Visit Copenhagen

Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is worth a visit all year especially in spring and summer when you can really enjoy the location by the sea.

You can easily get to Copenhagen from all over Europe by plane, by train from Sweden or Germany and of course by car. The city is located on the largest Danish island, Sealand. The Øresund separates Denmark from Sweden.

Little Mermaid©flickr/Mispahn

If you want to use the public transport in Sweden you should buy the cOPENhagen Card or CPHCARD. With it you can use not only the public transport but also have free entry in many museums and reduced entry fees in many sights and attractions. You can purchase the card at the tourist-information opposite the Tivoli, at the airport or at the great railway stations.

The most famous sight of Copenhagen certainly is the Little Mermaid. But this year the statue will be in Shanghai for the World Expo until December 2010. But you can still see an original copy in the Tivoli.

And of course there are other sights in Copenhagen too.

Kronborg Castle in Elsinore is one of Europe’s most important Renaissance castles and known all over the world from Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. Each year about 200,000 people visit Denmark’s most famous castle. The castle was built during the reign of Kind Frederik II and inside you can see Renaissance and baroque furniture in many rooms. Also very impressive is the ballroom with a length of 62 metres. The church also is well preserved.

From the Round Tower (Rundetaarn) with it unique architecture you have a stunning view over the city. The tower was built from 1637 to 1642 under the reign of Christian IV. On top of it you can find the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. It was built more than 350 years ago.
On your way up you pass the old library hall which now is used for exhibitions and concerts.

Strøget ist the world’s longest pedestrian zone and Copenhagen’s largest shopping area. Here you can get some of the most expensive brands as well as low priced goods. And here you can also see acrobats, magicians and musicians.

Amalienborg Palace has been the royal residence since in 1794 Christiansborg Castle burnt down. Every day at noon the change of the guards takes place in front of the palace.

The Tivoli Gardens are one of the oldest amusement parks in the world and one of the most popular sights of Copenhagen. Here you find something for everybody. And at night it is really beautiful with all the lights, live music and fireworks.

Amalienborg Palace©flickr/jimg944

If you want to see Copenhagen from a different point of view you should make a tour on the city’s old canals. The boats take you through the old city and pass many famous sights.

Visitors interested in Scandinavian history should visit the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde. Here you can see reproductions of original Viking ships and during the summer months you can go sailing on one of the traditional boats.

At the National Museum you can learn everything about the history of the Danish kingdom and travel through time.

Almost 30 years old is the Free Town Christiania, a collectively run hippie-village within Copenhagen. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Denmark. In 1971 a group of hippies and socialists occupied the old military barracks and even today many of the original inhabitants live here in creatively built houses. But you can also find workshops and art galleries.

And as Sweden is not very far, you can also visit Malmö the third largest Swedish city or Scania with its 400 kilometres of sandy beaches.