Copenhagen Cityguide

If you are lucky, your first encounter with Copenhagen will be something to remember! It is not uncommon for visitors to the Strorgeten, the 1.8 kilometre-long Oxford Street of the Danish capital, to find themselves caught up in the whirl of a pre-wedding party. Crowds of young men and women, in strictly separated groups, celebrate in style, the men cheering on the future groom and the women partying with the bride. Often both crowds wear fancy dress, just to add to the revels. Folklore Copenhagen-style!

The Stroget, even without such pre-wedding festivities, is the city's busiest and liveliest spot. Its attraction lies not so much in its fashionable shop windows and countless cafés and restaurants, as in the fact that there's always something going on.

Musicians, singers, jugglers, and artists entertain passers-by with their skill, while audiences gather around the inevitable prophets of doom to listen to their plans to save the world. The Stroget is a place not to be missed.

Copenhagen lies on the east coast of Sjaelland, Denmark's largest island. It has a population of half a million, and even including the suburbs the number of inhabitants does not exceed 630 000. Visitors who are only able to stay for a few days can find almost everything they want to see within the old town, which measures just four square kilometres. The best way to visit the city is on foot or by public transport, either by road or water, rather than by car. Using the bus and train network one can conveniently reach not only the old town, but the outer districts and suburbs as well. The 24-, 48- or 72-hour Copenhagen Card can be used on both the buses and trains. In addition, it allows entry into a hundred museums, exhibitions and other attractions.

The best time to visit Amalienborg, the residence of Queen Margaret, is at twelve noon, when the changing of the guard takes place in front of the palace. The guardsmen wear curious fur helmets, similar to those worn by their English counterparts standing guard at Buckingham Palace. On special occasions they can be seen marching with a distinctive parade step, but on normal guard duty they are casual and friendly. They smile at onlookers and even reply briefly to their questions.

They are as democratic as the person they are guarding. Queen Margaret is not only respected (after all, this is something every queen can expect), she is also greatly loved. The main reason for her popularity is her simplicity: when not on official duty her limousine stops at red lights like any other car, and she can often be seen doing her shopping in town without enormous numbers of security guards. Nor has she ever hidden the fact that she is a heavy smoker.

The crown and ceremonial regalia, along with other royal jewels collected over the last 400 years, are kept at the Rosenborg Palace. The crown is on display in the treasury, housed in the cellars of the one-time royal palace which is surrounded by a wonderful park. The crown is in a simple glass box, nowhere near as pompous as the setting for the Hungarian crown, now housed in the parliament. Here, children playfully climb up the bars that surround it so they can see the treasure from above. Nor do the grown ups tell them off: in general, children enjoy great freedom in the child-friendly Danish society. In Copenhagen every museum, public institution, bank, major shopping centre and office provides a special play area where children can be looked after.

One of the real beauties of the Danish capital is the imposing Radhus, or city hall. The building was opened in 1905 and its façade is decorated with a statue of Bishop Absolon, who founded Copenhagen in 1167. The glass-roofed inner courtyard, many storeys high, houses exhibitions and major events. Its main attraction is the "world clock" which was put up in 1955. Besides giving the local time it supplies all sorts of other information, such as the time of day at various points around the world, and the times of sunrises and sunsets. It also functions as a calendar and provides information about the position of the stars, etc. From the 106-metre high tower one has a superb view over the whole town. In front of the city hall, at the opening of the avenue that bears his name, stands the statue of the great Danish story-teller, Hans Christian Andersen. The square in front of the city hall is one of the busiest points in the town and is the final stop for many bus routes.

Those wanting to meet up with young people, and college students in particular, should visit the Rundetarnt, the Red Tower, which was originally built as an observatory. According to legend, Tsar Peter the Great, during a visit to Copenhagen in 1642, rode up the 36-metre-high tower in a carriage drawn by four horses. This isn't beyond the bounds of possibility: the builder omitted to put in a staircase, and the highest level can only be reached by a wide spiral slope, 209-metres long. Next to the tower stands the Triniatis Church, the old university building and colleges. In term time the area is filled with crowds of young people, coming and going, arguing, and, of course, kissing.

Every big city in the world has a funfair, but the world-famous Tivoli in Copenhagen is something special. It attracts visitors from all over the world, and since it was opened in 1843 has welcomed 300 million visitors. The attractions and rides naturally represent the highest technical standards and feature a huge range of innovative ideas. But the Tivoli is also special for the live performances by world-famous bands and orchestras in its concert-hall and on its open-air stage. All this happens in a setting which, in the evening hours, is lit by 110 000 lights, glimmering in all the colours of the rainbow. Three times a week, at quarter to midnight on Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays, the Copenhagen funfair bids farewell to its visitors with a magnificent firework display.

Excursion boats visiting the canals, docks and harbours, leave from Nyhavn, one of the inlets on the east coast. No visitor to Copenhagen could possibly leave without seeing the little Mermaid (Den lille Havfrue, in Danish), who lives by the sea at the northern end of the old town. She is the heroine of one of Andersen's charming stories, a fifteen-year-old mermaid who falls hopelessly in love with a young man who turns out to be a prince. Cast in bronze, she sits a few steps away from the shore on a big piece of rock in the shallow water, radiating gentleness and longing for a human existence. The statue is a favourite among the inhabitants of Copenhagen. When a vandal chopped off the Marmaid's head one night in 1964, the whole city was in mourning. (The head was recast in its original form and fixed back onto the body.)
The Mermaid has become the symbol of Copenhagen, appearing in every guidebook and in every visitor's photo album.

The 1st of July 2000 is a great day for Copenhagen, when the "superbridge" over the Öresund strait, connecting Denmark with Sweden, will be opened. The 16-kilometre-long bridge, which connects the Danish capital with Malmö in Sweden carries two dual carriageways and two rail tracks. The superbridge shortens the 45-minute ferry crossing between the two countries to between 10 and 12 minutes.