What you can bring from Denmark - souvenirs and gifts
What to bring from Denmark is the most popular question that every vacationer in this Scandinavian country asks. A piece of ice from the North Sea, a second-hand vinyl record, or an Eiffel Tower figurine? To make your gifts pleasant and your souvenirs bought for a long time to remind you of a wonderful holiday, we have selected for you better options for what you can and should even bring from Copenhagen and Denmark in general.
Important! In this article, the main emphasis will be placed on souvenirs that can be bought in Copenhagen, since it is the capital that is visited by the largest number of travelers and it is from here that it will be easiest to bring bulk gifts.
Food
Food is a universal gift, which, despite its prevalence, gives great pleasure. What to look for on the shelves of Danish supermarkets to bring home or please loved ones?
SweetsDenmark's pastry shops are a good reason to quit. The most popular local sweets are:
- Fleleboller. By analogy with our products, these round sweets can be compared to chocolate-coated marshmallows, inside of which are cream, mocha, strawberries and other fillings. The average price for this treat is $ 1.5-3 per item. You can buy in all supermarkets and markets, the most popular stores in Copenhagen specializing in flødeboller - Spangsberg, Magasin Chokolade and Summerbird.
- Liquorice desserts. The Danes love this plant and add it wherever they can: to sweets, cakes and even ice cream. According to tourists, the best dessert in this category is the Lakrids dragee. If you like its unusual taste, you can buy another edible souvenir in Denmark - licorice powder.
- Blekage. Apples, crackers and whipped cream - these three ingredients, combined together, drive many travelers crazy. You should not buy it in a vacuum package in a supermarket to bring it home, but if you can, we recommend trying out a recipe for this simple and very tasty dish from some Dane. Pålægschokolade
- Pålægschokolade. This long word is used as a name for black and white chocolate, which is sold in the form of plates. It is placed on pieces of soft bread and heated, getting a delicious sandwich. If you want to bring this delicacy to your homeland, go to the Galle & Jessen store - they sell the best pålægschokolade in Copenhagen here.
- Cookies Anton Berg. Orange, marzipan, chocolate, raspberries, apples and many other flavors - the company that has existed since the 19th century offers travelers a huge selection of the best cookies and sweets in all of Denmark.
BlekageImportant! A lot of liquorice desserts are salty, so it’s better to check with the seller every time whether the purchased sweet will be really sweet.
The next item to be added to the list under the title “What to bring from Denmark from food” is cheeses. Despite the fact that the choice here is quite small, some of them are definitely worth a try and even buy for your relatives.
The most exclusive cheese in Denmark, which is rarely found somewhere outside the country - Danbo. It has several analogs that are similar in taste, but less expensive - Molbo, Funbo and Elbo.
Another semi-hard cheese that can be brought from Denmark as a gift is Esrom, invented by the monks and for a long time hidden from ordinary people. Havarti cheese, named after its discoverer Hannah Nielsen, has a sharper and creamier taste.
Delicious blue cheeses are also made in Denmark. The most popular of them is Bla Castello, able to defeat even the most fastidious gourmet, and Danable - an analogue of Roquefort.
AlcoholSuch a gift can be brought to many friends:
Gammel dansk- Gammel dansk. A light alcoholic drink traditionally intended for breakfast. Made from various herbs and has a bitter taste;
- Local beer. The most famous brands: Carlsberg, Tuborg, Faxe and Ceres;
- Aquavit. Denmark is the world's largest exporter of aquavit (living water) - a drink with a 40% alcohol content made from potatoes or grain without added sugar. Relatively inexpensive, it is most profitable to buy at the airport.
One of the leaders in the Danish sweets market is Sømods Bolchers (soemods.com). More than a hundred years have passed since its foundation, but the technology and most of the assortment have been preserved since the distant 1891. Who knows, but perhaps this fact makes Sømods Bolchers desserts so delicious.
