Denmark

Denmark's national language is Danish, a member of the Germanic branch of the group of Indo-European languages, and within that family, part of the North Germanic, East Norse group. It is, in theory, very similar to Norwegian Bokmål and Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form. Its sound, however, is more influenced by the guttural German language, though, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwegian. English is widely spoken in Denmark, especially in the larger cities. Many Danes also speak German, and it is widely spoken in areas that attract many tourists from Germany, i.e. mainly the Jutland West Coast, the southern part of Funen and nearby islands (e.g. Langeland and Ærø), and also in Southern Jutland (Sønderjylland / Northern Schleswig). Bring your own unlocked GSM phone to make calls. Prepaid SIM cards are available at most shops and international calling can be reasonably priced. The prepaid credit generally only work in Denmark, but can be purchased in small amounts to avoid waste when you leave.

Apart from the kebab shops and pizza stands, dining in Denmark can be fairly expensive, but a worthwhile cost. Traditional Danish fare includes items as pickled herring, fried sanddab, and other assorted seafood items. Hearty meats are also prevalent, as seen in items such as frikadeller (pork only or pork and veal meat balls topped by a brown sauce) and "stegt flæsk og persillesovs" (thick pork bacon slices topped by a parsley cream sauce). Many meals are also accompanied by a beer, and shots of aquavit or schnaps, though these are mainly enjoyed when guests are over. Drinking along with meals is encouraged as the foods are enhanced by the drinks, and vice versa. For dessert, try either "ris à l'amande" (rice pudding with almonds and cherries) or æbleskiver (ball-shaped cakes similar in texture to American pancakes, served with strawberry jam), both normally only available in December. For candy try a bag of "Superpiratos" (hot licorice candy).

Smørrebrød

The traditional Danish lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches usually on rye bread - fish are served on white bread, and many restaurants give you a choice of bread. Smørrebrød served on special occasions, in lunch restaurants, or bought in lunch takeaway stores, are piled higher than the daily fare. Some of the most popular and traditional choices are:

• Pickled herring, plain, curry, or with red spices.
• Liver Paté Sandwich, probably the most popular
• Stjerneskud, salad, plaice, shrimp, etc.
• Røget ål og røræg, smoked eel and scrambled eggs
• Pariserbøf, beef patty cooked rare with capers, horseradish, raw onions, and a raw egg yolk on top.
• Dyrlægens Natmad, liver pate, slices of salty meat, onion rings, jellied meat sauce.
• Beef tartar
• Flæskesteg, Slices of pork roast with pickled red cabbage.
• Roastbeef, with remoulade, fried onion, horseradish.
• Kartoffel, sliced potatoes, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.
• Hakkebøf, beef patty with soft fried onions, a fried egg, pickles.
• Shrimps, you get a generous portion of just shrimp with a little mayonnaise.
• Ost, Cheese. Try a very old cheese served with raw onions, eggyolks, and rum.

Danish beer is a treat for a beer enthusiast. The largest brewery, Carlsberg (which also owns the Tuborg brand), offers a few choices, as well as a delicious "Christmas beer" in the 6 weeks leading up to the holidays. Other tasty beverages include the aforementioned aquavit, gløgg, a hot wine drink popular in December. Danish beer is mostly limited to pilseners which are good, but not very diverse. However in the last few years Danes have become interested in a wider range of beers. During the Christmas season, Glögg, a hot spiced red wine with raisins and almonds is popular fare for warming up from the cold with a group of friends. The Danish Beer Enthusiasts maintain a list of bars and restaurants with a good selection of beers as well as a list of stores with a good selection

The national currency is the Danish krone (DKK, plural "kroner"). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in Euro. The Danish krone is pegged to the Euro to an accuracy of 2.25%. In the 12 months from Aug 2005 to Aug 2006 the average exchange rate was 1 EUR = 7.46 DKK. Automatic teller machines are widely available even in small towns. Credit cards are also widely accepted but not universally. Beware that many retailers will add a 2%-3% transaction charge (often without warning) if you pay with a credit card. You should note that almost everything in Denmark is expensive; particularly if you're not from Northern Europe. All consumer sales include a 25% sales tax but displayed prices are legally required to include this, so they are always exact. If you are from outside the EU/Scandinavia you can have some of your sales tax refunded when leaving the country.