Denmark Travel Destinations:
Experiencing Copenhagen’s Top Ten Attractions is best through the Quest for Hygge. If you visit Denmark’s capital, looking for its biggest tourist attraction, the Little Mermaid Statue, you will return home thinking Copenhagen is just any other European city. During my weeklong visit, I pursued a quest for the meaning of the Danish custom, Hygge. Plus, I discovered firsthand why Copenhagen is called the “City of Spires” and world-renowned for bicycling.
What is Hygge?
Pronounced “hoo-guh,” Hygge is a traditional custom in both Denmark and Norway. Even though it has no direct translation, “cozy” comes close. It comes from the Norwegian term, hugga meaning to comfort, related to the English word hug. Furthermore, it’s experienced through simple, sensual comforts and social conviviality, such as, sharing a delicious meal, good wine, a nap in the park, gardening, candles, fireplaces or a sunset. Hygge is all about life in the moment and connecting to other people and your surroundings. I perceive it as the European version of Zen.
If you visit Copenhagen through its cultural lens of Hygge, authenticly experience, it, even as a Tourist. Look for it in the restaurants, cafes, alleyways, bicycling, gardens, flowers, friendliness, and relaxation. In other words, quest for this cozy custom in all you do in this unique city.
Copenhagen’s Top Ten Attractions Through the Quest for Hygge
Tivoli Gardens
As the second oldest amusement park in the world, this Danish venue also has a pleasure garden. It’s right next door to the Central Rail Station. This park is best known for its wooden roller coaster, Rutschebanen aka Bjergbanen (The Mountain Coaster), built in 1914. It’s one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters that is still operating today. Additionally, the colorful flower gardens and trees provide a beautiful alcove for peaceful relaxation.