Characterised by endless sandy beaches and fertile, rolling farmland, East Jutland offers a timeless landscape and unhurried pace of life that’s the perfect backdrop to a relaxing, get-away-from-it-all holiday. Add in festivals, theme parks and all manner of child-pleasing attractions and it’s clear that East Jutland has all the ingredients for a wholesome family holiday – no matter how much or how little everybody wants to do.

Visitors looking for family-friendly attractions are spoiled for choice in East Jutland. One of the region’s most popular attractions is the Tivoli Friheden amusement park (www.friheden.dk), which is located in the middle of a forest close to the city of Arrhus. Here, the selection of rides ranges from a gentle Ferris wheel to some genuinely hair-raising roller-coasters – meaning there’s plenty to appeal to kids of all ages. For hot summer days, Djurs Sommerland (www.djurssommerland.dk), Denmark’s largest water park, is a must; this favourite family attraction has over 60 rides, including roller-coasters, water slides and even a kids’ flying school. Continuing the watery theme, the ‘Discover Scuba Diving’ programme at the Kattegatcentret (www.kattegatcentret.com) offers an introductory lesson in scuba diving from a PADI-certified trainer, followed by a dip in the attraction’s Oceanarium to discover sharks, rays and various other creatures from the deep.

For those who prefer their wildlife on dry land, the Randers Rainforest (www.regnskoven.dk) offers an indoor tropical safari featuring 200 different animals and 450 kinds of plant. Kids can get up close and personal with monkeys, iguanas, bats and parrots, with the collection including animals from each of the world’s rainforest regions. Wildlife more typical of the Danish latitude can be encountered at the Scandinavian Animal Park (www.skandinaviskdyrepark.dk), home to wolves, bears and a genuine mammoth skeleton. More European natives can be found at the Ree Park – Ebeltoft Safari (www.reepark.dk), with indigenous animals like wolves, bears and bison featured alongside more exotic cheetahs and African wild dogs.

Visitors hoping to discover the Denmark of yesteryear will enjoy some of the regions’ interesting historical attractions. The fascinating recreation of a Danish country town can be found at Den Gamle By (‘The Old Town’) in Aarhus, where old-style shops, gardens and workshops have been brought from all over Denmark to create a unique, living museum that captures a snapshot of a time gone by (www.dengamleby.dk). The story of Denmark’s history of farming can be discovered at the Danish Agricultural Museum (www.gl-estrup.dk), where younger children will enjoy meeting the friendly farmyard animals. Kids will also love Fregatten Jylland (www.fregatten-jylland.dk), an authentic frigate that’s the world’s longest wooden ship. The attraction shows what life was like for the seafaring Danish explorers of many years ago; a highlight for many children is the daily firing of the ship’s cannons, which takes place at noon each day throughout the summer.

For more grown-up fun, there are plenty of concerts and festivals throughout the summer months. Jazz lovers will enjoy the Riverboat Jazz Festival (25-29 June, www.riverboat.dk) when around 70 orchestras from all over Denmark and the rest of Europe converge on the town on Silkeborg to perform at venues across the city – both floating and on dry land. For something along more historic line, the European Medieval Festival (29-30 August, www.middelalderfestival.dk) brings over 10,000 musicians, knights, pilgrims, monks and peasants to the town of Horsens to participate in tournaments, shows and parades in traditional 15th Century style. A little more mainstream is the Aarhus Festival (29 August – 7 September, www.aarhusfestuge.dk), a week-long cultural extravaganza that brings world-class opera, ballet, theatre, music and more to the lively city of Aarhus. This year’s theme is ‘Open City’ and a full programme of events will be available online from mid June.

A wide range of tourist accommodation can be found at holiday centres, campsites and coastal cottage, which are spread all along the coast. Camping options range from simple tent pitches to cosy, comfortable cabins and en-suite chalets, with accommodation to suit every taste and budget. What’s more, with Danish school holidays ending around the middle of August, prices can drop considerably for the latter part of the summer. This means the Danish coastal resorts can present exceptional value for money at a time when prices across the rest of Europe are at their seasonal peak. For example, a week’s accommodation at a holiday centre such as the FerieCenter at Kattegat, (www.kattegat.dk) costs from £600 in June but after mid August the prices drops to £300. Campsites can offer a cheaper alternative without necessarily compromising on facilities or comforts; a pitch at the Djurs Chalet Village and Camping (www.djurshytteby.dk), just 2km from the Djurs Sommerland water park, costs £50 for 3 nights. Alternatively, hire a cosy holiday cottage from Novasol. As these are prices per cottage they are also great value for large groups or families. Prices start from £150 to £250 for up to six people, depending on the time of year (www.denmarkcottages.co.uk / www.novasol.co.uk or call 0870 197 6568).

For additional information on the region visit www.visiteastjutland.com or