Summer in Denmark

When I came back to Barcelona one week ago, almost no one in my hometown expected me to say that summer in Denmark is something special and worth experiencing. Maybe some of my Spanish friends that have experienced it will disagree with me because to tell you the truth some days were quite rainy and cold but in this post, I'll try to explain how a typical danish summer looks like and how was my experience during these few weeks of summer in Copenhagen. I personally enjoyed it a lot.

Danes like to say that there are only two seasons in their country: A white winter and a green winter referring to summer. They have told me that many times these last months just before telling me how lucky I am to spend my summers at the beaches of the Mediterranean Sea. What they didn't expect is me telling them that I was enjoying summertime in Denmark.

Sunlight is the reason behind the beauty of danish summers, there is no question about that. During the winter and most part of spring and autumn, there are not many hours of sunlight in Denmark because of its geographical location and rainy climate. But when spring blossoms and days get longer and longer Danes rush to the streets, to the canals, and to their beaches. That is what we did once the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted and the online exams were done. The contrasts between the grey and cold winter and the sunny summer are huge and that makes people turn crazy. I am used to sunlight and hot weather but experiencing this in Denmark was more exciting and I tried to enjoy it how locals do.

Those of you reading from outside of Denmark might not know this but days in Denmark during May, June, and July are extremely long. I mean, they are almost eternal. During the summer solstice at the end of June, the sun sets at 11 PM and rises at 4 AM. But if the day is not cloudy, the truth is that you feel that there is some light during the whole night. This might be disturbing if you have to work and the sun awakes you at 5 AM but it is incredible to finish work in the afternoon and to know that you have until midnight to enjoy yourself. If you are lucky enough to be on holidays you might party or hygge until the sun rises again. We did that on multiple occasions during the month of June and I will remember those nights for the rest of my life.

Temperatures do not usually get over 25 Celcius and the water is quite cold but it is more than enough to enjoy beach days just like in Southern Europe. I prefer milder temperatures so I actually preferred this to extremely hot summer days in Barcelona were temperatures can reach 35 Celcius. 

What do Danes do during their holidays and to enjoy themselves during the summer? They drink rosé, sider, and Aperol (They are surprisingly attracted to colorful alcoholic beverages when the sun shines), they hang around with friends in parks, they chill in the lakes, and they sunbathe in the canals of Copenhagen or the beaches located on the 8,750 km of coastline. This might be surprising but Denmark has many kilometers of coastline and hundreds of islands. Some of the beaches are sandy and others are rocky and close to huge cliffs. Some of the most popular locations were Danes have their "summer houses" are the island of Bornholm, Skagen, or the coast in West Jutland. 

After finishing my exams, I spent the month of June and part of July working at the Tennis Club (getting tanned and running after danish kids) but I could still travel around the country and discover more of Copenhagen and its surroundings. I have recommended this before but don't forget to bike everywhere. It is even better when you don't have to wear gloves and you will discover incredible places everywhere you go in this country.

I left Denmark last week with the feeling that there are still many places I want to visit, especially when nights are short and sunsets and sunrises are particularly breathtaking. I am lucky to say that I'll be back soon and I am sure that I'll be able to explore this wonderful country in the following summers. 

I fell in love with Copenhagen and Denmark during the winter so you can imagine that when the summer came this love just turned bigger. If you ever get tired of the Mediterranean summer I really recommend you to explore this beautiful country. Do it in June and I am sure that you will come back.

The following pictures are just some highlights of what I experienced.



























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