Travel guide Denmark

Poetically dubbed "The Tears of the Gods", this fossilized resin comes from coniferous forests swallowed up by the sea. Its translucent honey color has made cities like Copenhagen rich. It can be found in abundance on Danish beaches, where hunting for "Baltic gold" is a family winter tradition.

Organic isn't just a trend, it's a strong commitment in the way Danes consume, and they're the biggest consumers in the world. Denmark is a model country where the government is doing everything in its power to achieve 100% Ekologisk or Organic agricultural production, a goal to be reached before the end of the decade, in 2030!

A red rectangle with a white cross. You'll see it flying over the roofs of houses or at the entrances to institutional buildings. The Danes are proud of their flag, which accompanies them at the high points of their lives. At half-mast to announce a death, flying the flag to mark a birthday or the passing of an exam...

Faroese beer is the local drink of the Faroe Islands, a real institution. In 1883, Símun F. Hansen went to Denmark to learn the art of brewing. Five years later, back on his native island, he founded his brewery in Klaskvik, the second largest town. It has become the symbol of the island and the pride of its inhabitants.

Did you know? The world's largest island, beyond the Arctic Circle, is a self-governing province of Denmark, discovered by the Viking explorer Eric the Red. Just before the year 1000, a period of global warming, he landed on this green coastline and christened it the "Green Island".

This word of Norwegian origin means "well-being". It was born out of the need to withstand the cold of the long, dark winter climate. Warmth, comfort and conviviality became essential. The Danes use it in an infinite number of ways. Hyggekrog: cozy corner where to spend a hygge moment; hyggebukser: pilou-pilou pants to be worn only at home.

This piece of land, which forms the continental peninsula of Denmark, owes its name to an ancient people, the Jutes. During the Ice Age, this region belonged to the Doggerland, a continent that is now submerged and was broken up by a mega-tsunami that collapsed part of present-day Norway and detached England, which was then connected to Denmark.

70% of the population are registered in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, although few consider themselves to be very religious. And yet, churches remain popular. A community meeting place to celebrate a family event for which the Danes pay a parish tax, optional but necessary for the maintenance of the buildings.

Sea clown (or shearwater) is the nickname given to this Faroese fetish bird. It spends all day at sea, returning to land in the evening or during mating season, when it's time to breed. With its small, black-feathered body and white belly, it's best recognized by its pretty triangular blue and red beak.

Funny caravans pull up to street crossings or squares. A crowd gathers as the aroma of grilled sausages wafts from the chimney. These "sausage wagons" have been an institution since 1921, offering Danish-style hot dogs, from the classic with fried onions to the more exotic with pineapple!

The Danes are very attached to their ancestors the Vikings. These valiant sailors, fearless but perhaps not without reproach, crossed the oceans on board their longships as far as Newfoundland! Farmers at heart, blacksmiths at heart, their civilization was not as barbaric as the bad rumors have it.

Did you know that? Zeeland, or Seeland in Danish, means "land of the sea". It is the name given to the island where the capital Copenhagen was founded. It is the largest island with an area of 7,000 km2. According to legend, the goddess Gefion detached this piece of land from neighbouring Sweden. Could this be the reason for the historical rivalries around the Øresund?