DL travelers-how similar or different are Denmark, Norway and Sweden in terms of culture, language, food etc?

Denmark is the most civilized nation on Earth. Danes are wonderful, lovely people and the country is beautiful.

Weighing in because I love Denmark so much, but I can't compare as I've never been to Norway or Sweden. The Danes are gracious, if a bit aloof. Some of my best travel memories are from Denmark.

R1 and R2 can you elaborate more about why you love Denmark? Any specifics?

I've only been to the capitals. But Copenhagen is the one I'd definitely do again as it was the most fun. Affordability wise you're getting gouged on VAT wherever you go, and the rest of the stuff is pretty much the same as well.

NORWAY is insanely priced (and the other two aren't cheap). That said, it's a gorgeous destination. Men men men.

I found that wandering around was eye-opening in so many ways. Yes, it's a small country but Copenhagen and Aarhus are world-class cities. Great food, unbelievable museums (I particularly liked the royal museum) , the shops are unique, and Danish design is justly famous. The royal library (the "Black Diamond") is a great experience though I had no idea what I was doing there aside from just looking around. Restaurants are good but as said upthread, incredibly pricey. Small bars and cafes embody hygge (coziness). Many if not most people speak English which can be helpful as Danish is a very difficult language to learn aside from the pleasantries.

And the Crown Prince is one hot daddy.

I didn't know which one to post, but I'll add this one for good measure. Bedroom eyes for days.

Racism

I lived in Gothenburg, Sweden for a while.

Provincial, uninterested in strangers, even the bartenders don’t want o speak to you. They will only open up after drinking copious amounts of alcohol. Impossible to get employed if you are an outsider.

The nonwhites live in separate areas.

Strange fish dishes often covered in goo. A large pastry dish - I have forgotten it’s name. I would much rather have a croissant.

Sweden is like the Texas of Scandinavia.

They all have gorgeous men. Finland too. Even if they're not all traditionally handsome, they're all very fit. No fatties or men with beer guts in those countries. Even men over 50 and 60 look good.

R9 here - oh and the tall blonde look gets boring quite quickly.

I grew up in LA and live in NYC so I love diversity.

Oh, and Icelandic men are also hot and fit.

As usual, we get ignored...

True, R12, tall and blond gets boring, but it's the fact that they're all fit that I like. Their actual looks are secondary.

Love Stockholm - expensive, but worth it. Lots of tall, beautiful men.

[quote] As usual, we get ignored... —Finland

Hey Finland, Iceland's the one who gets ignored.

LGBT travel in Sweden:

None of the Nordic countries have great food.

I adore Stockholm and found many willing holes there.

Sweden is my favourite as I used to spend holidays there with family but I've spent time in all three.

Norway and Sweden are pretty similar in terms of culture, language and food. Denmark is, unsurprisingly, like Norway and Sweden mixed with Germany. The Danish language isn't as mutually intelligible as standard Swedish and Norwegian though the Malmö and Copenhagen dialects are becoming increasingly similar. Swedish/Norwegian are comparatively easy languages if you're an English speaker with, perhaps, a knowledge of some German. Danish pronunciation is a bit more difficult to master though I've never tried to learn it too much.

Despite their liberal reputations, all three countries are pretty insular and place a lot of societal importance on tradition. That said, food-wise, Swedish pizzas need to be seen (and tasted) to be believed. They'll put anything and everything on them. Everything.

[quote]Which has the best gay culture and pro-gay laws?

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden received an award for her support of the LGBT community the other day for her speech at Stockholm Pride last year. The official Royal Family IG account posted her words of thanks:

Finland @ R14 you wouldn't want people coming to visit, would you? They might inadvertently smile at a stranger, or come within 2km of another person.

Swede here. Culturally we’re pretty similar. The Finns are the most stereotypically silent and reserved, while the Danes are more outgoing. Swedes and Norwegians fall in between. Ex-pats tend to find Scandinavians a bit hard to get to know, but once you get to know people we’re friendly enough. Swedish, Norwegian and Danish are very similar languages, while Finnish is a completely unrelated language with no intelligibility with the other three. Icelandic is related to the first three, but has diverged more so not as intelligible.

Sweden is a bit more diverse than the other Nordic countries, while Danes consider themselves more “continental”.

