Not many people in the U.S. know much about Denmark. You may have heard that they’ve been named the happiest people in the world by the World Happiness Report on several occasions, and you may have also heard of H. C. Andersen, the Danish author who wrote many famous fairy tales like The Little Mermaid, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Snow Queen (today’s Frozen). Here are some neat facts about Denmark to help give you a better understanding of what Danish culture is like.

1. The Danes LOVE rye bread

They’ll often have it at every meal. You can put marmalade and jam on it, fish and mayo, lunch meats and margarine, and many other toppings.

2. School and healthcare are free

In many instances, you can be paid to attend college. Even with the high tax rate, this seems like a nice deal.

3. Prices are much higher than in America

Since taxes in Denmark are so high, many products sold in stores and online are very pricey. Where you could get a decent wind-breaker at Walmart for $15 in America, it would probably be around $40 at one of the stores in Denmark.

4. The Danish language is pretty hard

Nordic languages are very different from English both in how they sound and what the words look like. Even though there are some words that are easy to understand such as “tak” (thank you) and “maelk” (milk), most of the words are completely different from the ones in English.

5. There are a bunch of popular Danish music artists

When you turn on the Danish radio stations, you might hear some familiar artists such as Lukas Graham, singer of “7 Years,” Mø, singer of “Somebody to Lean On,” and Volbeat. Surprisingly, all of these artists are Danish, and the people of Denmark certainly love their contributions to the world of music.

6. Danes take their bicycles seriously

People use their bicycles so much that there are lanes for bikers even in small towns and villages.

7. Most of the tourists are German

You’ll often times see summer homes on the coasts of the main peninsula or on islands, and a lot of them belong to Germans. Many of the boats docked on the shore have German flags as well.

8. The Danish celebrate Candy Friday!

Probably one of my favorite things about Denmark is Candy Friday. They’ll get all different kinds of candy and eat it together on Fridays. It may not be great for your teeth, but it certainly brings family and friends closer.

9. There are over 400 islands in Denmark

There are 443 islands, to be exact. The largest island, Zealand, is home to the nation’s capital: Copenhagen.

10. They have one of the oldest monarchies in Western Europe

It’s said to have been established during pre-historic times.

Now that you know a little more about Denmark, you should visit and experience the wonderful culture and beautiful sites!