Bain Carolyn - Lonely Planet Denmark

Its true, Denmark doesnt have the stop-you-in-your-tracks natural grandeur of its neighbours, but its landscapes are understated pure and simple, often infused with an ethereal Nordic light. Such landscapes are reflected in the Danish design philosophy towards fashion, food, architecture, furniture and art. Simplicity of form and function come first, but not at the expense of beauty. And so youll find moments of quintessential Danish loveliness on a long sandy beach, beside a lake, admiring a Renaissance castle, on the bike lanes of Bornholm, or in a candlelit cafe that has perfected the art of hygge.

By Carolyn Bain, Author

My first experience of Denmark came as a teenager, living there for a year as an exchange student. My first youthful Danish loves were the pastries, the furniture design, and the long summer nights. These days I return with the same passions, enriched with an adult appreciation for Denmark's egalitarianism, its belief that cities belong to people not cars, and its endless quest for hygge. It helps that everything is easy on the eye the unfairly attractive locals, yes, but also the architecture, the landscapes and the interior design. I think that secretly, most cities want to grow up to be Copenhagen and if they don't, they should.