While Copenhagen offers plenty of diversions, many groups also take advantage of the abundant full-day and half-day excursions that are possible beyond the city. Among them is Odense, Denmark’s third-largest city and the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen.
“Odense is just an hour from Copenhagen by train, yet it provides a nice contrast,” says Christina Andersen, sales and marketing manager-business events, USA, for Visit Denmark. “You can learn about the history and how Hans Christian Andersen grew up. It’s a beautiful part of Denmark.”
Another is Aarhus, a city that dates from Viking days and is slated to be designated the European Capital of Culture in 2017. Aarhus offers a well-preserved old town and such attractions as the ARoS Aarhus Museum of Art, an architectural marvel with a rooftop art installation of brightly colored glass panels, and the new Moesgaard Museum, that traces Danish history from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages. A unique mound-shaped building with a grass roof, Moesgaard features generous event space, including a 250-seat auditorium.
Enroute from Copenhagen to Aarhus is Legoland Billund Resort, the original Legoland amusement park. Far from just a children’s attraction, Legoland has a full program of teambuilding activities and executive workshops that can take place at the park or in other venues.
“We use the resources of Legoland for business groups all of the time,” Andersen says. “They have consultants called Serious Play Facilitators who can help with everything from teambuilding to new product launches and marketing plans. You can bring in a big sack of Lego bricks to a venue and get teams working to create something. People love using their hands—they get fired on all cylinders and are really engaged.”
Another nearby excursion from Copenhagen with teambuilding opportunities is the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. The museum presents exhibits on ancient and medieval Viking history and includes five 1,000-year-old Viking ships that were salvaged from nearby waters. The museum also has a boatyard where artisans craft full-scale replicas of Viking ships using traditional methods.
“Groups can really get their Viking on here,” Andersen says. “You can have rowing competitions where teams race against each other in the Viking ship replicas. It’s a great company outing.”
