DENMARK

Location - Western Europe; Capital - Copenhagen; Population - 5.8 million; Currency - Danish Krone MORE DENMARK

I made a day-tour of sights on the island of Zealand before heading west to Odense and Aarhus - December 2017.

Though Denmark is an EU member it's not in the Euro-zone, using the Danish Krone instead

A larger-than-life statue outside the Maritime Museum in Helsingor an hour's train ride north of Copenhagen

Colourful houses near the seafront - Helsingor

15th century Kronborg Castle lies on the north east tip of Zealand opposite the Swedish port city of Helsingborg - Helsingor

The castle is famous for being Elsinore in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Helsingor

Ferries cross the Oresund, which divides Helsingor and Helsingborg at the two countries' narrowest point - Helsingor

A seafaring mural on the streets of Helsingor

Another impressive fortress is the 17th century Frederiksborg Castle - Hillerod

It's worth looking at buying the Copenhagen Card as it covers Kronborg & Frederiksborg castles, as well as many other attractions in Zealand. Plus public transport - important in an expensive country like Denmark! - Hillerod

Roskilde is the former capital of Denmark and home to its most important cathedral, the 12th century Roskilde Cathedral

The cathedral is the principal burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century - Roskilde

The cathedral's Glucksburger Chapel is the resting place of Kings Christian IX, Frederik VIII and Christian X - Roskilde

The Viking Ship Museum displays the amazing find of five original Viking ships discovered sunk in Roskilde Fjord. Skuldelev 3 is the best preserved, a trading ship measuring 14m in length and dating back to around 1040 - Roskilde

Not much remains of Skuldelev 2, a warship capable of carrying 65-70 men at high speed. The ship was built in Ireland around 1042 and would have been about 30m long - Roskilde

KINGDOM OF ELLEORE

Continuing my search for micronations around the world, Denmark has not just one (Christiania being the more obvious) but two, the second being the Kingdom of Elleore off the coast of Roskilde - Kingdom of Elleore

One of the older Leon d'Or coins

- Head of state: King Leo III
- Population: None, except when a week-long festival is held for 'citizens'. And lots of birds.
- Size: 15,000m²
- Currency: Leo d'Or coins, while stamps are also produced
- Time: Elleore Standard Time, 12 minutes behind Danish time
- Website: www.elleore.dk; Wikipedia

Elleore was bought from the government by a group of schoolteachers in 1944 to use as a summer camp. As with many micronations its existence is thanks to a light-hearted proclamation of independence, this time as a stand against the Danish monarchy and government - Kingdom of Elleore

A view of the Kingdom of Elleore from Veddelev, a village on the outskirts of Roskilde

The train crosses the Storebaelt Bridge (Great Belt Bridge in English), making the 18km link between the islands of Zealand and Funen

A street mural opposite Brandts, a contemporary arts museum - Odense

That posture looks so uncomfortable! - Odense

Being the birthplace of author Hans Christian Andersen puts Odense on the tourist map. He wrote novels, plays, poems but he's most loved for his fairytales - do you remember The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea, The Emperor's New Clothes and Thumbelina, to name just a few?

Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home, where he lived between 1807 and 1819, is now a museum - Odense

The cobbled backstreets near the Hans Christian Andersen House, where he was born and which is also a museum - Odense

A statue of, you guessed it, Hans stands outside St Canute's Cathedral. Visit the cathedral's crypt to see the remains of King Canute, Denmark's patron saint - Odense

Next up was Aarhus, Denmark's second city on the mainland peninsula of Jutland

There's a few busy bars and cafes lining the Aarhus River near Frederiksgade, on the way to Lille Torv - Aarhus

A rather monochrome-looking photo of Lille Torv, a small square dotted with Christmas stalls during the festive season - Aarhus

If you want masks for Christmas, this is the stall to visit! - Aarhus

The circular band on the top floor of the ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an installation called Your Rainbow Panorama, designed for colourful views of the city - Aarhus

Something looks wrong with this mannequin.. - Aarhus

I've never seen so many Christmas trees as in Aarhus, propped up against every street sign and lamppost!

The hefty Aarhus Cathedral is both the longest and tallest church in Denmark - Aarhus

The sandy grey building on the left is the Occupation Museum, documenting the city's occupation by Germany during World War II. It's housed in the former Gestapo headquarters for Jutland. In the centre, and part of the same building, is the Women's Museum, outlining the role of women in Denmark through the years. On the right is the cathedral - Aarhus

It felt like I stumbled across a windmill everywhere I went in Scandinavia (and Bremen shortly after, for that matter) - Aarhus

Above the pathway leading to Den Gamle By are the greenhouses of the Botanical Gardens - Aarhus

Den Gamle By (meaning The Old Town in English) is an open air museum and the first of its kind in the world - Aarhus

The museum comprises over 70 historical buildings from towns all over the country, which have then been moved lock, stock & barrel to Den Gamle By - Aarhus

Much of the seafront has an industrial, port feel to it, but keep going north to the fiskerhavn area where fishing and leisure boats take precedence - Aarhus

Bellevue beach is a stretch of sand a few kms north of the centre - Aarhus

Website and content Copyright 2008-2018 Mark Wilkinson. All rights reserved.

LINKS

https://copenhagencard.com - pass covering travel and entrance to tourist sights in Copenhagen, up to Helsingor and west to Roskilde, including public transport

www.dsb.dk - Danish trains

http://intl.m.dk - public transport in Copenhagen

www.visitdenmark.co.uk - Denmark tourist board

I am not responsible for the content of external websites.