When traveling to new countries, the tendency is to buy souvenirs for friends, family and, of course, yourself. The problem is what type of souvenir to bring home. Well, when you come to Denmark or if you are just looking for some good Danish souvenirs, I have a couple of suggestions that have been winners for many of my friends and family. Below is a list of my favorite Danish souvenirs.

Souvenirs are only appreciated if the person you are giving them to has been to Denmark or cares about the place. A lot of the souvenirs like memorial plates, ashtrays, etc., will be put on the shelf by your family and will mean “nothing” to them. They will only mean something to you, because you visited Denmark. I always suggest bringing home interesting food products that are not available back home. Here are a few fun and tasty treats to take back:

1. Flødeboller: These are chocolate-covered marshmallow cream balls on a cookie base. They are popular on top of ice cream, but can be eaten by themselves. You can get them at almost all grocery stores for about 15 -20 kroner for a box of 12 and I have yet to find anyone who does not love them.

2. “Pålægschokolade”: This comes in a small box with about 30 pieces in each box. Again, it can be found at all grocery stores. They are thin slices of chocolate and they are usually served on freshly baked bread that is warm. If the bread is warm, the chocolate will melt on the bread. If the bread is not fresh-baked, you can toast the bread and place it on the toast when it is finished. You can even gently warm the bread and chocolate in an oven (do not microwave… it ruins the taste). The chocolate does not have to be heated; it can be eaten at room temperature and will still taste fantastic. Come on, where else do people eat chocolate sandwiches? I am always sending boxes of these back to friends who visit. They stock up here and write and ask me to send a few boxes every couple of months.

3. Candy: Licorice is, of course, the natural choice if your friends/family like licorice. If not, get some other great candy. You really should go to Nørregade in Copenhagen and get “bolcher”, which is the Danish word for candy, at the BEST bolcher factory/shop in Denmark. It is called Nørregade Bolcher and it is located on Nørregade (right next to Nørreport train station… a 2-minute walk). There you can not only watch them make the candy, but you can pick your own combination of the different types of bolcher from the store displays. It is reminiscent of one of the old American soda fountain / 5-and-dime stores where they had all sorts of different candies in little jars with scoops so you could choose. Even if you don’t like candy, it is a great place to visit as a tourist. Love the smells and atmosphere. Yummy!

4. Kitchen accessories: Look in places like Illums. It is pretty pricey, but there is some cool stuff. Accessories can also be found at places like Kop og Kande and Inspiration for a bit less. Just funky designs that make any home or kitchen look DANISH! Denmark is renowned for their unique and stylish kitchen gadgets and they are well-crafted to last.

Avoid all the souvenir plates, unless your family/friends collect stuff like that. Also be aware that the Stroeget is a great place to shop, but their prices are much higher than places in the suburbs. A 10-minute walk up Vesterbrogade or Norrebrogade can put you in the suburbs where the same shops are, but with better prices. Remember to spend wisely, cuz it ain’t cheap.:)

Making a country to country move is rarely cheap and easy and Denmark is definitely not the exception. If you’re thinking of relocating Denmark, here are a five things to think about before moving to Denmark. They may save you some money, but more importantly they will save you a lot of grief and aggravation.

First: Denmark has gotten very strict on their immigration laws and it is vital that you get all your paper work in order before you arrive in Denmark. That includes applying for your work and residence permits. You can stay in Denmark for 3 months, but if you don’t have your permits you will have to leave. It is easier to get these documents before you arrive.

Second: Denmark uses 220v/ 50Hz and the plug is a 2 round plug. The TV format is PAL. Do not bring your electrical appliances with you unless you just love them so much you can’t live without them. If you do make sure to buy your converters back home – they are outrageously expensive here. Many of your gaming consoles will not work with the Danish system, so check with the manufacturer to see if they are compatible before taking them. Also your computers, iPods, cameras – anything that needs to charged up. Think converters!

Third: The Danes use the metric system, so bring along your own measuring cups, spoons, scales, etc and your cooking books. You will miss them if you do any cooking or baking. Conversions can take all the fun out of cooking.

That includes tape measures and rulers. I love to build but I MEASURE in inches, feet and yards! Not centimeters … gee how long is 10 cm?

Fourth: If you enjoy reading, I suggest you stock up on books to bring with you. Books in Denmark run about $20 for a new paperback and much more for a hardback. An alternative is to shop online at places like Amazon, eBay, eBid for bargains.

Fifth: Leave your car at home and invest in a good bicycle. You can get bicycles here – boy can you find them here! But prices are much higher. Especially if you are also looking for a recreational bike – racing, mountain bikes, etc.. Bringing a car is way too costly and completely unnecessary for most people.