The secret to happiness for the Danes

In Denmark, you'll never be more than 50 km from the sea. Beyond the Jylland Peninsula's border with Germany, the whole of Denmark is surrounded by water, with a total coastline of 8,750 km – or as it's called in Danish:Kystland, literally means "coastal land".

Rikke Johansen, curator at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, said: "This was a great opportunity for the Viking community, as sailing was the most important means of transportation at the time. Land separated people, but water connected them."

Fishing was once a necessity for survival, long before the 406 islands of this region became a unified agricultural country. But today, according to Johansen, water also means "recreation" for most Danes. "We take it for granted, it's just a way of life. For most people here, gazing at the sea is an important thing to do, every day." (And remember, this is the second happiest country in the world).

Denmark and its “dangerous” relationship with the open sea.

The entire country of Denmark is a low-lying landmass, formed by glaciers and ice streams from the Ice Age. With its highest point only 170 meters above sea level, the country is particularly vulnerable to floods and storms. It is projected that by 2100, sea levels will rise by 0.91 meters, and archaeologists fear that historical sites along the Danish coast will disappear completely.

In 2019, the Rubjerg Knude, a 120-year-old lighthouse, had to be moved further offshore due to the risk of erosion. Originally built 200 meters from the sea, over the centuries that distance had shrunk to just under 6 meters. To protect the low-lying area, the Danes erected interconnected dikes along 340 meters of coastline and covered them with grass to attract wildlife. To protect coastal strips from increasing erosion, sand is extracted from certain offshore areas and brought in to replace the surface of the coastline, beaches, and sand dunes. Otherwise, parts of the country's west coast would be pushed back 8 meters per year.

Located on the windswept west coast of Jylland, the town of Klitmøller is also known as "Cold Hawaii," due to its frequent waves exceeding 2 meters and its surfing culture.

Casper Steinfath, a world champion stand-up paddleboarder, said: "Centuries of history have shown that people both fear and respect water." He recounted the swimming tradition of the Klitmøller people, with one end of a rope tied around their waist and the other to a pier or other sturdy object to prevent being pulled underwater. "The people of the West Sea have a saying here that we are blessed..."born against the wind"Going into the sea against the wind is very dangerous. But it makes us stronger."

In Denmark, all forms of recreation are connected to the sea and sand.

At the northern tip of Jylland, the Baltic Sea meets the North Sea right at Skagen – a place where you can stand in the shallow water and feel the waves crashing against each other. Formerly home to Denmark's largest fishing community, the city is now famous for its shifting sand dunes and unique light phenomena. This land has inspired countless people, from 19th-century Skagen painters to contemporary artists like Niels Poplens. Poplens himself once said: "In Skagen, even the darkness shines."

The eastern coast of Denmark is more sheltered. The inlets and fjords are carefully protected, allowing for less "exciting" activities such as stand-up paddleboarding. The soft sandy beaches attract naturists: there are even beaches exclusively for nude sunbathers. If you go down to the pier to Skagen, you might have the chance to be greeted by an old man, as naked as the day he was born.

Bornholm, off the coast of Copenhagen, is a wonderful place to enjoy Michelin-starred cuisine and lounge on the sand. The sand here was once used to make hourglasses. Beautiful Ærø, a small island south of the island of Fyn in central Denmark, is a popular destination for beach weddings.

In the summer, when it's still light after 11 p.m., many Danes will enjoy a "second round" of fun after a hard day's work: they go boating, fishing, kayaking, or windsurfing.

Søren Nielsen, a boatbuilder from Roskilde, remarked: "We never get bored. Just put down your phone, leave the busyness behind, and go to the sea – that's all it takes to feel close to nature."

Or as athlete Steinfath said, "The coast is my happy place." It's no surprise that Denmark consistently appears on lists of the happiest countries in the world, and is even mentioned in Dan Buettner's book, *Blue Zones* – a book exploring places where people live longer lives.

With 1,300 nearly unspoiled beaches and a population of just 5.8 million, Denmark can offer you a beach all to yourself. Many towns provide accommodation and firewood storage to encourage camping. You can enjoy free meals sourced from nearby, abundant mussel and clam beds, available almost year-round. All you need is a cooking pan and the adventurous spirit of a Viking.

"There's definitely something very Nordic about being Dane. As descendants of the Vikings, we have to be resilient," Steinfath said. "The coastline is where the ocean and the earth are locked in an eternal, never-ending battle. The wild forces of nature both inspire and make me feel small. And I feel alive."

An - Photo: Mathias Svold/Ulrik Hasemann