Of the capitals, Stockholm and Copenhagen are by far the best travel destinations. Both are beautiful cities with lots of culture, great food and pretty good party scenes. I personally prefer Stockholm, but that’s subjective. Oslo and Helsinki are quite a bit smaller and there’s not as much to do. Reykjavik is basically a small town.

Norway have the most spectacular nature by far, so if you’re outdoorsy, it’s a great travel destination. But Sweden and Finland also have a lot of good hiking and skiing. Denmark is mostly flat farmland. Iceland is a different planet.

All of the Nordic countries are gay friendly, but my experience is that Finland and Norway is a bit more conservative than the rest.

I visited the three countries. Copenagen and Stockholm are beautiful and look rich. Their national food wasn't in general my thing, but I liked the smoked herring marinated in differet kinds of sauce. The Danish pastry is very delicious with the ideal degree of sweetnes, softness and crunchiness. Oslo, on te other hand, seemed less rich athough it is more expensive. Bergen is very beautiful though, only you have to visit in the right time of the year. In the look department, I haven't felt much difference among the three countries, maybe because I'm not really into the nordic look. I found the hottest were the racially mixed. Rest to say I respect a lot these countries and I find them the most humane and respectful cultures in the world. An ex was a Swede and had the kindest and most honest character I had a contact with.

Which spots have the easiest (i.e., warmest) winters?

R24 I agree. Well put. I find Danish and Norwegian men hot. They look different. Stockholm has lots of very good looking and dressed guys, too.

I moved to just outside Stockholm from the US last year. I moved from the Pacific NW so the reservedness of the Swedish culture doesn’t bother me and I have found people far friendlier than anticipated. Also, the metro area is quite diverse. Through my Swedish language courses and rowing club, I’ve met people from all around the world.

Compared to the US the fitness level is insane. I think it is because people love their sweets - Fika has become a ritual and I’m learning to take my bullor seriously.

Swedish pizza can be weird as fuck. I cannot support the bananas. Copenhagen has become one of my favorite food cities. They have a really great food scene I find reminiscent to US west coast cities. Stockholm feels much more entrenched in tradition. While food isn’t necessarily bland, it can be rather simple in preparation which can be good and bad. Beyond the pizza weirdness, there is a lot of great ethnic food in Stockholm if you know where to go.

All of the countries are gay friendly, Sweden and Denmark probably more so.

The Norway coastline is stunning and a must-see trip, but I have found the majority of the Scandinavian peninsula beautiful - there is so much hiking, skiing and sailing to be had.

Traditional Swedish meatballs taste amazing, but Scandinavian/Nordic cuisine overall is very fish-based.

OT, but Norwegian youth series Skam focused one season to Isak, a young gay student falling in with Even. This is probably the most beautiful gay love scene I have seen. Youtube has taken it off or I couldn’t find it. Norwegian series is the original and the best.

I enjoyed visiting all three countries, had to remember krona/krone...Taxes are high but in return a lot of life necessities are free. Entrance at Copenhagen and one can put their passport away. As an added plus, enjoyed the First Class on SAS airlines.

R28 did you move for work or what caused you to move there?

Family reasons- my husband is Swedish, so we moved to be closer to his family. It was quite surreal moving during a pandemic, but ultimately the right decision.

R26 Denmark and Southeast Sweden - the Österlen area of Skåne has a national park that feels mediterranean.

Stockholm has a lot of really good restaurants. It’s not quite as good as Copenhagen, but it’s closing the gap pretty quickly. And yeah, at least Stockholm and Copenhagen have a lot of excellent ethnic food. Scandinavians are very open to new food cultures, and doesn’t tend to be precious about their traditional cuisine outside of certain holidays (Christmas, Midsummer).

R24 thanks interesting to see someone from the region giving insight on those countries

Swedish pastries/baked goods like semla, sticky chocolate cake, cardamom buns, cinnamon buns, etc. are divine.

Lots of pastries have their own day in the calendar year. Sweden has a big 'fika' culture and social institution of daily coffee and (sometimes) cake. Asking someone to go out for a ’fika’ would be a typical first date in Sweden.

[quote] Swedish pastries/baked goods like semla

I’m enjoying semla season immensely. Jävla småklig!

Sweden had the better food, Norway has better looking men, even though Swedish people are overall very attractive.

As someone else mentioned, people are overall in better shape than in the US. I’ve been to Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, and that’s of course, my very subjective opinion.

