborg Palace, originally luxurious town houses but since 1794 the residence of the Danish monarch; a ceremonial changing of guards takes place every day at 12 noon. Nearby is the massive Marble Church started in 1749 but finished only almost 150 later, and to the west of the church is Rosenborg Palace, built in the early 17th century as the summer residence of the king but now acts as a museum.

The university was founded in 1479 by King Christian I and was re-founded in the 19th century.

To the southeast, beyond the dock quarter of Christianshavn, is the largely residential suburb of Amager. The island of Amager, much of which is low-lying and marshy, is the site of Copenhagen's Kastrup airport, one of the largest in Europe.

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Nyhavn (the new harbor) © Hans-Henrik T. Ohlsen

Other parks worth a visit and maybe a picnic are the Botanical Gardens (Botanisk Have) and Rosenborg Gardens with the palace.

The famous pedestrian shopping street Strøget starts from The City Hall (Rådhuset), which is an impressive piece of neo-gothic architecture, and runs to Kongens Nytorv where Charlottenborg palace and the Royal Theater are located. The pedestrian center itself, which includes many winding, medieval streets, is a marvellous place to stroll around, but keep in mind that businesses close by early afternoon on Saturday and aren't open on Sunday.

There are a couple of old churches in the pedestrian center as well, e.g. Nikolaj Church and the neo-classic Cathedral. In Christianshavn, be sure to climb to the spiral tower of the baroque Vor Frelsers Kirke (Our Saviour's Church) for a great view.

Pedestrians (tourists as well as Copenhageners) often stroll along the waterway from central Copenhagen to the Langelinie "the Long Line" where the harbour meets The Sound. Along that route you find den lille Havfrue (the little Mermaid), a lot of impressive buildings and the most beautiful place of all: the newly re-constructed ramparted citadel "Kastellet" above the Langelinie from whence one can enjoy a beautiful view: The town, the harbour and the sparkling blue Sound.

The beloved fairy tale of the Little Mermaid was first published by H. C. Andersen in 1837. It is the story of the little mermaid who saves the life of a shipwrecked prince and sets off on a perilous quest to win his love. The price she pays is dear: to become human she must give up her lovely voice as well as her mermaids tail, and if the prince should wed another, she will turn into foam on the sea and disappear forever.

Tourists are strongly adviced to cross the harbour and stroll along the canals in Christianshavn. It is beautiful. Nothing more needs to be said.

Christiania

The story of Christiania began in 1971 when a large number of hippies took over the abandoned military barracks in Bådmanstrædes Kaserne; after futile attempts by police to empty the area, the matter ended up in the parliament and Christiania got political exemption and acceptance as a "social experiment" in return for agreeing to pay for the use of water and electricity.

After many colourful struggles against threats of closing and "normalization" as well as hard drugs and violent motorcycle gangs, Christiania's tale still continues.

The Freetown's self-government is arranged in an anarchist fashion, with common decisions being made in various councils such as the Common Meeting, The Economy Meeting, The House Meeting, etc. Christiania has no laws, but there's a series of bans put up by the inhabitants of the Freetown: no hard drugs, no weapons, no violence, no trading with buildings or residential areas.

Christiania is probably best known to the outside world for the free availability of cannabis products; they are indeed being openly sold on the main street, but this does not mean hash is legal in Denmark, or that you can't be punished for carrying or using it. The Danish police have a policy of not fining for small amounts of cannabis and for the most part tolerate the trade in Christiania, but they do sometimes patrol the area.

Tourists should think twice before abusing the liberal attitudes and good will of the Danish officials. Also, don't take photos of Christiania or Christianians, they won't like it and you may have your film taken from you if do.

Back to Sjælland

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H. C. Andersen

Tuborg is located in the suburb of Hellerup in northern Copenhagen, Strandvejen 54, excursions are Monday-Friday 10 a.m, 12.30 and 2.30 p.m.

Carlsberg breweries are right in the city, at Ny Carlsbergvej (at the Elephant Gate; take bus 16 from Rådhuspladsen toward Sydhavn), excursions Monday-Friday at 11 a.m and 2 p.m.

Carlsberg has always been a major patron of the arts in Denmark, and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (near the Tivoli gardens), which houses a collection of antique artifacts as well as French and Danish art, is well worth a visit.

Nyhavn canal (the "new" harbor) close to Kongens Nytorv square (the King's "new" market) is a popular place to walk around; there's also a H. C. Andersen exhibition at Nyhavn 69.

Statens Museum før Kunst (Sølvgade 48-50) is the Danish National Gallery: European masters and Danish art.

Nationalmuseet (the National Museum) has, among other things, a splendid collection of unique prehistoric finds (rich, well-preserved bronze age bog-finds, the Gundestrup Cauldron, the Solvagn, Viking age gold treasures, etc) and an exhibition of Eskimo culture.

