Denmark

Denmark is, for most visitors, a Copenhagen trip. The city does design, cycling, and new-Nordic cooking better than almost anywhere, packed into a few flat, walkable days. Add the Tivoli gardens, harbour swimming in summer, and easy day trips, and a short stay covers it. It is polished and effortless — and one of the most expensive cities in Europe.

Three or four days is about right. You rent a bike on the first morning and barely stop — out to Nyhavn's painted waterfront, the design museum, the food halls, a harbour-bath swim when the weather allows. Evenings run from a cheap smørrebrød lunch counter to a once-a-trip new-Nordic tasting menu, and both ends justify themselves. Tivoli is worth an evening, and the coast or the Louisiana art museum makes an easy day out. Everything is flat, close, and runs on time.

The honest part: Copenhagen is genuinely expensive — drinks, dinner, and hotels all land higher than you expect, and the celebrated restaurants book out far ahead and cost accordingly. The weather is the other catch: grey, wet, and windy for much of the year, with the city only reliably bright from late spring through summer. There is also not a great deal beyond the capital for a first-timer, so this is a short city break rather than a two-week country trip. Come for a focused long weekend and it delivers.