Copenhagen Travel Guide

The city of Copenhagen is overflowing with things to see and do. The following suggestions will describe some of the highlights which might help you with planning your time here. Some of the tours will concentrate on the inner part of town within Søerne and the oblong island of Christianshavn, situated between the city and Amager; other tours will lead your further and even far away from the centre of the city. For some, the main attraction in Copenhagen is the Den Lille Havfrue at Langelinie Quay, by Københavns Havn. She is a small and beautiful bronze statue, and the main character in the fairytale by the famous Danish author H. C. Andersen. More impressive in historical meaning than in stature, she is not an overwhelming sight. Yet the surrounding area holds more treasures; you should take a look at Copenhagen's freshly restored old fortress, Kastellet. With its sloping green verges, grazing sheep and its old, colourful military buildings in the middle of the star-shaped site, Kastellet is suitable for a nice walk and offers great views over Øresund and the harbour.

You'll find an even more splendid view of the harbour, the maritime industry and windmill areas by taking a walk southwards along Copenhagen Harbour. After passing a number of modern buildings housing Denmark's top firms and passing the charming and robust old warehouses, you'll walk directly into the Royal Gardens, Amaliehaven. This whole area is Rococo design. Turning right in the middle of the Amalie Garden, follow the axis of symmetry that leads you to the eight-cornered square of the four Royal Palaces of Amalienborg. The light eighteenth-century Rococo style brings majestic respectfulness to the place; this is where the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, resides. In the middle of the square stands a recently restored, decorative marble statue of Frederik V, in knight's dress.

Following further along the axis, you will reach Frederikskirken, the church inspired by St Peter's Church in Rome. Locals refer to it as the ‘Marble Church' because this is its main material; its silhouette is a central feature of Copenhagen's skyline.

A possible route begins in the absolute centre of Copenhagen, Kongens Nytorvs Skøjtebane (the King's New Square). Here you will find a popular café area, crowded in the summer, situated by the old canal with authentic boats and former fishing buildings. The old castle Charlottenborg beside Nyhavn now contains both interesting exhibitions of modern art and parts of Kunstakademiets Udstillingssted.

If you pass Det Kongelige Teater, going along Niels Juelsgade, then along Holmens Kanal and passing Holmens Bro bridge, you will discover a handful of interesting buildings. The National Bank, by Arne Jacobsen—the internationally famed Danish architect—is a huge, modernist building. Its dark, glass façades mirror the nearby towers and spires beautifully throughout the day.

Dominating the skyline, Christiansborg, an imposing grey building, is made of stones imported from all over Denmark. This is where the government sits, and its structure echoes the theme of power. Left of Christiansborg is Børsen, the old Renaissance building which at the time of Christian IV housed the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. The delicate spire of Børsen is made up of four dragons with their tails twisting upwards.

Walking past Christiansborg to the right brings you past Christiansborg Slotskirke, and going a bit further, you will reach Thorvaldsens Museum. This is easily recognisable by its warm colours: ochre, red and green, and its geometrically patterned façade. This museum showcases the work of famous Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen and the interior is a beautiful mixture of his sculptures and coloured decor.

If you choose to turn left by Christiansborg and pass Børsen, you will soon discover the new National Library by the harbour. With its modern, dark and floating form and its sharp edges, it is called Det Kongelige Bibliotek (Diamanten), and if you are into modern architecture, you shouldn't pass up the opportunity of viewing its interior.

A third tour might begin at Rådhuspladsen (The Town Hall Square). Here, you will not be in doubt as to which building is the Københavns Rådhus. With its large form, romantic and Nationalist-inspired ornamentation and singular tower, it dominates the square. Directly opposite, you'll encounter the most argued-about piece of architecture in Denmark: the bus terminus. Its black, simple form appeals to some people but for plenty it appears gruesome.

The Town Hall Square, Tivoli is situated right next door. This large garden has been a popular amusement park for over a hundred years. Tivoli abounds with flowers, lakes, coloured lamps, challenging fairs and, all in all, boasts a very unique atmosphere. You shouldn't let your children miss this; don't worry, the park is designed for adults as well.

Opposite the eastern end of Tivoli, you'll find the museum Glyptoteket—a very beautiful building; the inner yard of palms, fountains and sculptures proves especially popular. The exhibitions here are permanent and a new building inside the old one has created a kind of modern, accessible treasure-chest of costly paintings. Across the street, the Nationalmuseet holds varied and current exhibitions.

On the other side of Tivoli, Hovedbanegården has the busiest train and bus traffic in Denmark. Nearby, there's the newly built, huge sports centre, D GI-byen. Its exciting oval water basins and unusually designed sports halls make this a kind of Mecca for people who are fond of sports. DGI-byen's buildings stretch a long way along the railroad tracks which separate the different areas of Copenhagen.

