Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Danmark
Denmark is by far the smallest of the Scandinavian countries, but in the 16th
century, it was the largest—at one time, Denmark ruled all of Norway and the
three southern provinces of Sweden. Danes are proud of their mighty history
and are the first to remind you that they were a lot bigger and a lot stronger
in the good old days. And yet, they're a remarkably mellow, well-adjusted
lot—organized without being uptight, and easygoing with a delightfully wry
sense of humor.
In the 10th century, before its heyday as a Scan-superpower, Denmark was,
like Norway and Sweden, home to the Vikings. More than anything else, these
fierce warriors were known for their great shipbuilding, which enabled them
to travel far. Denmark's Vikings journeyed west to Great Britain and Ireland
(where they founded Dublin) and brought back various influences, including
Christianity.
Denmark is composed of many islands, a peninsula (Jutland) that juts up
from northern Germany, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. The two main is-
landsareZealand (Sjælland inDanish),whereCopenhagenislocated, andFun-
en (Fyn in Danish), where Hans Christian Andersen (or, as Danes call him,
simply “H. C.”) was born. Out of the hundreds of smaller islands, ship-in-
bottle-cute Æro is my favorite. The Danish landscape is gentle compared to