I have lived in Denmark and have visited Norway and Sweden. In many ways, they are similar. But the differences: Danes don't particularly like silly rules. They will wait for a red light to change before crossing the street -- in an abandoned area -- but, if a sign says "no parking," they think that doesn't apply to them (as long as no one is inconvenienced). They really live by the value that "I want to live a good life, but I can only do that if my neighbor has a good life, too." The actually practice democracy -- everything is decided democratically. For example, in a school, the faculty run the classes but everyone -- including the janitor and the matron -- decide if the building needs new paint or repairs. I've had the best sex in my life in Denmark. Period. Many of the men are gorgeous and not in a self-conscious way. The Swedes are too rule-bound and the Norwegians are somewhat annoying. But the Swedish men are gorgeous, too, and my favorite sex partner was Swedish. If you want a little fun, as a Dane or a Swede or a Norwegian to tell you the joke that starts "There was a Dane, a Swede, and a Norwegian on a boat that was sinking..."

Did you know they pronounce Oslo like "OH-shlo"! I learned that from watching Wave and Quake, those Norse disaster films on Hulu.

They say out like oot.

^maybe Oh-SHLO is more accurate. Oslo has a sh sound.

I should add that Norway has striking visual beauty (the fjords), as does Sweden (Stockholm's canals), but Denmark is the most fun. Incredible jazz, Tivoli gardens, beautiful beaches (all beaches are nude beaches)...the Danes have a great sense of fun. Beautiful parks, great hiking and camping. Stunning modern architecture and design, as well as lovely historical castles. The Danes walk the walk about the environment, ergonomic design, food. You can't go wrong.

I bottomed my way across the Nordic countries and found that the abundance of fish in diets yielded odorous anal leakage.

Sweden seems to be the most hated of the bunch among the locals. It's always amusing to hear Danes and Norgies go on their passionate anti-Swedish tirades. Finns hate it too because learning Swedish is mandatory in local elementary schools for some strange reason.

I was in Sweden and Denmark in the summer of 2010 and can't wait to go back Covid has destroyed my travel plans. Copenhagen had my favorite parks and is a great city to walk though. I was amazed at the quality , freshness and taste of produce. Stockholm is a physically beautiful city though a little chilly. Both cities are very clean compared to US cities. After going there it motivated to move to Seattle, the closest big city we have to Scandinavian cities. I'm of Danish descent and it was a sentimental journey as it reminded me of my beloved Danish grandmother. As noted by previous posters the people for the most part are good looking and fit. In Copenhagen if you weren't walking you were commuting by bicycle. Since I was traveling on the cheap in Stockholm I stayed at cheap hotel run by Iraqis in a neighborhood that had a lot of middle easterners.

How difficult is it to make friends in Copenhagen and Stockholm?

R20 I've posted on other threads that I spent a week in Copenhagen and was surprised by the quality of food. On the whole, street food, medium-priced restaurants, haute cuisine - Copenhagen had better food than Paris, London, Amsterdam, Berlin. Organic, farm(hothouse)-to-table, creative food.

Iceland and Finland are really different genetically, linguistically and culturally (although Iceland had been a Danish possession). The food in Iceland is impossibly bad.

Spent two weeks in Copenhagen and a couple of days in Stockholm and Helsinki. I liked Stockholm the best, then Copenhagen and Helsinki. Copenhagen is easy to get around, decent food, but insanely expensive. Went to a popular Thai restaurant and pad Thai was $25. Nothing else with it. The locals go to the convenience store and buy booze to get drunk then go to the bars because drinks are so expensive. VAT is added to everything. In Helsinki there are ferries that take the locals to Tallin, Estonia for weekend binge drinking because booze is so much cheaper. Tallin, is a beautiful little city with great food and lovely sites. You can see Helsinki in a day. Small, compact little city. People are friendly, but reserved. Get some booze into Danes and they’re your best friends. I like all the water and islands in Stockholm. Swedes are matter of fact in their approach to strangers but not unfriendly. Didn’t get to Norway. I will say this about the Nordic countries that I visited. I never once felt unsafe anywhere. Can’t say the same thing for here in the US.

R45 Swedish is an official language of Finland and it has a sizeable Swedish-speaking population. Finns would be completely isolated if they couldn't speak the language of their neighbour.

