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Copenhagen

The waterside city of Copenhagen is packed with old-world fairytale charm alongside some of the world's most avante garde architecture. It is a vibrant, modern city with a long and fascinating history, having been the capital of Denmark for close on 600 years and home to the oldest resident monarchy in the world.

The biggest city in Scandinavia, Copenhagen occupies a pleasant and strategic spot on the Baltic east coast of Denmark's largest island, Zealand, its harbor overlooked by the world-famous statue of the 'Little Mermaid'.

One of the first impressions that strike visitors to this busy, dynamic capital is the cleanliness and orderliness that prevails in its narrow medieval cobbled central city streets and along the picturesque canals in Christianshavn. Most of the myriad attractions for visitors are situated within about one square mile (3 sq km) of flat terrain in the centre, making it easy to explore on foot (or bicycle, which is the vehicle of choice for locals).

Five streets in the heart of the city have been merged to provide the world's longest pedestrian mall, running between Rådhuspladsen and Kongens Nytorv, which are packed with historic gabled buildings, dynamic department stores, stunning shops, restaurants, pavement cafes, theatres, and world-class museums and galleries.

Despite the condensed city centre, Copenhagen is not short on green lungs: parks such as the ever-popular Tivoli Gardens abound in this city, which prides itself on its strict anti-pollution laws and lack of glass and chrome skyscrapers.

The family-friendly city that spawned Hans Christian Andersen is, indeed, a modern fairy-tale: one of Europe's finest capitals that retains a provincial charm and sense of history along with its cutting-edge efficiency, offering its justifiably proud citizens an extremely high standard of living.

Tivoli Gardens

Copenhagen's world-renowned Tivoli Gardens are ever so much more than just a central city park. The relatively small area in the heart of the city is actually one of the world's most thrilling entertainment complexes, drawing about three million visitors during its five-month summer open season each year. Tivoli dates back to 1843 when Copenhagen was still a fortified city surrounded by tall ramparts and a deep moat. Today the Tivoli Lake is all that remains of the moat, which now reflects the incredible trademark fireworks displays that light the sky over the gardens twice a week. Tivoli is split in two, one section housing the beautiful miniature gardens where more than 100,000 flowers bloom, and the other the theme park with game arcades and thrill rides. Tivoli also boasts a concert hall and open-air stages where dozens of concerts, pantomimes and circus shows, many of them free, are offered during the season.

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Historical Museums

The rich history of Denmark, from Viking days through to the Second World War resistance movement, is encapsulated in fascinating collections of artifacts housed in a series of museums in and around Copenhagen. The Prince's Palace in the city centre houses the National Museum covering Danish history in general and a collection of international antiquities. The open air museum a few miles north of the city makes for a fascinating excursion with its 100 or so buildings, most relocated from elsewhere in the country, set out to illustrate what life was like in rural Denmark in days of yore. Visitors can get up to date on the history of the city itself in the Copenhagen City Museum , housed in the Royal Shooting Society's palace dating from 1787.

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Art Galleries

Copenhagen is a city with a proud heritage of art and design, well showcased in numerous museums and galleries as well as architecture. Among the most renowned collections are those housed in the popular Museum of Decorative Arts (traces the history of Danish design, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (featuring world famous artists, the National Gallery (more than 8,000 works dating from the 13th century to modern times and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (antiquities, French impressionists and contemporary Danish art.

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Nyhavn Canal

The picturesque historic Nyhavn Canal, dating from 1673 when it was built to connect the inner city to the sea, is today colloquially known as the 'longest bar in Scandinavia'. This is because the pretty pastel-painted old townhouses that line the canal are fronted with numerous restaurants, pubs and cafes, full of action and entertainment 24 hours a day. The canal itself is crammed with old wooden sailing ships, adding to the atmosphere. Tourists enjoy not only the hospitality establishments along the canal but also visit the house at No.20 Nyhavn, home of famous fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote his first stories here between 1834 and 1838. Andersen later occupied two other houses in Nyhavn.

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Rosenborg Castle

The attractive Dutch Renaissance style Rosenborg Castle was designed by King Christian IV and served as his home until he died in 1648. Today the Castle is an important cultural institution, acting as a public museum detailing the history of Denmark's royal family as well as acting as repository for the Crown Jewels and royal regalia, which are kept in the castle cellars and can be viewed by the public. The magnificent castle gardens are a welcome retreat from the city hustle and bustle.

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