Perhaps this cultural quality is what makes Denmark such a popular holiday or getaway destination. A place to unwind from the daily hurly-burly of life. It’s a happening place to be, that’s for sure. Cosmopolitan and yet flushed with the cosiness that comes from the hygge philosophy, it’s easy to find things to see and do that make you feel refreshed and on top of the world. Gifting Owl has some great gift ideas for loved ones who might be celebrating something special while lapping up some of that luscious Denmark hygge. Or if you’re looking to spoil yourself and or your travel companion, should you find yourself lucky enough to be in this magical kingdom at any given time, there are options that will definitely tempt those of you with a passion for fun and adventure.
Most of the Copenhagen tours you’ll find on Gifting Owl are either private or small group experiences, so your gift recipient will get the most value from their guided journey. Bike tours are particularly popular. You can take in your surroundings and stop and start at your leisure, making the time well spent and much more meaningful. One of the really interesting private tours is a wander through Vesterbro. Once the roughest part of town, it is now the trendiest and there are plenty of fabulous stops along the way.
While Copenhagen gets most of the attention when it comes to tours, there’s a lot to be said for getting out and about in nature. As a Scandinavian country, Denmark shares geographical characteristics much like its close neighbour, Sweden. Though much smaller in both size of area and population, the mainland known as Jutland Peninsula connects to several islands via bridge and ferry systems, and in some cases by air. There are 406 islands in the Danish group. Even the city of Copenhagen straddles two Island’s - Zealand and Amager. You can spend weeks wandering through the region discovering magnificent landscapes and quaint villages that embody so much of the Danish way of life.
To give you a taste of what we’re talking about, the largest islands of Fyn and Zealand sit directly offshore from the mainland and fill the waters between Denmark and Sweden. Fyn’s major city of Odense is famously the birthplace of 19th-century fairy tale author Hans Christian Andersen. The villages and surrounding areas are as picturesque as the places in his stories. Needless to say, the neat cobbled streets, canals lined with brightly painted medieval homes, castles bordered by motes and surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens were all inspiration for the author, who took little children everywhere, on magical journeys at bedtime through his much-loved tales. You simply cannot miss a visit to Egeskov Castle. A masterpiece of the renaissance era with all the grace and grandeur of a royal home, you can imagine life as it was when back in the 16th century.
Further afield, Bornholm is nothing short of sublime. The island’s residents combine simplicity is interwoven with sophistication through a vibrant food and arts community. Colourful villages snuggle up to the sea, or into the rolling green hills that are a blanket of wildflowers during spring and summer. On the southern side of the island, a bleached coastline of sun, sand and sea becomes the summer playground for Danes as well as holidaymakers from countries close by. This contrasts with the northern side where craggy cliffs provide plenty of opportunities for hiking and other adrenaline adventures. If you’re up this way, you’ll also want to visit Hammershus Castle, the ruins of a medieval fortress. At Hasle, foodies can tuck into some traditionally smoked herring - a rare treat indeed! And lovers of the finer arts will love roaming through the local galleries or exhibitions of magnificent glass and ceramic works of resident artisans. A short ferry trip from Bornholm takes you to the tiny twin islands of Christansø and Frederiksø. The quaint beauty of these little gems is beguiling and gives little away of their dark history as a penal colony and naval fortress. The cultural museum reveals all the grim details, making it an engrossing day trip.
Another tiny island worth a visit is on the southwestern side of the Jutland Peninsula. Fanø sits in the Wadden Sea National Park. Another favourite spot for summer fun, the beaches and sand dunes are a haven for those who love the sun, nature and adventure all rolled into one. The characteristic colourful houses and quaint villages are breathtakingly beautiful. Kite flying and windsurfing are big pastimes here, sharing the waterfront with the shorebirds and marine life that make the waters of the North Sea their home. This is one of those islands that will keep calling you back.
While on the topic of national parks, Denmark has six protected parklands. Danes are always keen to get outdoors and into nature and Thy National Park, on the west coast of Jutland, gives them every reason to just that. Here you will find rugged landscapes as well as vast pine forests and bracing sea air. You can hike, bike or horseback ride your way through the park and along the way make discoveries large and small as the land and seascapes unfold revealing its native flora and fauna, ancient burial grounds and many species of shorebirds.
Almost at the northern tip of the Jutland region is the Råbjerg Mile. An intriguing phenomenon, it is vast moving sand dune that travels at around 18 meters each year and has been doing so for several centuries. While the Råbjerg Mile attracts a quarter of million visitors to the area annually, it has also created other key tourist attractions in its wake, such as the buried church in Skagen. While in the neighbourhood, it’s only a short distance to the Skagen Gray Light House and Grenen at the countries very tip. Here you’ll find resident seals lazing on the foreshore, while out to sea, turbulent waters clash over Skaw Reef as the Skagerrak and Kattegat seas collide.
Perhaps the most famous of Denmark’s exports is Lego and Billund is not only the home of Lego, but it also pays homage to the mini brick with spectacular and monumental replica displays of cities, buildings and landmarks from across the globe. With the resurgence of Lego flowing from its Hollywood blockbuster movies, the park is more popular than ever. Set on 25 acres you’ll need to put aside plenty of time for this sightseeing adventure.
There are two things we can guarantee about gifting a loved one an adventure experience in Denmark; it will be fun and filled with that irresistible hygge factor that makes everything and everyone right with the world. It’s the same with Gifting Owl. The comforting thought for you is that if your gift recipient doesn’t use their gift in Denmark, they can use it on any other Gifting Owl experience listed in any of the locations found on our pages. That’s what we call Gifting Owl hygge.
