Some of these original Royal Licence establishments still survive today, with their thatched roofs, half-timbered frames and low-ceilinged parlour rooms and have now been restored to provide all the modern comforts of a hotel.

Service and hospitality are key at a typical Danish inn and provide a fairly inexpensive way to explore the country. Family rooms are also available in most inns with special rates for chidren aged 4-15 years sharing a standard family room on a bed and breakfast basis. Children aged under four stay free when sharing their parents' room.

Næstved is characterised by charming cobbled streets and small specialist shops. A sense of history can be felt throughout the hotel’s 57 tastefully restored rooms, and the “Le Boeuf” restaurant, located in the 15th century vaulted cellar, offers a unique atmosphere and French-inspired cuisine. (A one night stay costs from £114 (DKK 960) per person including breakfast based on two sharing).

Travelling on to the southerly island of Lolland Falster, the Hotel Nørrevang is close to one of the best beaches in Denmark and six of the country’s most scenic golf courses. The old thatched and half timbered hotel offers total peace and tranquillity with a cobble stoned atrium garden and farmyard. The 26 bed-roomed hotel also offers a fine restaurant, serving fresh seasonal ingredients including homemade jam at breakfast. The hotel is perfect for families with its own mini-aqualand of water slides and swimming pool plus a spa and sauna, to which guests have free access during their stay. (A one night weekend stay with three-course dinner, music and dancing, overnight stay and large breakfast buffet costs £98 (DKK 825) per person)

Over the impressive Storebaeltsbroen (Great Belt Bridge) is the fairytale island of Funen. The island is best known as the home to the writer Hans Christian Andersen and is also aptly called the ’Garden of Denmark’ owing to its stunning scenery of lush rolling pasture lands, steep cliff tops and wide sandy beaches. There it is possible to live like a king with a stay at Hindsgavl Slot. Set in acres of parkland, this is one of the best preserved castles in Denmark and has views which impressed Hans Christian Andersen so much that he once wrote that ‘it might be the most beautiful in Denmark’. The castle is now a unique combination of a classic castle and a modern hotel with a renowned restaurant. (A castle weekend including cocktail, four-course dinner with wine menu, accommodation and breakfast costs £222 (DKK 1,875) per person).

Travelling on through central Funen the 3 star Brobyvaerk Kro on the banks of the Odense River still retains its royal licence and also boasts an excellent restaurant. (A one night stay including three course gourmet dinner and breakfast costs from £89 (DKK 750) per person).

For the final stop on the tour head to the most southerly point of Funen on the quiet little island of Taasinge where the Hotel Troense offers 30 rooms spread throughout the main building and garden. This area of South Funen offers magnificent scenery and a wealth of sights, including the castles of Valdemars Slot and 5 star attraction Egeskov Slot. (A one night stay including accommodation, three course dinner and breakfast costs from £108 (DKK 910) per person)