I Visited One of the Happiest Countries in the World

I experienced peace like never before

Something was different. I could feel it in the air. As I got out of the plane, I felt myself shaking with excitement. I could hardly believe that I had just entered Denmark, deemed as one of the happiest countries in the world.

Filled with majestic castles, lush green lands, and relaxing beaches, it sure lived up to its name. There is a reason why it’s among the world’s most livable cities.

Be it trying out traditional Danish food, roaming around the city on a rented bicycle, or catching a hop-on-hop-off city bus tour, there is something for everyone!

I visited Denmark in June with a few companions. The weather is a little chilly during this time of the year, but quite pleasant and comfortable.

It’s best to carry a light jacket with you and an umbrella at all times. You’ll find this useful during the alternate bouts of sunshine and rain which you may encounter. On sunny days, the beach is the perfect place to visit.

On my first day of sightseeing, I visited the one near Karrebaeksminde in Storstrom. Taking off my slippers, I felt the soft, brownish sand under my feet and saw the clear, greenish waves lapping against the shore. In the distance, I could make out a long line of docked boats and ferries.

After a few hours of swimming and playing beach volleyball, hunger got the best of us and our stomachs called for attention. Quickly changing into dry clothes, we set out in search of food.

Not too far away we found a cornucopia of cafes and restaurants. Among them were a Steak house, a Baskin Robbins, and a few pizza places.

After much internal debate over the Chocolate Chip and Cookie Dough flavors of ice-cream, I settled on the “double scoop” variety which included both flavors. A cool scoop on a slightly warm day felt heavenly.

With our appetite far from satisfied, we entered a pizza place which had just opened for lunch. Being one of the first customers of the day, our orders were quickly attended to by friendly Danish waiters.

As per the restaurant policy, each of us was obliged to order a whole pizza — a strange custom which our hunger didn’t let us question at that moment.

Well-fed and slightly sleepy, we headed out to the Naestved train station. The station was beautiful; the journey- an hour and a half long. This was just enough time for us to take a power nap before venturing out into the city. On reaching Copenhagen, we decided to explore on foot.

One thing that the city had in abundance were bicycles! Not surprising at all, given that we were in a Nation where traveling via this mode of transport was the norm. We headed down to the Aalborg University campus, a short walk from the train station.

When I first looked at the University building, I was at a loss for words! A pristine campus surrounded by water on all sides and a bridge that connected two buildings overlooking the large body of water. Surrounding us were University students; sitting around, enjoying themselves as if on a picnic. No wonder this place is called one of the happiest in the world, I thought at that time. After an extensive photoshoot at this place, we grabbed a quick bite to eat, then retired for the day.

The next day, we set out on foot to explore Copenhagen. The city was filled with large historic buildings that were nothing short of beautiful. This beauty was augmented with the presence of unique statues that were scattered around the entire city.

A unique feature of the city was the presence of water fountains of varying shapes, sizes, and designs that spouted water into magnificently built surroundings.

In the afternoon, we entered a small shop that sold small trinkets as souvenirs. Cups, plates, dolls and small dollhouse cupboards, and fridge magnets- you name it, it had it all! Shopping here was a tourist’s paradise.

After our little shopping session, we went to the Tivoli gardens — Copenhagen’s famous amusement park. It had a plethora of rides and booths including a few roller coasters, and even a small Aquarium world. All in all, it was a beautiful garden-cum-amusement park. We went on most of the rides by buying an all-access pass, then relaxed for the rest of the evening in the garden area of the park.