10 Things To Know Before Visiting Copenhagen

2013-10-07

Copenhagen: not only the capital of the happiest country on Earth — officially — but also probably the center of the designer goods universe. Even the Christmas decorations are tasteful. The festive season is also when the air is especially thick with “hygge” — Denmark’s wooly, candle-lit version of coziness. No wonder Hans Christian Andersen called the city wonderful — twice. Yes — sorry — that reference was impossible to avoid.

The Danes are the happiest people on the planet. It’s official. According to the UN’s 2013 World Happiness Report, Denmark, with a score of 7.6, beats every other country on a global happiness scale from zero to 10. The United States, by contrast, isn’t especially happy. It came in in 17th place, between Mexico and Ireland. But don’t despair if you think Danish despair has been lost. There’s always Hamlet — and Kierkegaard (see below).

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