It's no secret Denmark is really, really gay. You know, as in happy. So say several recent sociological studies, which despite using a variety of far-flung and often rather nebulous methodologies, all managed to come to this same conclusion: Danes are simply the happiest lot on earth. But when your country and its lovely capital are so effortlessly smart, sexy, and comfortable, what's not to grin about? Copenhagen has taken first or second on every incarnation of Monocle magazine's list of the world's most livable cities, thanks largely to its great transport system, its commitment to green energy, its cutting-edge design scene, and its white-hot gastronomic landscape (the overt charm and hotness of its people don't hurt a bit either). And Danish culture is laced with one more key ingredient that's uniquely its own: hygge, which basically means coziness. It's hard to quantify, but once you get here, you'll understand.

Denmark's also way gay in that other sense. Even its most famous son, fairy tale scribe Hans Christian Andersen, was, if not exactly homosexual, at least deeply in love with several men. (Deliciously, the most famous film about Andersen starred also-rumored-to-be-gay Danny Kaye, who, in the famous song "Wonderful Copenhagen," dubbed the city the "salty old queen of the sea.") And you've got to love a country whose official tourism site once told you where to find the most popular queer cruising spot in its capital (Ørstedsparken, between Nørre Voldgade and Nørre Farimagsgade in the city center -- which, by the way, Danes call "Indre By," sounding more like Indra Boo).

With their country adapting early to gay-friendliness (the first in the world to legalize same-sex unions in 1989), Danish gays have had less need to segregate themselves over the years, and Copenhagen's nightlife is still much more mixed (including between lesbians and gay men) than you'll find in many other European cities. And yet, despite mainstream mixing, a collective LGBT consciousness is now very tangible here, having especially congealed when Copenhagen hosted the World Outgames in 2009. The city's underground queer arts and club scenes are currently ablaze, with local star DJs like Rosa Lux commanding world attention.

One of the sweetest things about Copenhagen is its easy navigability, with most sights and venues within easy walking distance from each other. For stuff farther afield, make like a local and hop on a bike, so omnipresent a method here that the International Cycling Union named this the world's first Bike City.

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