Denmark is home to a massive range of family-friendly attractions, including Bakken north of Copenhagen
(www.bakken.dk) – the world’s oldest amusement park – and of course the world-famous Legoland
(www.legoland.dk) on mainland Jutland, where families can discover miniature versions of famous landmarks as well as a selection of thrilling rides. On cooler days head indoors to the warmth of the sweet factory at Bolcheriet Løkken
(www.bolcheriet.dk), on the north west Jutland coast, where visitors can watch lollipops and boiled sweets being made by hand and then buy them straight from the shop. Nearby, Action House
(www.actionhouse.dk) is handily located for burning off that extra energy with indoor go-karting, bowling and arcade games.
Kids of all ages will enjoy Denmark’s unique Viking heritage, which can be discovered at such weather-proof attractions as Lindholm Høje
(www.nordjyllandshistoriskemuseum.dk) near Aalborg in north Jutland, Scandinavia’s largest Viking burial ground with more than 700 graves. Further Viking encounters can be had in other parts of Denmark including northern Sealand at the Viking Ships Museum in Roskilde
(www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk), where five authentic wooden ‘longships’ (dating from the 11th Century) are on display alongside a collection of other Nordic boats aboard which visitors can get a feel for what life was like for these notorious raiders.
In terms of exciting historical attractions Den Gamle By (‘The Old Town’) in Denmark’s 2nd largest city Aarhus is a great living museum where you can experience old-style shops, gardens and workshops that have been brought from all over Denmark and captures a snapshot of a time gone by
(www.dengamleby.dk). For more ancient history, there is also Middelaldercentret (the Medieval Centre) at Nykobing Falster in south Sealand, where the clock has been turned back to 1396 to bring medieval Denmark back to life
(www.middelaldercentret.dk). Expect to find rope-makers, blacksmiths and other craftsmen going about their daily chores.
Danes have an extremely high regard for the natural world, so it’s no surprise to find many wildlife-themed attractions across the country too. Among the best of these is Randers Rainforest
(www.regnskoven.dk), in east Jutland, an indoor tropical safari featuring 200 different animals and 450 kinds of plant. Kids can get up close and personal with monkeys, iguanas, bats and parrots, with the collection including animals from each of the world’s rainforest regions. For wildlife of the aquatic kind, the ‘Discover Scuba Diving’ programme at the nearby Kattegatcentret
(www.kattegatcentret.com) offers an introductory lesson in scuba diving from a PADI-certified trainer, followed by a dip in the attraction’s Oceanarium to discover sharks, rays and various other creatures from the deep. Continuing with the watery theme, the Fisheries and Maritime Museum in Esbjerg in west Jutland
(www.fimus.dk/eng_index.html) has a saltwater aquarium and a family of friendly seals alongside an exhibition on the history of sea-faring; while seals and porpoises are also the stars of the show at Fjord&Baelt
(www.fjord-baelt.dk) in Kerteminde on the island of Funen, an educational facility dedicated to protecting the marine environment. Those preferring their wildlife on the wing, meanwhile, should head further east in Denmark to Gavnø Castle in south Sealand to experience its fascinating butterfly house
(http://www.cofman.co.uk/denmark/attractions/castles-and-manor-houses/sydsjaelland/gavno-castle.html).
Gavnø Castle is also home to a vast collection of artworks – in fact the largest private collection of paintings in the whole of Scandinavia. Further north in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen, the impressive Louisiana Museum of Modern Art showcases international art exhibitions throughout the year and offers a wide range of activities for children and adults to explore together in ever so popular The Children’s Wing. These include free activities for families with children plus drop-ins and special activities at weekends and on school holidays
(www.louisiana.dk). World-class exhibitions can also be found at Copenhagen’s National Museum
(www.nationalmuseet.dk), which also has a special Children’s Museum that allows kids to play their way through Danish history. A great time to visit Denmark’s cultural attractions is during the Night of Culture festivities (10 October,
www.kulturnatten.dk/en), when many of the museums stay open late and there are special events across a number of cities in including Copenhagen, Aalborg and Aarhus, where the ARoS Art Museum
(www.aros.dk) has an excellent art collection housed in a striking cube-shaped building. Also popular is the Skagens Museum
(www.skagensmuseum.dk) at the very tip of north Jutland, where families with children are very welcome and entrance is free of charge for all children and young people under 18. On the first floor of the museum there tables with paper and drawing requisites that all youngsters are encouraged to use. The museum houses more than 1,800 works of art by the famous painters of this artists’ colony’s, in the very surroundings in which they were created.
Further educational attractions can be found at the GeoCenter at Møns Klint
(www.moensklint.dk), on the small island of Møn in south east Denmark, which tells the story of Denmark's geological development from 70 million years ago to the present today. The attraction (which took nine years to complete) opened in May 2007 and has an interactive visitor centre that showcases the spectacular chalk cliffs on Møn’s east coast. Also following the educational theme is the Experimentarium
(www.experimentarium.dk), located just north of Copenhagen, this hands-on facility delves into the wonderful world of science. A new exhibition, ‘Energy for the Future’, opens at the Experimentarium in February 2009. Equally insightful is The Danish Railway Museum on Funen
which is a four-star attraction showcasing more than 10,000 sqm of carriages and locomotives, buses, model ferries, model railway tracks, mini-trains and with a great play area too. And moving further west again the science and technology ‘fun park’ at Danfoss Universe in south Jutland
(http://uk.danfossuniverse.com), features a world of information on the forces of nature and the latest technology in a highly interactive environment.
For those of a more active bent, there are many sporting activities that can be enjoyed indoors at the various top-notch holiday centres scattered along the Danish coasts. SeaWest
(www.strandhotellerne.dk), for example, is one of the country’s newest holiday centres; located in an incredibly beautiful setting amidst towering sand dunes in west Jutland, the resort offers a fully-equipped fitness centre, spa facilities and a subtropical water park with pools and slides – with over 60km of sandy beach to be explored in fair weather. Similar facilities can be found at Skallerup
(www.skallerup.dk) in north Jutland, where a wonderfully themed Roman spa provides a welcome retreat to recuperate from the exertions of the squash courts, swimming pool and tropical water park. For the largest water pool of all, visitors should head to the holiday centre at Lalandia Resort on the south coast of Lolland
(www.lalandia.dk) south of Copenhagen, where they will also find facilities such as badminton, archery, fitness centre and spa. Accommodation at these holiday camps is provided in comfortable, fully-equipped cottages with prices starting from £470 for a family of three for one week. Alternatively, opt for an attractive Danish holiday cottage through Novasol
(www.novasol.dk), which offers excellent off-season deals on accommodation; for example a spacious five-star house at Tisvilde, near Helsinge in north Sealand, costs from approximately £950 for a week in October, based on 12 people sharing and has an indoor swimming pool, sauna and whirlpool.
Getting to Denmark from the UK has never been easier. DFDS Seaways
(www.dfds.co.uk) sails from Harwich to Esbjerg, while Sterling (www.sterling.dk), SAS
(www.flysas.com), BMI (
www.flybmi.com) and Ryanair (
www.ryanair.com) fly to various Danish gateways from several UK airports.
For further press information contact
Anthea Yabsley at IDeal PR on 0208 578 6777 or email
Anthea.yabsley@ideal-pr.co.uk or Anne Marie Barsøe at VisitDenmark UK & Ireland on 0207 201 3970 or email amb@visitdenmark.com