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 harbour
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, like 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. |