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The beauty of Copenhagen is that the town center is largely traffic free, which, coupled with the fact that most of the streets and buildings are laid out according to the medieval street plan, makes its sights and attractions very accessible on foot. A multitude of world-class museums and galleries; streets full of specialist shops; dozens of restaurants; and a tempting array of nightlife, all lie within a few minutes’ walk of most of the main hotels.
Copenhagen is one of Europe’s finest shopping destinations. The city’s main shopping area is centred on the longest pedestrian street in Europe, Strøget, and the charming 17th century streets surrounding it. Apart from Magasin du Nord, the biggest department store in Scandinavia, Copenhagen boasts hundreds of wonderful independent shops, boutiques, restaurants, and cafés. Danish design items such as Bang and Olufsen stereos, Royal Copenhagen porcelain and Georg Jensen silverware, are world famous. All have showcase stores on or near Strøget. The souvenir potential is limitless: you can choose from exclusive Birger Christensen fur coats, the famous Arne Jacobsen-designed chairs and Flora Danica porcelain, or the rather more affordable Georg Jensen silver key rings, Bodum coffee pots, or the characteristic blue and white-painted cups and saucers from Royal Copenhagen. For a taste of Denmark, you could also take home a few bottles of Carlsberg beer, some snaps, or a bottle of Gammel Dansk (traditional Danish bitter), to accompany a jar of pickled herring, Danish cheese or liquorice.
Danish cooking has undergone something of a revolution in the last decade or so. These days the restaurant menus of Copenhagen don’t simply look overseas for influences and ingredients, instead their chefs have learned to exploit the wonderful natural resources of the Nordic larder. The coast north of Copenhagen is dotted with culinary jewels – restaurants whose food and uniquely soothing atmosphere you will want to return to again and again. Seasoned visitors to Copenhagen have known it for years, but the news that the latest Michelin Guide has awarded eleven stars to ten of the city’s restaurants has confirmed that Copenhagen is the number one food-lovers destination in Scandinavia. Dine in a hotel? Might not sound tempting at first but in Copenhagen locals do it, as these days the city bucks the trend of traditional hotel restaurants concept of prawn cocktails and ice cream deserts. Hotels in Copenhagen offer some of the finest dining in the city, courtesy of Denmark’s leading chefs. Moreover, these days Copenhagen is a hot bed of chocolate indulgence with numerous master chocolatiers striving to make the finest chocolates for an ever more enthusiastic and knowledgeable market. Food is an art form in itself, a fact which modern galleries and museums acknowledge. Gone are the coke and cake cafés of yesteryear, in their place appearing well designed, attractive cafes and even restaurants. The level of culinary excellence is high and the setting often reflects the ambience of the venue.
Copenhagen nightlife has an ever-changing array of clubs, restaurants and bars catering to all tastes. Whether you’re after cutting edge dance music; world-class jazz; or you just want to get down, Copenhagen has the venue for you. The city also has several hugely popular and utterly groovy DJ/bar/restaurant ‘hybrids’ that change mood and function over the course of an evening. And don’t forget: The Best Beers are Right Here! The interest in different beer varieties, flavors, nationalities and micro-brewing techniques has exploded over the last few years. These days, beer enthusiasts will love Copenhagen.
Public transport in Copenhagen is safe, reliable, clean and cheap. Both trains and buses are frequent and efficient. Copenhagen has the fastest and cheapest airport-to-city-centre rail link of any European capital – just 13 minutes – and it costs only DKK 25,50. The transport traditions of Copenhagen go back a long way, starting with the sea-trading of the Viking era. At the time of Hans Christian Andersen the Copenhageners began to travel by train, and the Copenhagen-built plane used by Ellehammer was the first in Europe to be airborne. Today, the transport infrastructure of Copenhagen is among the most efficient and reliable in the world, and it is still being developed and improved.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