Yet another tour starts at Østerport Station. Going southwest, following the old embankments, you'll pass Nyboder, the yellow terrace houses built by Christian IV in the seventeenth century for those serving in the navy. Now it serves as an attractive living area, still reserved for the people of the Danish Navy.

Walking further along Østervoldgade, you pass Østre Anlæg, one of the city's parks, and at the southern corner of Østre Anlæg Statens Museum for Kunst pops up with its long façade. From the road, it looks like an ordinary historical building, but on the other side of the common façade, a piece of interesting modern architecture is added to the old building. It consists of curving glass, contrasting with white stones, and from the inside you will find a splendid view over the park. The exhibitions are interesting and varied.

Keeping on Østervoldgade, you will have Botanisk Have on your right side and Kongens Have/Rosenborg Slotshave (the "King's Garden") on your left. Kongens Have is a small, popular oasis in the middle of Copenhagen. The beautiful Renaissance palace of Rosenborg Slot is situated in the garden, and is he former summer residence of King Christian IV.

Walking further along the old embankments, you'll encounter Nørreport Station and after that H.C. Ørstedsparken, another of the city's parks, will be on your right-hand side. This tour might include a visit to Søerne; you could start south and move along one of the sides of the lakes, going north. A walk along the lakes or around one of them is always a good idea. Thousands of Copenhageners do that every day.

Tour number five means crossing Københavns Havn by the northernmost of the bridges, Knippelsbro. You will then reach the island of Christianshavn. Walking straight ahead along Torvegade, a tremendous sight will unfold on your right. Here, the newly built banking headquarters of Unibank stretch from the quay to the old Christianskirken. Unibank's entrance was inspired by the New Arch of Triumph in Paris, and it beautifully captures the façade of the church.

To experience one of the most cosy and trendy café areas in Copenhagen, you should walk further along Torvegade and turn left by the canal. The atmosphere here is comfortable and it is really very pleasant. Turn right along Sankt Annæ gade and you will discover Vor Frelsers Kirke (The Church of Our Saviour), famous for its beautifully twisted spire, accessible inside. The view from the top is worth the number of stairs!

Turning left by Vor Frelser Kirke will lead you along Prinsessegade, and to your right Christiania turns up. This is the place that the leftists and hippies occupied in the Sixties and Seventies to show their disrespect for the state. Now, the place is a bit more established.

If you walk further along Prinsessegade, you get to the island of Holmen – this whole large area was formerly owned by the Army, but has now been turned into a haven of art schools and expensive housing projects. Four schools – the School of Architecture, the Conservatory of Rhythmic Music, the Film School and the School of Theatre and Drama–form a square, home to youth and culture. Walks by the quays and the old bastions around Holmen and Christianshavn show another and, especially in the summer, idyllic part of Copenhagen. A last tour goes beyond Copenhagen. For those who are interested, a tour north of Copenhagen along Strandvejen is recommended. Strandvejen will lead you from Østerbro, the part of Copenhagen north east of the Lakes, north along the coastline. The drive, whether it is by bus, car or train, is a very beautiful one, with splendid views over Øresund with the Swedish coastline visible in fine weather.

Before you reach the city Rungsted, you will have Rungstedlund on your left-hand side. This is the former home of Karen Blixen, the famous author of Out of Africa. Now Rungstedlund has been turned into a museum for her work, and fans will certainly find this place interesting.

About 35 km along Strandvejen from Copenhagen, you will reach Humlebæk and after that the popular and internationally famous museum of modern art, Louisiana. This is an oasis for people interested in art – the surroundings are idyllic and challenging at the same time. Louisiana has both permanent and itinerant exhibitions, always professionally arranged. Enjoying a meal or your packed lunch in the park with the splendid view is an experience in itself.

Those interested in history should organise a visit to the most northern part of Zealand. Here you will find the city of Helsingør and the castle Kronborg, Elsinore. Those who know their Shakespeare will remember that this is where one of his most famous plays, Hamlet, is set – in the castle of Kronborg. This was both the royal residence and the main fortress of Denmark from 1410, when it was built. The style is in perfect Dutch Renaissance, and the castle proudly fills a stormy and dramatic corner of Denmark.

Copenhagen Tourist Information: Bernstorffsgade 1, 1577 Copenhagen V Tel.: +45 70 22 24 42 (by Hovedbanegården and Tivoli) will gladly inform you about guided tours in and around Copenhagen.

Personalized VIP bar and club tours courtesy of Nightlife Friend: +35 4 822 6600 http://www.nightlifefriend.com info@nightlifefriend.com2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 99