North of Copenhagen lies Frilandsmuseet: open air museum of the history of folk architecture in Denmark and the formerly Danish part of Sweden (Scania) - it can be accessed by train or bus.

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3.4.4 Bornholm

• Bornholm: an island in the Baltic, easily reached by overnight ferry from the Copenhagen waterfront -- or faster by train (1½ hour) to Ystad [in Scania in Sweden] and then ferry (1½ hour) to Bornholm. Well worth a few days if you're in a mood for leisurely exploration.

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3.4.5 Fyn and surrounding islands

• Odense, the largest town of Fyn, has Hans Christian Andersen's birthplace

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3.4.6 Jutland

<by Jens Chr. Madsen>

• Sønderjylland:
  This part of the country was the northern part of the duchy of Schleswig - a Danish "dominion". It was ceded from 1864 to 1920 (see history section) and became re-unified with Denmark after a referendum. Close to Sønderborg, the windmill and embankments of Dybbøl is part of the national heritage. It was here that Denmark was defeated in the 1864 war against Austria and Prussia. Further west, the marshlands and dikes form a unique landscape with an abundant bird life. The islands of Rømø and Fanø are popular resorts.

• Vejle and the Jelling Stones:
  In south-east Jutland the city of Vejle is a good starting point for an excursion. On both sides of the Vejle Fjord there are beautiful beech forests with some (for Danish conditions) unusually steep hills. The train from Vejle to Jelling will take you through the Grejs Valley; again with some unusually hilly terrain and beautiful forests. In the village of Jelling the "Birth Certificate" of Denmark can be studied: Two large stones with runic inscriptions set by King Harald Blåtand for his father Gorm den Gamle (Gorm the Old) and his mother Thyra. The inscriptions on the stones are some of the oldest known writings in "Danish" translating approximately as: "Harald had this stone made, for his father Gorm and his mother Thyra; the Harald who united all of Denmark and Norway and christianized the Danes". Two large burial mounds adjacent to the stones are popularly believed to be the graves of Gorm and Thyra.

• Billund:
  About 28 km west of Vejle is the small (but world famous) town of Billund - home to the Lego factories and Legoland. It's not just for kids. The centerpiece is "Miniland", a great many models of cities, palaces, and harbors, all made of Legos and constructed in scale of 20-to-1. The Amalienborg Palace is there, and Bavaria's Neuschwandstein Castle, and a Dutch town, and a Norwegian fishing village, and an oil refinery, and trains, and Mount Rushmore, and the U.S. Capitol, and zebras, and rabbits, and much more. Many of the exhibits have moving parts: boats are drawn up into dry dock, trucks pick up loads, bridges rise and fall, and so on. The DSB (state railway) sells a very attractively priced ticket at the central train station in Copenhagen: DKK 344 round trip (as of May 1994), including transfer to the Vejle-Billund bus and admission to the park.

  The town also has Denmark's second largest airport with many European connections. "Museum Center Billund" houses a collection of vintage cars and aircraft.

• "Lake District":
  Further north-east you enter the "Jutland Highlands" and the "Lake District" - the area between Horsens, Silkeborg, and Skanderborg. The world's oldest still-operating paddle steamer will take you on a sightseeing tour of the lakes. On the southern shore of one of the lakes is "Sky Mountain" (Himmel-bjerget), so named for its astonishing height -- 147 meters! There is a nice look-out from the tower on top of Himmelbjerget.

• Århus:
  North-east of the Lake District is Århus, Denmark's second city, which offers a wide range of things worth seeing.

  The Moesgaard Museum is located in a forest some 15 km south of the city center (bus #6) and it gives a splendid display of prehistoric Denmark. The museum's main attraction is the Grauballe Man, a ~2000 year old body found in a bog in eastern Jutland in 1952. Also in the city center you will find museums, e.g. the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Art, both located in the southern part of the university campus (which BTW is well worth visiting in its own right). You will also find lots of restaurants, cafes, places with live music etc. The concert hall (Musikhuset) opposite the City Hall was completed in 1982 and is home to the Jutland Opera and the Århus Symphony Orchestra.

  The university campus is both a beautiful park and a good example of Danish architecture (by Danish architect C.F.Møller). The university is an architectural unity where there is no random mixing of different styles as at many other campuses; the same simple (some might say barren) design with yellow bricks has been maintained right from the first buildings of the 1930's to present-day new constructions.

  Århus' main attraction, however, has to be the museum "The Old Town" (Den Gamle By). This is a collection of old houses from all over Denmark, carefully dismantled at their original sites and re-erected at this open-air museum adjacent to the Botanical Gardens, within walking distance from the city center.

