Spring into Denmark
Can you feel it? Hear it? Smell it? There's something in the air. Splashes of colour are starting to shoot out of the ground and sprout from the trees. Yep, Spring has sprung!
Why you should visit Denmark in Spring
Nothing beats that feeling of the days getting longer and the weather growing warmer, when you can see the world around you opening up to shiny new possibilities and fresh adventures.
Here in Denmark we love Spring more than most. After a long winter our cities come to life and our landscape transforms into a vibrant palette of beautiful and inspiring hues. We won't lie, it's pretty special.
There's no better time to visit Denmark. Here's the proof as we take a look at things you can see and do in Denmark in Spring.
Summer season at Tivoli
OK, we know. Technically this is about the Summer at Tivoli Gardens, but it all kicks off in the Spring when the iconic Danish landmark gets dressed up for Easter and opens its doors in the beginning of April. After all, Tivoli is one of Denmark's top attractions year in year out, so it makes sense to get in before the rush.
With beautiful surroundings, fun amusements and brand new rides plus the Tivoli Corner and Food Hall, Tivoli really is a must see. There's always so much going on, including live music and performance, and, with the days growing longer, even more time to sit outside and relax in the serene gardens, right in the heart of Copenhagen.
Cherry blossoms!
Nothing says Spring quite like the burst of bright pink of a cherry blossom tree. There are many places around Denmark where these effortlessly pretty flowers can be enjoyed. Apart from Tivoli, we also recommend the majestic Bispebjerg Kirkegård, when its avenues are transformed by pink cherry blossom branches forming a tunnel over your head.
Elsewhere in Copenhagen there is Langelinie Park on the water. There cherry blossoms peak a bit later than those at Bispebjerg and you can also enjoy the annual Sakura Festival, where East meets West, on the grounds. Another great spot is the Botanical Gardens, which boast an impressive array of plants and flowers as well as an excellent museum. Outside Copenhagen, Fredens Torv in Aarhus is well worth a visit to see these iconic spring flowers in bloom.
Bakken opens for family fun
Just 10 kilometers north of Copenhagen is Bakken, the world's oldest amusement park. Hidden away in the woods of Dyrehaven, Bakken is closed during the winter months, when it resembles something out of a Scooby Doo cartoon! However, as the weather grows warmer, this unique amusement park springs to life with entertainment for all the family.
Bakken opens just before Easter and has been running for more than 400 years. Here you can experience 32 rides for all ages, including a wooden rollercoaster dating all the way back to 1932, as well as live kids' entertainment and food and drink. In the evenings you can expect concerts to suit all tastes.
You are moments from the coast and there are also traditional horse-drawn carriage rides in the atmospheric, fairy-tale woods that surround the park. It really has to be seen to be believed!
Camp Adventure Treetop Experience
If you head about an hour south of Copenhagen, you can experience Spring in all its glory at Denmark’s largest treetop adventure park, which opens in the beginning of April. Located in the forest of Gisselfeld Abbey, the Treetop Experience takes visitors to new heights with a 900-metre-long boardwalk and 45-metre-tall tower centerpiece. You'll walk from the forest floor through the treetops to the top of the tower where the experience culminates in an amazing 360° view of the hilly landscape characteristic of Zealand.
For the challenge seeking adventurers, Camp Adventure's climbing park offers 10 climbing courses that move in and out and across the beech wood. There are courses for all levels and ages, so not even fear of heights will stand in your way!
Happy birthday Hans Christian Andersen!
Hans Christian Andersen is our most famous Dane. Writer of fairy tales that have captured our imagination and warmed our hearts for decades, he really needs no introduction - so we're not going to give him one. But did you know that H.C. Andersen's birthday is April 2nd? Well it is!
So why not time the great man's special day with a trip to his home town, Odense? On the island of Fyn, Odense is Denmark’s third largest city, home to almost 200,000 inhabitants, not to mention an award-winning zoo, and an acclaimed film festival.
While you're there, be sure to visit the family home of the birthday boy himself. The little house where H.C. Andersen lived with his parents from the age of 2 to 14, was opened as a museum in 1930. The house contains the very humble rooms to which his dearest memories of childhood are attached. There perhaps you will become as inspired as he was to create such wonderful and magical stories..?
Join the Aarlborg Carnival
Everyone loves a street party and the Aalborg Carnival is about as good as it gets.
Aalborg is Denmark's fourth-largest city and its carnival is the largest in Northern Europe. This year's parade begins on Friday May 17th, marking a week of activities and entertainment. There you will witness up to 60,000 carnivalists in the Grand Parade and more than 100,000 spectators watching the magnificent wave of colours and fantasy along the parade route.
A truly international event, the Carnival will showcase the many different carnival traditions from around the world. We guarantee it will be a unique opportunity to experience groups that know how to put on a show but rarely visit Denmark.
So there you have it.
We hope this has given you plenty of ideas of how to make the most of Spring in Denmark. Of course, this is only just scratching the surface of a country that has so much to offer you all year round.