What is Denmark Famous For?

Let’s play a game …

Can you name one thing Denmark is famous for?

Can you name two?

Can you name ten?

When I played this game before I went to Copenhagen, I came up with one: Carslberg beer.

Then we went to Copenhagen and I was amazed and astounded at what I discovered about Denmark!

We took a 9-day Baltic cruise, starting in Copenhagen. We arrived in Copenhagen 48 hours before boarding the ship. The weather was perfect. We walked 20,000 steps each day so that we could get a flavour for the city. We loved it.

Here is the itinerary for the cruise:

9-Day Scandinavia, Russia & Baltic from Copenhagen

This post focuses on What Denmark is Famous For

Next week is 48 Hours in Copenhagen

What is Denmark Famous For? Lego

Lego is the world’s largest toy company by revenue.

We added to Lego’s revenue at its flagship store in Copenhagen.

The Lego experience starts on the street

This is a photo of me with my Lego avatar. This is how the avatar is created: I placed my hand on a scanner in the store window. In about 10 seconds, my avatar was created.

This is Norman with his Lego avatar

Would I make a good stormtrooper?

There are lots of photo ops in the Lego store.

Lego has a Canadian connection

The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board has a stake in the investor group that is buying Legoland and taking it private.

Kids of all ages, even those collecting Canada Pension, can play with Lego.

The Family Behind Lego Sold Legoland In 2005. Now They’re Buying It Back

 

June 28, 2019

 

The family behind Lego is part of an investor group that is buying Legoland back and taking its parent company private.

 

Something is awesome in the state of Denmark. The billionaire Danish family that owns Lego is taking back ownership of Legoland, 14 years after selling off a large stake in a time of financial crisis.

 

On Friday, Merlin Entertainments accepted an offer from Berkeley Bidco Ltd., an entity owned by KIRKBI Invest A/S, Blackstone Core Equity Advisors LLC and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, to buy the company’s entire operations. KIRKBI is the family investment vehicle for the Kirk Kristiansen family behind the plastic, buildable bricks.

 

“We are committed to ensuring Legoland reaches its full potential, which we believe is best pursued under private ownership, in order to deliver fantastic experiences to visitors of all ages around the world,” KIRKBI CEO Søren Thorup Sørensen said in a statement.

 

The Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen and is now owned by grandson Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen. The first Legoland in Billund, Denmark, opened on June 7, 1968, attracting 625,000 visitors in its first season. There are now eight Legoland parks and 18 Legoland discovery centers in nine countries.

 

But Lego sold its theme parks business to Merlin Entertainments in 2005 while in crisis. Lego avoided bankruptcy by doubling down on its core products: the bricks.

 

Now the company is back on top. Lego was the world’s largest toy maker by sales in 2018.

 

Now that Lego has righted its ship—and now that the global “experience economy” is booming—it was time to bring back Legoland home.

 

https://fortune.com/2019/06/28/legoland-lego-family-acquires-theme-parks/

This is a Lego version of Nyhavn

Nyhavn is the centre of the entertainment district in Copenhagen.

It’s time to leave the Lego store and head over to Nyhavn, about a 15 minute walk.

Real-life Nyhavn is amazing

The canal is lined with brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. The canal is home to many historical wooden ships.

Nyhavn has lots of energy. There are tourists everywhere, along the canal, in the restaurants, bars and cafes.

What else is Denmark famous for? Danish Design

Danish Design combines form and function with industrial technology.

Iconic Danish Design is prevalent in architecture, furniture and everyday household objects.

The Sydney Opera House, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the epitome of Danish Design. You may be interested in a look back at an earlier blog on the Sydney Opera House:

https://boomervoice.ca/sydney-opera-house-unesco-world-heritage-site/

We had lots of fun exploring Danish Design in Copenhagen

Do you like Normann Copenhagen?

We explored lots of fabulous design stores, selling absolutely everything you need to create that Danish modern look for your home.

This is my favourite design: Normann Copenhagen.

You may notice that Norman is dressed in the same colour scheme as Normann Copenhagen: black, white and grey. This is pure coincidence. Norman did not dress for this photo op.

Georg Jensen is an iconic Danish design company that focuses on silverware

The flagship Georg Jensen store in Copenhagen is like a museum, except with price tags on everything … very expensive price tags.

