Not to miss

Christiansø

Christiansø is a beautifully preserved 17th-century island fortress, an hour's sail north-east of Bornholm. The entire island is an unspoiled reserve - no cars or modern buildings and no cats or dogs. Christiansø (population 100), is connected to its sister island, Frederiksø, by a footbridge.

Christiansø's Store Tårn (Great Tower), built in 1684, is an impressive structure with a 25 metre diameter. The tower's century-old lighthouse offers a splendid 360 degree view of the island. The Lille Tårn (Little Tower) on Frederiksø dates from 1685, and is the site of the local-history museum.

Breezy days are perfect for walking along the fortified stone walls and cannon-lined batteries that surround the perimeter of the island. There are skerries with nesting seabirds and a secluded swimming cove on Christiansø's eastern side. Boats sail to Christiansø from Bornholm from May to late September, while the mailboat makes the trip year-round.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen has been Denmark's capital for 600 years. It's an appealing and largely low-rise city comprised of block after block of period six-storey buildings. Church steeples punctuate the skyline, with only a couple of modern hotels marring the view.

It's a city that gleams with a contemporary edge, but seems to take you back hundreds of years. Whatever you're looking for -sleek or cosy, gay or straight, traditional or modern - it can provide. It's even affordable in Scandinavian terms.

Stretching for more than a kilometre, the pedestrian mall, Strøget, supplies numerous options for shopping and entertainment, from the big names in Danish design (Royal Copenhagen porcelain or Georg Jensen silver, replete with elegant frontage) to casual street theatre and a saucy polser (hotdog) on the go. The famous fun park,Tivoli, has to be seen to be believed: its acreage of little lights and magical rides weaves a spell on all who pass through. The cosmopolitan Latin Quarter will have you snuffing the aromatic air.

There's plenty of the green stuff in the city centre, with a couple of large parks and gardens in which to doze or ramble. If even that sounds too energetic, try a cruise through the canals of Christianshavn, saving just enough adrenalin for a courteous nod in the direction of the Little Mermaid.

Nationalmuseet

For a whistle stop tour through the history of Denmark, nothing can beat the National Museum. Here you will find the world's most extensive collection of Danish artefacts from the Palaeolithic period to the 19th century. Naturally, the stars of the show are the Vikings, those much maligned, but actually very sophisticated Scandinavian marauders.

Highlights include Bronze-Age burial remains in oak coffins and lurs (musical horns) that were used for ceremony and communication, ancient rune stones, a golden sun chariot, the silver Gundestrip cauldron and Viking weaponry. But the displays don't stop with the Vikings; there are excellent collections covering the Middle Ages and Renaissance period too, plus delightful Egyptian and classical antiquities, as well as frequently changing special exhibitions. There's even a small Children's Museum.

Møns Klint

The chalk cliffs at Møns Klint were created 5000 years ago when the calcareous deposits from aeons-worth of seashells were lifted from the ocean floor. The gleaming white cliffs rise sharply 128m (420ft) above an azure sea, making one of the most striking landscapes in Denmark.

Møns Klint is a very popular tourist destination and the wooded arrival point above the cliffs has a busy cafeteria, souvenir shops and picnic grounds. But none of this detracts from the natural appeal of the cliffs themselves or the lovely woodland above them.

The woods of Klinteskoven, behind the cliffs, have a network of paths and tracks. From near the cafeteria you can descend the cliffs by a series of wooden stairways.

Egeskov Slot

Egeskov Castle, complete with moat and drawbridge, is a Renaissance gem. Built in 1554, in the middle of a small lake, Egeskov rests on a foundation of thousands of upright oak trunks. The expansive park includes century-old privet hedges, free-roaming peacocks, a topiary and manicured English gardens.

The interior has antique furnishings, grand period paintings and an abundance of hunting trophies. For those who enjoy labyrinths, there's a 200-year-old bamboo maze. Also on the grounds is an antique car museum, which displays about 300 period cars.