Denmark
From Imakoopedia
| Flag | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Capital | Copenhagen |
| Area | total: 43,094 sq km water: 700 sq km land: 42,394 sq km note: excludes the Faroe Islands and Greenland |
| Population | 5,368,854 (July 2002 est.) |
| Religion | Evangelical Lutheran 95%, other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, Muslim 2% |
| Government | Constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | Danish krone (DKK) |
| Time Zone | UTC+1 |
| Country Calling Code | +45 |
| Internet TLD | .dk |
Denmark is a country in Nordic Europe. Part of it, Jutland, lies on a peninsula north of Germany while a number of islands, including two major ones, Zealand and Funen, are spread across the Baltic Sea between Jutland and Sweden.
Once the seat of Viking raiders and later a major north European power, Denmark has evolved into a modern, prosperous nation that is participating in the general political and economic integration of Europe. However, the country has opted out of European Union's Maastricht Treaty, the European monetary system (EMU), and issues concerning certain internal affairs.
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Regions
Denmark is made up of the following regions:
Denmark also has two overseas dependencies:
Cities
These are the three major cities in Denmark:
- Copenhagen (København)
- Aarhus (Århus)
- Odense
Other destinations
Understand
Get In
By plane
Denmark is served by two major and several minor airports.
- Copenhagen Airport (http://www.cph.dk/) on Eastern Zealand is the largest airport in Scandinavia. The airport is located in the town Kastrup on the island Amager, 8 km from central Copenhagen. The airport is connected by train to Copenhagen Central Station and beyond. Buses and taxis are also available.
- EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com/) serve Copenhagen from London Stansted, Newcastle, Bristol and Berlin Schoenefeld.
- Sterling (http://www.sterlingticket.com/), SAS Scandinavian (http://www.scandinavian.net/), Maersk Air (http://www.maersk-air.co.uk/) and others connect Copenhagen with many cities in Europe and beyond.
- Billund Airport (http://www.billund-airport.dk/) in South-Central Jutland is located in the town Billund, 28 km fra Vejle, 58 km from Esbjerg, 98 km from Odense, 99 km from Aarhus, 168 km from Aalborg, and 251 km from Copenhagen. The airport is connected by buses to major cities and towns in the region. Taxis are also available.
- Sterling (http://www.sterlingticket.com/), SAS Scandinavian (http://www.scandinavian.net/), Maersk Air (http://www.maersk-air.co.uk/) and others connect the region with several cities in Europe.
By train
From Germany
There are five direct trains per day from Hamburg to Copenhagen, approximately every two to three hours. These trains are loaded onto a ferry for the sea passage from Puttgarten to Rødby, and the total journey time is around 4.5 hours.
There are also two train lines to Jutland from Hamburg, one via Padborg and the other via Tønder.
From Sweden
Trains run every twenty minutes from Malmo to Copenhagen. The total journey time is 35 minutes.
By boat
From Germany
- Scandlines (http://www.scandlines.dk/) run ferries from Puttgarden to Rødby on Lolland and from Rostock to Gedser on Falster, as well as a ferry from Sassnitz to Rønne on Bornholm.
From Iceland, Faroe Islands and Shetland Islands
- Smyril Line (http://www.smyril-line.fo/) run a ferry from Seyðisfjörður (Iceland) via Tórshavn (Faroe Islands), Lerwick (Shetland Islands) and Bergen (Norway) to Hanstholm in Northern Jutland.
From Norway
- Color Line (http://www.colorline.no/) run ferries from Oslo and Kristiansand to Hirtshals and from Larvik to Fredrikshavn in Northern Jutland.
- DFDS Seaways (http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/) run a ferry from Oslo via Helsingborg (Sweden) to Copenhagen on Zealand.
- Fjordline (http://www.fjordline.no/) run a ferry from Bergen via Haugesund and Egersund to Hanstholm in Northern Jutland.
- Stena Line (http://www.stenaline.se/) run a ferry from Oslo to Frederikshavn.
From Sweden
- Bornholmstrafikken (http://www.bornholmstrafikken.dk/) run a ferry from Ystad to Rønne on Bornholm.
- Scandlines (http://www.scandlines.dk/) and HH-Ferries (http://www.hhferries.se/) both run ferries from Helsingborg to Elsinore (Helsingør) on Eastern Zealand.
- Stena Line (http://www.stenaline.se/) run a ferry from Varberg to Grenaa in Eastern Jutland.
From the United Kingdom
- DFDS Seaways (http://www.dfdsseaways.co.uk/) run a ferry from Harwich to Esbjerg in South-Western Jutland.
Get Around
By bus, train and ferry
For public transportation (trains, buses and ferries) use Rejseplanen (http://www.rejseplanen.dk/).
By air
Scandinavian Airlines (http://www.scandinavian.net/) and Cimber Air (http://www.cimber.dk/) have domestic airline routes. But unless you have to be somewhere early in the morning, the trains are easier and almost as fast.
Talk
Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages. It is very similar to Norwegian and Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages.
English is widely spoken in Denmark, especially in the larger cities. German in spoken in areas that attract tourists from Germany, i.e. mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands (e.g. Langeland and Ærø), and also in Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig).
Buy
The national currency is the Danish krone (DKK, plural "kroner"). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro. The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 2.25%. The exchange rate is around 1 EUR = 7.45 DKK.
Automatic teller machines are readily available.
Eat
Apart from the kabob shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost. Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried sanddab, and other assorted seafood items. Hearty meats are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller (pork and beef meat balls) and thick pork bacon slices topped by a cream sauce. Many meals are also accompanied by shots of aquavit and a danish beer. Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa. For dessert, try either "ris a la mande" (rice pudding with cherries) or aebleskiver (fried apple dumplings).
Drink
Danish beer is a treat for a beer enthusiast. The largest brewery, Carlsberg, offers a few choices, as well as a delicious "Christmas beer" in the 6 weeks leading up to the holidays. Other tasty beverages include the aforementioned aquavit and the Danish brew Tuborg. Danish beer is mostly limited to pilseners which are good, but not very diverse. However in the last few years danes have become interested in a wider range of beers.
The Danish Beer Enthusiasts (http://www.ale.dk/intro_uk.asp) maintain a list of bars and restuarents with a good selction of beers (http://www.ale.dk/ibyen.asp) as well as a list of stores with a good selection (http://www.ale.dk/indkob.asp#Danmark)
Sleep
Stay Safe
- Generally: Denmark is very safe. No risk of natural disaster or animal attack. Crime and traffic are only minor risks.
- In the traffic: Danes generally drive by the rules (except for the bicycles) but may not be very helpful to other drivers in ceding right of way etc. Watch out for the bicycles in the cities, especially when turning across bicycle lanes; they have right of way.
- On the beach: Don't bathe alone. Don't get too far away from land. Don't jump head first in shallow water. Swim along the coast rather than away from it.
- In the city: A few districts in major cities should be avoided at night by the unwary, or by lone women.
In an emergency dial 112 (police/medical help/fire brigade). This is toll free, and will work even from cell phones with no SIM card.
Stay Healthy
Tap water is potable unless indicated. Restaurants and other places selling food are visited regularly by health inspectors and are awarded points on a 1-4 "smiley scale" (http://smiley.fdir.dk/). The ratings must be prominently displayed, so look out for the happy face when in doubt. While pollution in the major cities can be annoying it doesn't pose any risk to non-residents. Nearly all beaches are fine for bathing - even parts of the Copenhagen harbor recently opened for bathing.
Respect
Contact
External Links
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