• The "Mid West":
  In the central and western parts of Jutland you find the infertile moor which is probably the closest Denmark has to a "wilderness". In late summer the purple heather provides a nice setting for a long hike. Last century large parts of the moor were converted into plantations and farmland. This was a consequence of the defeat in the war in 1864; the pioneer of moor plantation E. M. Dalgas put it like this (approximately): "What was lost abroad must be won at home".

  West of Viborg there are two old chalk mines (Daugbjerg and Mønsted) with guided tours.

  Further west there is an open-air museum at Hjerl Hede. The museum consists of the old village, the forestry museum and a stone-age-settelment. Every summer, and in the weekends before Christmas, it comes alive with more than 100 people demonstrating how our great grandparents lived and worked in Denmark.

  At the west coast the large lagoon Ringkøbing Fjord is home to a bird sanctuary - Tipperne. Also the tongue of land separating the Fjord from the North Sea is a popular resort.

• The Limfjord and Himmerland:
  The western part of the Limfjord is great for yachting. The island of Mors in the Limfjord has many splendid landscapes, e.g., the cliff of Hanklit at the northern part of the island. The porous clay (called mo-ler) of this cliff consists of zillions of fossilized diatomers, and this type of clay is not found anywhere else in the World. Another large bird sanctuary can be found at Bygholm Vejle 20 km east of the city of Thisted. This marshland is a result of a failed draining project, and the would- have- been farmland is now left in a "neither land nor fjord" state. Close to the city Hobro between Århus and Ålborg you find the remains of a circular Viking fort called "Fyrkat". A Viking house has been rebuilt there as accurately as possible.

  In the middle of Himmerland (the landscape between Hobro and Ålborg) the Rold Forest and the Rebild Hills (Rebild Bakker) are found. Every year, the beautiful hills at Rebild are home to what is said to be the largest 4th of July celebration outside the USA. There is also a small museum showing aspects of life of Danish immigrants in the USA in the 19th century.

• Ålborg and Nørresundby:
  Like Århus, the city of Ålborg at the eastern part of the Limfjord provides lots of city entertainment like bars, restaurants, museums, a zoo and an amusement park. On the northern side of the Limfjord in Nørresundby is one of Scandinavia's largest Viking burial sites, the "Lindholm Hills" (Lindholm Høje). The remains of a big town from 600-1100 AD have been found.
  For more information on Ålborg have a look at:
  <http://www.tourist-aal.dk/aalbturi.nsf>.

• North of the Limfjord - Vendsyssel:
  As mentioned, the west coast of Jutland is more or less one long beach. Especially the beaches of northern Jutland - facing the Skagerrak - are excellent. But treat the ocean with respect; each year people unfamiliar with the North Sea do silly things like drifting to sea on air mattresses etc. Also, the surf and current can be strong some days. The resorts of Blokhus and Løkken are among the most popular (and thus the most crowded) in Scandinavia. Løkken offers a range of hotels and camp grounds as well as restaurants and some night life.

  Further north, the small hamlet of Lønstrup is a scaled-down version of Løkken; however, the coast line is somewhat different with rather steep slopes and cliffs. Just south of Lønstrup there is an old light-house at Rubjerg Knude. The lighthouse was abandoned in 1968 when the sand dunes grew taller than the lighthouse itself. Some years ago it was converted into a museum with displays on the problems of sand migration, but it will now have to close because of ... yes, sand migration.

  The city of Hirtshals is one of Denmark's most important fishing ports and a gateway to Norway with ferries to Kristiansand and Oslo. In 1981 a large North Sea research center was built, housing a lot of Denmark's fishing research. The center also houses the North Sea Museum - a nice exhibition and aquarium (including seals), situated close to the highway leading to the ferry terminal. The Hjørring-Hirtshals railway also stops at the North Sea Center.

  The coast line between Hirtshals and Skagen also has some excellent beaches, which are generally much less crowded than the ones in Blokhus or Løkken. Approaching Skagen, one passes the migrating dune of "Råbjerg Mile". It is the largest of its kind in northern Europe and gives you a small-scale Sahara feeling. The dune migrates a distance of 8-10 m per year. Also, between Råbjerg Mile and Skagen you will find "the buried church"; a church abandoned due to problems with sand migration.

  Skagen at the very top of Denmark was probably the first Danish holiday resort. In the last century it became popular with a school of Scandinavian painters, who were attracted to Skagen because of the special light and reflections the two seas (Skagerrak and Kattegat) give. (If the weather conditions are right you can see waves from the two seas engage in a head-on collision off the tip of Grenen.) The Museum of Skagen houses a fine collection of the work of the Skagen painters. Another - partly outdoor - museum "Skagens Fortidsminder" gives a good impression of the local culture and history, which is almost 100% based on fishing.

  Approximately 40 km south of Skagen is the city of Frederikshavn, naval base and home to Denmark's ice breakers. Frederikshavn has ferry connections to Larvik, Oslo, and Moss (Norway) and to Göteborg (Sweden).

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