National Geographic | THE COMPASS

National Geographic

THE COMPASS

PHOTOGRAPH BY MANFRED GOTTSCHALK, ALAMY

From the picturesque fishing village of Skagen perched along windswept dunes at the northern tip, to the alluring city of Copenhagen, where old world charm meets sleek Scandinavian design, Denmark is often considered one of the happiest countries in the world. In this edition, we hear the inside story of how a "band of misfits" saved Lego, visit an island going trash free by recycling all of its waste, and meet a Copenhagen artist turning trash into trolls.

Let's explore Denmark.

HISTORY & CULTURE

Adult fans of Legos like Phil Sofer, here building a model of the Great Pyramid of Giza, have played a major role in the toymaker's rise to the top of the industry. But insiders say the road from “kids only” to “adults welcome” was a long, uphill climb.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DOMINIC LIPINSKI, PA IMAGES VIA GETTY IMAGES

The inside story of how a 'band of misfits' saved Lego

Facing bankruptcy in 2003, the Danish toymaker finally learned to love its adult fans.

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Figurine motifs from Ribe, Denmark reveal a variety of designs were manufactured at the site.

MUSEUM OF SOUTHWEST JUTLAND, CC-BY-SA

Viking ‘amulet factory’ discovery forces rethink of enigmatic artifacts

Archaeologists long assumed Valkyrie figurines represented Norse mythical beings. A new study of how and where they were made challenges that.

The Vimose coat is a 22-pound piece of chain armor thrown into a Danish bog as a victory offering after battle some 1,800 years ago.

PHOTOGRAPH BY M.A. WIJNHOVEN

1800-year-old chain armor reconstructed using video game tech

The new approach reveals how flexible armor was used in antiquity—and how “barbarians” innovated without the Romans.

Tollund Man was hanged with a leather noose and cast into a Danish bog some 2,400 years ago.

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT CLARK, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Last meal of sacrificial bog body was surprisingly unsurprising, researchers say

A new study of Denmark’s Tollund Man reveals what he ate—and, more importantly, didn’t eat—before his murder 2,400 years ago.

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ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT

Denmark killed all its farmed mink last year, millions of animals, after a variant form of the novel coronavirus was detected circulating between mink and humans. New research has shown that many mink may be asymptomatic carriers of SARS-CoV-2.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MADS CLAUS RASMUSSE, RITZAU SCANPIX, AFP, GETTY IMAGES

What the mink COVID-19 outbreaks taught us about pandemics

Spread of the coronavirus has exposed troubling problems at fur farms and how we respond to outbreaks there.

Scenic Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea has launched an ambitious recycling campaign. Will it work?

PHOTOGRAPH BY GERALD HAENEL, LAIF/REDUX

This island is going trash free—by recycling all of its waste

The Danish island of Bornholm has an aging incinerator that will soon need replacement. Instead, the local government is adopting a totally new system.

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On the west coast of the Danish island Bornholm, the 49-foot-tall Krogeduren is a freestanding rock tower that attracts climbers.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MATHIAS SVOLD AND ULRIK HASEMANN

The secret to Denmark’s happiness? Sand and surf

Travelers don’t usually associate Denmark with great beaches, but the Danes have a special connection to their 5,437 miles of coastline.

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A Danish firm called Novozymes is using mushrooms to make laundry cleaners more effective, environmentally friendly, and energy efficient.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CARSTEN SNEJBJERG, NEW YORK TIMES / REDUX

Mushrooms might hold the secret to clean laundry

A new company is using fungus enzymes to treat stains.

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TRAVEL

DREAM NOW, GO LATER

A mural of writer Hans Christian Andersen, by artist Don John, decorates a house on Bangs Boder Street in Odense, Denmark.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JULIETTE ROBERT, HAYTHAM-REA / REDUX

Is this Danish city the fairy-tale capital of the world?

Hans Christian Andersen’s home city of Odense is creating a tribute to history and imagination.

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One of artist Thomas Dambo’s recycled wood troll sculptures sits on a hilltop in the Trine neighborhood of Copenhagen. Dambo creates them to encourage people to explore nature and to highlight environmental issues.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THOMAS DAMBO

This Copenhagen artist turns trash into trolls

Scandinavian legends and landscapes inspire fairy tales, films, and tourist attractions, including goofy giants by a Danish ‘recycle art activist.’

The Sailing Tower art installation offers visitors a 360-degree view of the city and the harbor.

PHOTOGRAPH BY QUINTIN LAKE

Smart Cities: Aarhus, Denmark

Copenhagen gets all the attention, but Denmark’s lesser known city of Aarhus is giving Nordic travelers many reasons to go west.

Locals pass by Stork Fountain in Copenhagen.

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAL KRAKOWIAK, PHOTOLIBRARY / GETTY IMAGES

Discover the best of Copenhagen

Here are 10 can't-miss picks for your next trip to Copenhagen.

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WHERE WILL WE JOURNEY TO NEXT?

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