Travel guide - Denmark

Delicately balanced between Scandinavia proper and mainland Europe, Denmark is a difficult country to pin down. In many ways it shares the characteristics of both regions: it's an EU member, and has prices and drinking laws that are broadly in line with those in the rest of Europe. But Denmark's social policies and its style of government are distinctly Scandinavian: social benefits and the standard of living are high, and its politics are very much that of consensus.

Denmark is the easiest Scandinavian country in which to travel, both in terms of cost and distance, but its landscape is the region's least dramatic: very green and flat, largely farmland interrupted by innumerable pretty villages. Apart from a scattering of small islands, three main landmasses make up the country - the islands of Zealand and Funen and the peninsula of Jutland, which extends northwards from Germany.

The vast majority of visitors make for Zealand (Sjælland), and, more specifically, Copenhagen , the country's one large city and an exciting focal point, with a beautiful old centre, a good array of museums and a boisterous nightlife. Zealand's smaller neighbour, Funen (Fyn), has only one positive urban draw in Odense , and otherwise is a sedate place, renowned for its cute villages and the sandy beaches of its fragmented southern coast. Only Jutland (Jylland) is far enough away from Copenhagen to enjoy a truly individual flavour, as well as Denmark's most varied scenery, ranging from soft green hills to desolate heathlands. Århus and Aalborg are two of the liveliest cities outside the capital.

There are plenty of ways to eat affordably and healthily in Denmark, and with plenty of variety, too. Much the same applies to drink: the only Scandinavian country free of social drinking taboos, Denmark is an imbiber's delight - both for its choice of tipples and the number of places they can be sampled

Although you can buy booze much more cheaply from supermarkets, the most sociable places to drink are pubs and cafés, where the emphasis is on beer. There are also bars and bodegas, in which, as a very general rule, the mood tends to favour wines and spirits and the customers are a bit older. The cheapest beer is draught beer ( Fadøl ), half a litre of which costs 30-45kr. Draught is a touch weaker than bottled beer, which costs 20-30kr for a third of a litre, and is a great deal less potent than the export beers ( Guldøl or Eksport-Øl ) costing 25-35kr a bottle. The most common brands are Carlsberg and Tuborg; Lys Pilsner is a very low alcohol lager, more like a soft drink. Most international wines and spirits are widely available, a shot of the hard stuff costing 20-30kr in a bar, a glass of wine upwards of 20kr. You should also investigate the many varieties of the schnapps-like Akvavit, which Danes consume as eagerly as beer; a tasty relative is the hot and strong Gammel Dansk Bitter Dram - Akvavit-based but made with bitters and drunk occasionally at breakfast time.

Traditional Danish food centres on meat and fish, served with potatoes and another, usually boiled, vegetable. Breakfast ( morgenmad ) can be the tastiest Danish meal, and almost all hotels offer a sumptuous breakfast as a matter of course, as do youth hostels: a table laden with cereals, bread, cheese, boiled eggs, fruit juice, milk, coffee and tea for around 40kr. Breakfast elsewhere is less substantial, although brunch , served from 11am until early afternoon, is a filling option for late starters consisting of variations of American, English, French or Australian breakfasts for 40-70kr. Later in the day, a tight budget may leave you dependent on self-catering. As for snacks , you can buy smørrebrød - open sandwiches heaped with meat, fish or cheese, and assorted trimmings - for 15-45kr from special shops, at least one of which will be open until 10pm. There are also fast-food stands ( pølsevogn ) in all main streets and at train stations, serving various hot sausages ( pølser ), toasted sandwiches ( parisertoast ) and chips ( pommes frites ). If you just want a cup of coffee or tea, cafés serve both; help it down with a Danish pastry ( wienerbrød ), tastier and much less sweet than the imitations sold elsewhere.