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DISCOVER DENMARK

Where are the best areas to holiday in a Danish summer house?

Summer houses are an integral part of the Danish lifestyle, with thousands of them scattered around the country to be enjoyed for long weekends or extended holidays. Here are the best areas to have a summer house holiday in Denmark.

Where are the best areas to holiday in a Danish summer house?
Where are the best spots in Denmark to rent a summer house? Photo by Hasse Lossius on Unsplash

There are over 40,000 holiday homes to rent in Denmark, so you will never be short of choice when it comes to picking one for a break. But where to start? Here are five popular areas to enjoy a summer house experience in Denmark.

Bornholm

 Bornholm has been voted Denmark’s best holiday destination in 2022 and 2023 at the Danish Travel Awards.

With the island’s unique nature, distinctive cuisine, cultural events and variety of summer houses, it is becoming an increasingly popular place for Danes to spend their holiday.

Despite lying off the coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea, Bornholm is not far from Copenhagen. You can fly from Copenhagen to Rønne on Bornholm in 35 minutes, or take a high-speed ferry from Ystad in Sweden.

The Baltic Sea viewed from Bornholm. Photo: Asger Ladefoged/Ritzau Scanpix

Blåvand

On the West coast of Jutland, Blåvand, which is Danish for blue water, is know for just this.

The Horns Reef reaches about 40 km into the Wadden Sea west of Denmark, almost forming a lagoon, so there isn’t a strong North Sea current here. This gives the area its shallow water and sandy beaches, ideal for children. 

Blåvandshuk is the most western point in Denmark and is marked by a huge lighthouse. The town of Blåvand itself has a relaxed atmosphere with cafés and restaurants. The sprawling Legoland theme park in Billund is also an easy day trip from Blåvand accommodation.

People walk on the beach at Blåvand. Photo: John Randeris/Ritzau Scanpix

Ebeltoft

The historic town of Ebeltoft in the southern part of Djursland is one of Denmark’s most popular holiday destinations. 

Half-timbered houses, cafes, restaurants and shops line the winding cobbled streets, with a town square at the heart of it. The town hall also acts as a museum, with year-round exhibitions and activities.

Being a coastal town, Ebeltoft has many popular beaches such as Dråby Beach and Boeslum Beach. There are the child-friendly beaches of Ahl Beach and Vibæk Beach and in Ebeltoft Vig bay, you can fish, surf and kayak.

The town is part of Mols Bjerge National Park, where you can enjoy a glacial landscape lined with chalky white beaches and historical monuments. There are both water activities like kayaking and cultural sites, with the historic ruins of Kalø Slot and Poskær Stenhus.

Wild ponies in the Mols Bjerge national park. Photo: Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

Rømø

Rømø is a small island on the west coast of Denmark. It is only 129 square kilometres with just over 600 residents, which means holidays here are quiet and relaxed.

It is the most southern of the Danish Wadden Sea islands, which comprise of Rømø, Fanø and Mandø.

The beach is separated into Lakolk, where people swim, fly kites and relax;  Sønderstrand, where people do activities such as blokarting and beach sailing over the 3-kilometre space. Its vastness – it is one of the widest in Europe – means it is often windy, making it ideal for these sports.

READ ALSO: The Danish island destination for kids you might not have heard of

A summer day at the beach on the island of Rømø. Photo: John Randeris/Ritzau Scanpix

Kerteminde

Based on the island of Fyn, Kerteminde is a small harbour town surrounded by farms. The National Geographic named Kerteminde as one of Europe’s best secret villages. 

In the past 200 years, the town has attracted artists and painters, inspired by the town’s harbour, the sea and surrounding natural environment. Many of the paintings can be seen at the Johannes Larsen museum.

The island of Fyn has many other beaches and towns to explore. There are 123 castles and manor houses on the island, as well as Hans Christian Andersen’s birthplace in Odense.

