Hygge

Hygge is the Danish concept that helps explain why one of the darkest countries is also one of the happiest: a feeling of cosy, candlelit contentment, of good food, warm drinks and easy company that turns the long winter into something to savour rather than endure. More a way of living than a thing to see, it is woven through Danish life.

The main sights

• Candlelight and cosiness - the candles, blankets and warm cafes of a hygge evening.
• Good company - the unhurried gatherings of friends and family.
• Cafe culture - the cosy cafes where hygge is easiest to feel as a visitor.
• Winter comfort - the way Danes embrace the dark with warmth and light.

When to go

Autumn and winter, when the dark and cold make the candlelit warmth of hygge most welcome and most keenly felt. Cosy cafes offer it year-round.

Good to know

It is a feeling and a way of living rather than a place to visit, so you experience it in a cafe or a home rather than tick it off. It has been heavily commercialised abroad, but at home it is simply everyday comfort. A candlelit cafe on a dark afternoon is the easy way in for a visitor.

Nearby

The cafes of Copenhagen and every Danish town offer it; it underpins the whole Danish winter.