The Scanian dialect of Swedish is more mutually intelligible with Danish than Standard Swedish due to Skåne once being a part of Denmark and its close proximity to Copenhagen.

I wouldn't go back to Copenhagen if you paid me. One of the most boring places I've ever been to. Sweden was ok.

R50 Well I think forcing the entire country to learn the language of a rather small minority (which comprises only like 5% of the country's population) is a bit weird, especially since most Finns never use Swedish again after graduating and forget everything about it, with the exception of some basic phrases.

R49 I think that's partly why Americans are so far. The unsafety. People stay in their homes and eat rather than going out and having fun, or jogging and being killed. It causes stress and depression. It also may be a way for people to protect themselves from rape by fattening up.

Danes are nice to your face. In that way, they remind me of Germans. The Norwegian and Danish languages are not the same, but close enough that they can be understood by a Dane speaking to a Norwegian and vice versa. Sweden has always had the reputation of being the most racism free and egalitarian country in Europe. This hasn't been the case for many, many years. All three countries are fucking cold in winter. If you can read Swedish, Danish, or Norwegian, you can pretty much read the other two and follow what's going on. As a country, I prefer Denmark, but as for people, I love the Norwegians. I can put up with Swedes if I have to.

I’ve only been to Denmark (Copenhagen), but I really enjoyed it. It was clean and the people were friendly. I remember almost everyone had tattoos though, which I thought was interesting.

R55, I thought Germans were very direct to the point of no BS? Being nice to your face reminds me more of the English, Americans and Canadians.

My Swedish friends complicate everything. If they feel happy they feel guilty, or so aware that pleasure is fleeting they seem to miss it when it's there.

Norwegians I know are less troubled by the world - they have their priorities and focus on being decent, honest, kind and good friends and family members. Very patient and understanding.

And Danes (I know fewer) remind me of Germans without that Deutsch-Obsession. They keep their truths to themselves, seem more detached, and behind their fine manners I wonder what they're really thinking.

The Danish Crown Prince, so pleasant to look at, is a lazy, selfish ass who has made an unhappy life for his lovely wife.

“Food, etc “

R47. I can speak for Gothenburg, where I lived. It is very hard to make friends. Very provincial. They are not interested in talking to strangers. They are superficially pleasant but you will never be invited to their gatherings. It helps if you have a Swedish friend/partner. Even if you have a Swedish partner, it can take 1-2 years to find a job (ie convince a Swedish business to hire a non-Swede).

The only exception is when they are drinking heavily, which is common. The Swedish government has made it harder to buy alcohol from the state stores (fewer hours, not open on weekends).

interesting about the comments regarding Danish men here. I never heard of Danes as being known for hotness before . I've heard about Swedes

Finns are not Scandinavians, something the Swedes, Danes and Norwegians like to point out.

Swedes tell Norwegian jokes the way Americans tell Polish jokes or Canadians tell Newfie jokes

But Norwegians have fewer neuroses,

Swedes are more likely to feel their country is the best place on earth.

Danes are more sophisticated/polite, and they have more interactions with other Europeans because geography, so there's that influence.

In all three countries, the interiors of buildings look like Ikea--all blond wood and modern design.

As others have mentioned, Norway and Sweden are cold AF in the winter and it gets dark at 3PM too. Summers, OTOH, are lovely and it stays light till 11.

In terms of looks, they can tell each other apart, but to the average American they all look like tall blond people.

R62 Swedish superiority complex?

I'm Norwegian. I feel we are similar to Swedes, but less so Danes. Not only in proximity, but also in language and way of life. In general I think Norwegians and Swedes are colder and more stand offish than Danes. I also think Sweden and Norway are both more conservative than Denmark (though Norway is definitely more conservative tham Sweden). Denmark is very liberal, they like to go out and they have more of a friendlier attitude. Norwegians and Swedes spend more of their lives inside (maybe the cost level has more to do with it idk). That's why owning a house is so important here in Norway. Billions are spent every year renovating homes. Simply because we spend so much time there. Of course there are regional differences. I'm talking more in general. I feel we are more similar to Swedes than Danes in way of life and how we live.

When it comes to language... that's a whole different issue. I don't understand Danish when they talk because they cannot pronounce words properly, the letters just flow into each other which makes it very hard to understand. I have no trouble at all understanding Swedish even though Swedish is supposed to be further from Norwegian than Danish. The Norwegian and Danish written language is almost the same. But how they talk make it impossible to understand when you talk with them. I usually have to ask them to talk slowly or repeat themselves to understand it.

