The Ugly Duckling. The Princess and the Pea. The Little Mermaid. Little Tiny or Thumbelina. The Snow Queen. Yes! These are fairy tales written by the famous author Hans Christian Andersen. He is from Denmark, the happiest country on earth where Vikings once wandered and fairy tales were made.
Wherever you may be, you can see the soul of Denmark. A small country, yet it has so much to offer. Nice and polite people, healthy food, quality education, rich culture, cosy houses and activities suitable not just for adults but for the whole family.
One way to experience Denmark is to be in their cultural exchange program for maximum of 2 years. Common to many these people are called Au Pairs. With my case, I applied for an internship program. I am currently living in Denmark and working as an intern in Balletskolen (The Ballet School), one of the satellite schools of The Royal Danish Ballet. I was a Preschool Teacher for 6 years in the Philippines while dancing and teaching ballet for kids at the side. The internship is teaching me a lot of things, more than what I can imagine. Giving me memorable experiences that I would not exchange for anything.
So far, I have been to different places around Denmark and still has more to see. There are so many exciting places you can go to and great activities you can do all over Denmark. These are some of the awesome things I have experienced in Denmark and I would like to share it with you.
1. VISIT THEMED PARKS
One of Denmark’s famous theme park is LEGOLAND. Located to one of the biggest city in Denmark, LEGOLAND is the place for the whole family. All the things you can see, big or small are made of Legos. For all I know, once in our life, we played with Lego. And it is a fantastic experience to be young again in this place. The theme park has its own 4 star hotel with Lego themed rooms that will surely be a memorable experience. It has also a Holiday Village with outdoor activities and play rooms for everyone. Experience sleeping in cabins, teepees, pirate rooms or tents you can pitch on the ground.
2. GO ON NATURE TRIPS.
Head outdoors and be one with the nature. Walk in national parks or town forests, cycle in cycling routes, camp in campsites, swim in the beaches and sleep in shelters.
If you are looking for a safe and fun cycling destination, Denmark is one of the top of the list. In fact, Denmark’s largest city, Copenhagen, has been voted the best cycle city by US sustainability experts Treehugger. It has more than 12,000 km signposted cycle routes. There are separated lanes only for cyclers. This is the cheapest and most environmental friendly way to go around. You can easily find a place to park your bike around small and big cities. You can also take your bike along with you on the train. Cycling is very common in Denmark and children are taught to ride bicycles in early age. According to Cycling Embassy of Denmark, 9 out of 10 Danes own a bicycle.
Another nature activities that are very famous in the city called Silkeborg are kayaking and canoeing. This town is a beauty for its long lake where lovely and expensive houses were built by the side. It offers vast experiences with nature. If you are looking for active adventures or just peace and quiet, Silkeborg is the place to be.
Between Silkeborg and the town called Ry, lies the highest point in Denmark called Himmelbjerget (The Sky Mountain) which is 147 meters high. You can reach this point by road or by the lake. If you choose boat, canoe or kayak ride, you have to go up on the stairs to reach the spot. There are also hiking tours around The Sky Mountain. When you reach the top, you will find the Hotel Himmelbjerget and the 25 meter tall tower. A lovely place especially during summer, where you can just lie on the grass, have a picnic and eat ice cream.
Aside from lakes, Denmark is known for its huge coastline. So why not experience summer in the beach or if you are crazy enough, go on winter swimming! As for me, I am still collecting courage to do winter swimming. They say it is healthy and fun!
Alongside with these nature trips and adventures, consider sleeping in campsites than hotels or motels. Danes love camping. They have 500 approved campsites and 850 nature campsites around the country. It is specified in each campsite what services are available and not and what is allowed and not. Most of the campsites are free of access but of course let us remember sure to clean up after use.
Denmark is known to have the oldest monarchy in Europe. It started during the 10 century. Thus, it has numbers of beautiful historical castles around. One of the most popular castles is Kronborg Castle (Kronborg Slot in Danish). This is located at the north of Copenhagen called Helsingør. It is the actual castle used by the famous Shakespeare for his Hamlet. In Hamlet, Shakespeare called the castle Elsinore. This became the English name for Helsingør. Every summer they celebrate Shakespeare Festival where there is an open-air performance of the different plays of Shakespeare. If you wish to tour around and learn the history of it, there are guided tours inside or you can tour on your own. Inside the castle you can see stunning beauty of its interior, the big ballroom and the well-preserved chapel (which they still use, for wedding as well) and the mythological statue of Holger Dansk. People say, if Denmark is in trouble, he will wake from his rock throne under the castle and will defend the country.
(To be continued..........)