Fyn is connected to its own archipelago of small, laid-back islands where you can take a ferry to, such as Æro. 

READ ALSO: Can foreigners buy a summer house in Denmark?

Kerteminde’s golf course. Photo: Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix

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CULTURE

Five music festivals happening in Denmark this summer

Summer is the season of festivals in Denmark, so if you've been patiently waiting for nice weather, exciting line-ups, and being part of energised crowds, here are some events worth knowing about.

Five music festivals happening in Denmark this summer

Northside

Northside is an annual three-day music festival in Eskelunden, Aarhus. With between 35,000 and 40,000 people attending the festival over the course of three days, plus four stages and sideshow events, it is one of the largest music festivals in Denmark.

NorthSide wants to become the most sustainably driven and environmentally conscious festival in the Nordic countries. In 2022, the festival ran on electricity from the grid for the first time and became the first festival in Denmark to go plant-based. 

When: 6th-8th June 2024

2024 Lineup: There’a a wide range of music genres from rock, indie, electronic, to hip-hop. This year’s line up includes Pulp, Massive Attack, Kaytranada, St.Vincent, The Smile, Troye Sivan, Royal Blood, Love Shop.

Tickets: The current price for a three-day ticket is 2,395 kroner. These tickets are substantially cheaper the earlier you book. A day ticket costs 1,295 kroner. A two-day ticket costs 1,995 kroner.

Accommodation: There isn’t any camping or accommodation at the festival, or parking for cars. But the festival is accessible by public transport, walking or bike and there are camping or other accommodation options close by.

Northside Festival

NorthSide in 2023. Photo: Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix

Tinderbox

Based in Odense, Tinderbox hosts a mix of international artists, Danish musicians and electronic music, playing out from Magicbox, the electric stage.

The festival is held in the Tusindårsskoven nature reserve in western Odense, which you can walk to from the city centre.

The festival bills itself as encompassing electronic music, nostalgic 90s in the Groove box, comedy acts, Ferris wheel rides, a champagne hill, local culinary experiences and sustainability.

When: 27th-29th June 2024

2024 Lineup: Raye, Avril Lavigne, David Guetta, Benjamin Ingrosso, Bryan Adams, DK Sashi, Kind Mod Kind, James Arthur, Miss Monique, Kaizers Orchestra.

Tickets: 2,595 kroner for a full three-day pass, 2,295 for a two-day ticket and 1,395 for a one-day ticket. You can also upgrade to a VIP option.

Accommodation: Camping, glamping or something called a sleep box with a foam mattress are the options. Outside of the festival, there’s accommodation in Odense but it gets booked up quickly. Alternatively, there’s camping at Dyrskuepladsen.

Crowds enjoying George Ezra play at Tinderbox in 2023. Photo: Helle Arensbak/Ritzau Scanpix

Vig Festival

This is very much a family festival, over three days in Vig, which is located in the northwestern part of Zealand. The music ranges from rock, pop and blues and there are activities for all ages.

When: 10th-13th July 2024

2024 Lineup: Infernal, Gobs, Zar Paulo, Mads Christian, ISSE, Gabriel Jacobsen, Rasmus Seebach.

Tickets: A one-day ticket costs between 925 kroner and 1,025 kroner depending on the day you attend.

Children up to the age of 11 can enter for free, as long as they are accompanied by a paying adult.

A full festival three-day ticket costs between 1,375 kroner and 1,825 kroner, depending how early/late you buy.

A full festival family ticket for one adult (18+) plus a child aged 12-15, costs 2,125 kroner.

Accommodation: There are various camping options, from the free site, where it’s first come first served and pitch your own tent; to pre-booked and paid for camping sites with or without electricity, or without music. There’s the option for a tent to be pitched for you, which you then take home, or you can stay in a caravan or a room at the nearby højskole.

All options come with varying prices which includes the price of the festival ticket. 

There’s parking on site and a festival shuttle bus.