Sømods bolchersIf you want to buy something special or have not yet decided on a gift for loved ones, head to the Torvehallerne market. It is located in the city center at 21 Frederiksborggade, the work schedule can be found on the official website (torvehallernekbh.dk).Find out RATES or book any accommodation using this form
Clothes and shoes
Denmark is home to such well-known brands as Hummel International and Ecco, the popular fashion designers Elise Gug and Baum und Pferdgarten. It is here that you can buy quality items from these manufacturers at the lowest prices, but no less attractive for tourists is the opportunity to save on purchases at local outlets and malls. The best Danish stores in this category are considered to be:
- In Copenhagen: Royal Copenhagen Factory Outlet, Field's, Spinderiet Shoppingcenter, Langelinie Outlet and Georg Jensen Outlet;
- In Hillerød: Slotsarkaderne, Gallerierne;
- In Ringsted: Ringsted Outlet.
In Copenhagen, the most interesting and inexpensive things are sold on shopping streets. There are countless numbers of them in the city; Strøget (designer boutiques and branded items), Købmagergade (middle price category), Kompagnistraede and Læderstræde (antique shops and "alternative" shops) are required to visit.
Fur also falls into the category of the best souvenirs from Denmark, since it is the Scandinavian regions that are the best place to buy this product. If you are not very limited in funds, you should look at the largest fur auction in the world - Kopenhagen Fur. It is held once a season and lasts one to two weeks (for example, from September 1 to 12). Here you can find mink, chinchilla and sable of the best quality at competitive prices.
Kopenhagen furHelpful information! Danish manufacturers always indicate how good a particular fur is, which foreigners do not always know about. Remember that the word "IVORY" on the label means lower quality, and "PURPLE" means the highest. Two other options are "PLATINUM" - the highest grade and "BURGUNDY", designating goods of medium quality.
Lego
Despite the fact that Denmark is the birthplace of the world famous LEGO designer, whether it is worth buying here is a moot point.
The undoubted advantages of acquiring Lego as a souvenir are its huge assortment (Denmark has the largest store in the world), 100% originality of products and the symbolism of the present itself. But at the same time, at all official points of sale, the prices are the same, so is it worth you to try to stuff a huge box of what you can buy in your suitcase at home. The approximate cost of minifigures is 4 €, a large thematic set is 100 €.
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Decor and dishes
This category of souvenirs is perhaps the most useful. Many housewives would be happy to receive Rosendahl's unbreakable wine glass or Halme Gaard set of exquisite dishes as a gift. Bodum products stand out very much from others - they attract with their modern and unusual design.
Many travelers seek to take away from Denmark at least something made from local high-quality porcelain. More than 250 years ago, a factory for the manufacture of dishes, interior items and accessories was opened in Copenhagen, which today is the most recognizable Danish brand around the world. Of course, the prices at the Royal Copenhagen in question are slightly intimidating (small tea sets cost at least 80 euros), but you won’t be able to find the best quality products.
Traditional and unusual souvenirs
In 1951, Danish artist Kai Boyesen created a wooden toy in the shape of a monkey, which was designed to be studied by young children in the animal world. Did he know that an unusual little animal would appeal not only to kids, but also to adults, and later it would turn into the most popular children's gift in Denmark?
Today, in the collection of wooden toys, hares, hippos, soldiers and other characters. You can buy such an environmentally friendly gift directly from the manufacturer in Copenhagen (Rosendahl company) or in children's toy stores in other cities.
Another popular souvenir that can be brought from Denmark is the Little Mermaid. This is the most visited and famous landmark of Copenhagen, its image can be found on clothes and accessories, as well as figurines, key chains and magnets.
In Copenhagen and Denmark, in general, many mermaid-like souvenirs are sold related to the work of Hans Christian Andersen. Of course, most of them are books and toys in the form of famous characters, but in some stores, for example, the Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale Shop (Østergade 52), there are many more unusual souvenirs.
NisseIf you want to make a pleasant gift to your loved ones, bring them a symbol of security and prosperity in the house - the Nissa Brownie. This character of Scandinavian folklore can be bought at any souvenir shop, and closer to Christmas figures of a small protector are sold to every stall in Copenhagen.
As you can see, the question “what to bring from Denmark” has a lot of answers. Choose the option that suits you and please yourself and your loved ones with a great gift!