Introduction

Recently I watched a video on the happiest countries in the world. Unsurprisingly, nearly all the happiest countries were Nordic but I found Denmark to be particularly interesting. Over the past decade, Denmark has fluctuated between the #1 and #2 spot on the World Happiness Index (released every year by the UN since 2012). Given that the people are so happy Denmark must be an incredible place and in visiting I would like to discover this happiness and what makes Denmark so special.

Hygge

Hygge, pronounced “Hyoo-Guh”, is a Danish concept without direct translation. However, its meaning can be best understood as taking time away from the stresses of life to come together with friends and family in a warm and cozy environment. It embodies the quieter pleasures in life and is an important part of the Danish lifestyle. As a result, much of Denmark is designed around Hygge, which can especially be seen during Christmas time. The lights, the gathering of people, and the warm atmosphere against the cold of winter contribute to the coziness and safety that hygge represents. There’s a particular arboretum called Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen that I would like to visit during the Christmas season. It’s essentially a Christmas village set up in a theme park-like garden. There’s everything from rides to shops to gardens, decorated for Christmas and I would love to spend the holidays there.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen, maintaining the highest population in Denmark and representing Denmark as its capital city, garners the greatest amount of attention from the international community. An incredible city dating back to the Viking kingdoms in the 1100s, Copenhagen boasts a unique set of historic architecture while embracing modern city design making it a lovely city to explore. It’s designed under a five-finger model that concentrates the density of the metropolitan area which encourages people to use public transport to reduce traffic. Pockets of suburban neighborhoods are branched out from the city which integrates them into the metropolitan area spaced out by green space. This design allows expansion of the city while maintaining open areas for recreation and agriculture. Copenhagen was also, for many years, the home of the world’s best restaurant, Noma. Unfortunately, Noma is closing this year so I will never get to try it (like I could afford it anyway) but Copenhagen hosts a variety of unique and tasty dishes. Danish bakeries are some of my favorites and would be the axis around which I searched for food.