Which one would you rather visit again? They all have something different to offer. Norway for nature. Denmark for culture. Sweden for architecture.

Which one would you rather live in if you had to choose between them? I like the liberal way of life in Denmark. But the language is a turn off.

Which has the best gay culture and pro-gay laws? Denmark is more liberal than both Norway and Sweden though they are all equal when it comes to pro-gay laws.

Hottest men? Sweden

Best food? Neither. Maybe Denmark.

Affordability? Definitely Denmark.

R25 Norwegians know we have the ugliest capital in Europe. It is very overrated and expensive, yet lots of people want to live there for some reason. A tiny 30 m2 apartment will cost at least 3, if not 4 million kroner. I get that Oslo has more culture, nightlife, restaurants, concerts etc. Also, really Norway's only gay scene. But again, despite all that I'm not sure it's worth it. I live in a small town a two hour drive southwest of Oslo. I can take daytrips to Oslo whenever I feel like. I have friends living there. But I prefer living here. You can buy a house here as a single person, good luck doing that in Oslo. I'm single and I prefer to be alone. So I don't really crave the culture in Oslo that much. My small town has everything I need anyway, restaurants, nightclubs, bars, movie theater etc. I also live 5 minutes away from the beach, which is nice in summer. I do miss the gay scene in Oslo, but the older I get the less I miss it.

What’s the Danish tattoo thing about?

I’ve heard Finland is the most conservative, a Nordic Alabama.

r42=Liza

How do they all compare to Alaska?

I guess Sweden is the most multicultural of them all...

Norgie, tell us about that prime minister of yours. Is her fat ass planning on stepping down for not respecting her own anti-covid policies?

[quote]Denmark is the most civilized nation on Earth. Danes are wonderful, lovely people and the country is beautiful.

As written by a Dane, who also think they are the happiest most creative people on earth if you let them ramble on. Meanwhile the dark underbelly of heavy drinking a alcoholism comes out at night. Like most of their climate, they are cold and standoffish and will never consider you one of them even if you are a white as the driven snow. Racial diversity to them in Danes from two different parts of the country. People of color don't exist. And by color they mean Spanish or Italian.

This thread is like comparing 3 sheets of white paper to see which is the truly whitest of all.

Living in Rural Northern Sweden:

Danish people are one of the least religious in the world, which means I have nothing but contempt for Denmark. They must be in denial.

I understand Swedish. Danish is just gibberish to me and very hard to understand.

As for the OP: Denmark has the best culture. Denmark is the most liberal country. Weed is easily avilable in Copenhagen. As for cities... I'd actually prefer Copenhagen to Stockholm. Both cities are very pretty though, unlike ugly Oslo. As for food; equally bad all over Scandinavia. Nature; Norway. How can you beat the fjords? Language; Swedish is the prettiest and Danish is the ugliest.

What's the foreskin situation though?

All of the Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian men I have had sex with had their foreskins intact. Of course, this was in the 1980s and 1990s, so things may have changed.

I have been to Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Finland was my favorite. The people have a quirky sense of humor and are down to earth there, but also have great style. The saunas are amazing. The men in Sweden and Denmark are perfectly dressed but fairly bland.

Re: Finns learning Swedish, part of that is because Finland was part of Sweden until 1809.

80+ posts and we've barely discussed the differences in each country's men! Who is the wildest in bed vs who just lies there? Which country has the biggest dicks? Which country is the kinkiest? Who is more extroverted? Which country has the best top? Which has the best bottoms? Who is most uninhibited?

I had a fantastic two-summer fling with an amazing, built, motorcycle riding top guy in Denmark, but he was a Swede.

Circumcision is banned here in Norway. Of course you have religious and health exemptions, but still. Most Norwegians are intact, as is the case for most of Europe.

I find Norwegian men incredibly good looking. I love the blond hair, silky smooth skin, tall lean bodies, red lips. To me, they’re the best looking.

Danes are the most fun and from my experience, wild and kinky in bed. Maybe kinky isn’t the best word- adventurous, or even quirky, is better.

[quote]Many if not most people speak English which can be helpful as Danish is a very difficult language to learn aside from the pleasantries.

Danish grammar is relatively easy, it's the pronunciation that takes a bit of getting used to.