Smukfest 

Located in a forest in Skanderborg, the name Smukfest comes from its beautiful location. The main stage is set in a national amphitheatre, surrounded by old beech trees.

Running since 1980, the festival is more than music and celebrates being together, with young, old and families all welcome. It sells itself as a festival with social, environmental and economic sustainable values.

The festival is big, second in size to Roskilde, with around 60,000 people attending. There are over 200 acts across 6 stages plus art installation and other activities, over five days.

Smukfest

Smukfest in 2023. Photo:Helle Arensbak/Ritzau Scanpix

When: 4th to 11th August. Smukfest is unusual in that it is a five-day festival with three warm-up days. 

2024 Lineup: The festival includes rock, pop, folk, heavy metal, hip-hop and electronic music.

This year’s artists include Diana Ross, who is performing on Saturday, Example, Sam Smith, The Prodigy, Faithless, The Darkness, VETO, Zara Larsson, Moonjam, Ankerstjerne, Mads Langer, Rasmus Seebach, Sanne Salomonsen with The Antonelli Orchestra, Abba tribute, Queen Machine and the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets: Access to the whole week (partoutbillet) costs 3,495 kroner. This includes being able to camp in your own tent, ride the shuttle bus and use the cloakroom.

A one-day wristband costs between 1,695 kroner and 495 kroner depending on the day. Children’s day tickets cost 150 kroner.

If you’re staying, you pay for accommodation as part of entry.

Accommodation: There’s a variety of places to stay for different budgets and festival goers, in various festival ‘neighbourhoods’.

You can camp on site, or a shuttle-bus away in a forest, stay in a hut or luxury cabin house (5000 kroner), or bring your caravan or camper van on site (950 kroner). There is the option for the festival to set up a tent for you that’s ready and waiting when you arrive and you get to take the tent home with you afterwards. The price for this is 1,200 kroner and 2,400 kroner depending on tent size.

Smukfest

Drew Sycamore playing at Smukfest in 2023 Photo: Helle Arensbak/Ritzau Scanpix

Roskilde 

The big one – in fact the largest music festival in the Nordic countries and one of the largest music festivals in Europe. To give you an idea of scale, the 130,000 festival goers who attend, would rank the festival as Denmark’s fourth largest city. 

Created in 1971 by two high school students and a promoter, it’s now run as a non-profit organisation with approximately 30,000 volunteers.

There are eight stages and around 200 music acts, plus artists, authors, performers, speakers, graffiti artists and architects.

The festival is also famous for its annual naked run on the Saturday. Started in 1999 and organised by Roskilde Festival Radio, runners dash around a fenced-in track around the camp site, completely naked. The male and female winners receive a ticket for the following year’s festival. 

When: Sat 29th June – Sat 6th July 2024 (music starts on Wednesday 3rd July).

2024 Lineup: From rap, pop, alternative rock, neo-soul, jazz, and electronic, there’s a whole range of artists. Danish hip-hop star, Lamin, will open the Orange Stage. Other acts include Foo Fighters, Ice Spice, Omah Lay, Bondshell, Aurora, Gilli, PJ Harvey, Tems, J Hus, Medina, Jane’s Addiction, Overmono. 

Tickets: Full festival tickets cost 2,400 kroner, one day tickets cost 1,200 kroner.

Accommodation: The festival campsite covers nearly 80 hectares (200 acres) and access to it is included in the ticket price. It usually opens on the Saturday afternoon and you can turn up and pitch your tent.

You can upgrade your camping experience with the festivals ‘special camping’, which includes a reserved site, tents that are put up for you that you then take home, quiet camping, tent houses, places to park your motorhome, caravan or an area for those with motorbikes.

There’s also something called Community Camping, where you get to create your own community by applying to a specific area/community beforehand and you give something back by looking after the area and helping with the clean up.

Roskilde Festival

Roskilde Festival 2023 in front of the Orange Stage. Photo: Torben Christensen/Ritzau Scanpix
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