Royal Copenhagen is known for its cobalt blue porcelain

Royal Copenhagen is a porcelain manufacturer. It was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It is recognize by its factory mark, three wavy lines, which symbolize Denmark’s three straits.

On a hot day in Copenhagen, cobalt blue with white is a very refreshing look.

Royal Copenhagen acquired Georg Jensen in 1972.

Do you remember when Bang & Olufsen was the gold standard for sound?

Bang & Olufsen (B&O) is a luxury Danish company that designs and manufactures high-end consumer electronics.

What else is Denmark famous for? The Danish Chair

What else is Denmark famous for? It is bicycle-friendly

Copenhagen is the most bicycle-friendly city in the world:

Copenhagen is considered the most bike-friendly city in the world. Children are taught to ride before they’re old enough to go to school. Thanks to bicycle-friendly measures taken by the city, nearly half of all Copenhageners commute to work by bike. Cyclists enjoy 390 kilometers of designated bike lanes. Copenhagen has a “Cycle Super Highway” that connects the city to the town of Albertslund with  traffic lights timed to the average cycling speed so as to minimize stopping.

 

http://mentalfloss.com/article/76848/15-worlds-most-bike-friendly-cities

When you walk around Copenhagen, you need to watch for traffic lights … for cars and bikes.

I did all my biking in the Lego store in Copenhagen

Here is Norman on his Lego bike

What else is Denmark famous for: Maersk

Maersk is the world’s largest container shipping company. It is headquartered in Copenhagen

We took a boat tour of the canals in Copenhagen. This is a great way to see the city, including the headquarters for Maersk.

What else is Denmark famous for? Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli is an amusement park in the heart of Copenhagen. It is the second oldest amusement park in the world, second to Dyrehavsbakken, also in  Denmark. Tivoli opened in 1843.

Almost 5 million people visit Tivoli every year.

We went to Tivoli twice in 48 hours, once at night and once in the day. (More on Tivoli next week)

What else is Denmark famous for? Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen is best remembered for his fairy tales. They have been translated into more than 125 languages.

One of Copenhagen’s widest and busiest boulevards is named “H.C. Andersens Boulevard”

If you find yourself in Tivoli Gardens, look up and you will see this statue of Hans Christian Andersen.

The Ugly Duckling is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most famous fairy tales

I saw this swan family when we were on our boat cruise in Copenhagen and it reminded me of The Ugly Duckling.

People of a certain age will remember Danny Kaye singing The Ugly Duckling.

Hans Christian Anderson said that the story of the ugly duckling was a reflection of his own life. When Andersen was asked if he would write his autobiography, he replied that he had already written it: The Ugly Duckling.

What else is Denmark famous for? The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid  is an icon that symbolizes Copenhagen. It is a small bronze statue of a mermaid becoming human. It is a depiction of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, The Little Mermaid.

The statue was commissioned by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg, who was fascinated by a ballet of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale. The statue was unveiled in 1913.

The Little Mermaid is a huge tourist attraction in Copenhagen. It is a bit outside the central core of the city. We saw The Little Mermaid from the water on our boat tour.

Vancouver was denied permission to reproduce a replica of The Little Mermaid. Instead, Vancouver commissioned a modern version of The Little Mermaid.

This is Vancouver’s version of The Little Mermaid

This statue of a female diver is called Girl in a Wetsuit. 

I took this picture when we walked through Stanley Park a couple of years ago. Here is a link to that blog:

https://boomervoice.ca/will-take-walk-stanley-park/

What else is Denmark famous for? A hippy community that is almost 50 years old

Christiania was started by a group of squatters in 1971. It became famous for its Green Light District that sold cannabis, illegal everywhere else in Denmark

What else is Denmark famous for? Being happy

The United Nations released its 2019 list of happiest countries in its annual publication, the World Happiness Report.

What will make me happy?

A cold Carlsberg on a hot day in Copenhagen

The Carlsberg Group is headquartered in Copenhagen. Carlsberg is its flagship brand in the company’s portfolio of more than 500 brands of beer.

And finally, I found one more thing that Denmark is famous for …

Hamlet’s Castle

We saw Hamlet’s Castle as we set sail from Copenhagen on our Baltic Cruise

I snapped this pic from the deck of our home for the next 9 days.

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