The best things to do in Copenhagen

The big sights

Royal Copenhagen, a famous harbour and one of the world's oldest amusement parks.

1. 01

   Nyhavn

   Landmark

   

   The picture on every postcard: a seventeenth-century canal lined with tall townhouses in mustard, rust and blue, with old wooden ships moored along the quay. Hans Christian Andersen lived at several addresses here. Once a rough sailors' quarter, it is now wall-to-wall restaurants with blankets on every chair.

   Yes, it is touristy. It is also completely lovely, especially in the low evening light. Canal boat tours leave from the head of the harbour and are the best quick introduction to the city.

   Tip: Do as the locals do: pick up a drink and sit on the edge of the quay in the sun.

2. 02

   Tivoli Gardens

   Activity

   

   Open since 1843 and right in the middle of the city, Tivoli is part amusement park, part pleasure garden. There are wooden roller coasters and modern white-knuckle rides, but also flowerbeds, a lake, a pantomime theatre and bandstands. Grandparents love it as much as teenagers do.

   After dark it turns magical, strung with thousands of lights. It opens for seasons through the year, with special dressing-up for Halloween and Christmas.

   Tip: Go in the late afternoon and stay into the evening, when the lights come on.

3. 03

   The Little Mermaid

   Landmark

   Copenhagen's most famous resident sits on a rock by the Langelinie promenade, gazing out at the harbour. The bronze statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story, is much smaller than people expect, and that mild surprise is part of the tradition. Combine it with a walk through the star-shaped ramparts of the Kastellet fortress next door, which is the better half of the outing.

4. 04

   Rosenborg Castle

   Landmark

   

   A storybook Renaissance castle of red brick and green copper turrets, built by King Christian IV as a summer house. Inside are rooms of tapestries, thrones and royal curiosities, and down in the basement vaults, the Danish crown jewels.

   It stands in the King's Garden, the oldest royal garden in the country and the city's favourite spot for a picnic. On a sunny day half of Copenhagen is stretched out on the lawns.

5. 05

   Amalienborg Palace

   Landmark

   

   The home of the Danish royal family is four matching rococo palaces set around an octagonal cobbled square. The Royal Life Guards, in bearskins and blue trousers, march through the city for a daily changing of the guard. One palace is open as a museum, and the great dome of the Marble Church rises just behind the square.

Museums and galleries

1. 06

   National Museum of Denmark

   Museum

   

   The country's history under one roof, in a former royal palace near the canal. The prehistory galleries are the highlight: Viking silver hoards, rune stones, bog finds and the Sun Chariot, a Bronze Age horse pulling a gilded disc, which is among Denmark's most treasured objects. There is a hands-on children's museum too, so it works well on a wet day with a family.

2. 07

   Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

   Museum

   

   Founded by the brewer Carl Jacobsen, of Carlsberg fame, this is an art museum built around a glorious glass-domed winter garden of palms and fountains. Around it are halls of Greek, Roman and Egyptian sculpture, a fine group of Rodin bronzes and French Impressionist paintings. Even people who claim not to like museums tend to like this one.

3. 08

   The Round Tower

   Landmark

   

   A seventeenth-century observatory tower in the old town, also built by Christian IV. Instead of stairs, a wide cobbled ramp spirals up through the inside, gentle enough that a horse and carriage could manage it. At the top is a viewing platform over the rooftops and spires of the old city. Children love running up it. Adults love that there are almost no steps.

Neighbourhoods and the harbour

1. 09

   Christianshavn

   Neighbourhood

   

   Across the harbour from the centre, Christianshavn is a little Amsterdam of canals, houseboats and crooked merchants' houses. The landmark is the Church of Our Saviour, whose twisting spire has a staircase winding around the outside, all the way to the golden globe at the tip.

   It is a district for wandering without a plan, stopping for coffee by the water and watching boats slide under the bridges.

   Tip: The spire climb is not for anyone nervous of heights: the steps narrow as you go up and the last stretch is in the open air.

2. 10

   The harbour baths

   Activity

   

   Copenhagen cleaned up its harbour so thoroughly that people now swim in it. The best-known harbour bath is at Islands Brygge, a set of open-air pools and diving platforms on the waterfront, with lawns behind for drying off. On a warm day the whole quay turns into a city beach. In winter, hardier Danes still jump in, usually followed by a sauna.

3. 11

   Vesterbro and the Meatpacking District

   Nightlife

   Behind the Central Station, Vesterbro has gone from the city's red-light district to its most fashionable address. The centre of the action is Kødbyen, the old Meatpacking District, where low white industrial buildings now hold restaurants, bars, galleries and clubs. Start with dinner, stay for drinks and do not expect an early night at the weekend.

Eat and drink

1. 12

   Smørrebrød

   Food

   

   The Danish open sandwich: a slice of dense, buttered rye bread piled with pickled herring, tiny prawns, roast beef with crisp onions or fried plaice with remoulade. It is eaten with a knife and fork, in a set order if you are being proper, and traditionally with a cold beer and a glass of schnapps. Lunch, and nothing else, is the time for it.

2. 13

   Torvehallerne

   Market

   Two glass market halls near Nørreport station, filled with stalls selling fresh fish, cheese, chocolate, coffee and things to eat on the spot. It is where Copenhageners shop for dinner and where visitors graze their way through lunch. Sit at the outdoor tables between the halls with a pastry and you have a decent picture of the city in miniature.

Day trips

All three are an easy train ride from the Central Station.

1. 14

   Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

   Day trip

   

   In Humlebæk, on the coast north of the city, Louisiana is as much about the place as the paintings. Low glass corridors link the galleries through a park of old trees, with sculptures on the lawns and the sea sparkling below. On a clear day you can see across the Øresund to Sweden.

   It is a favourite even among people who rarely visit art galleries, and the café terrace has one of the best views in Denmark.

2. 15

   Kronborg Castle

   Day trip

   

   At Helsingør, where the strait between Denmark and Sweden is at its narrowest, Kronborg is the castle Shakespeare had in mind for Elsinore in Hamlet. It is a grand Renaissance fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with windswept ramparts, a huge ballroom and gloomy casemates underneath. It combines easily with Louisiana, which is on the same railway line.

3. 16

   Roskilde

   Day trip

   Denmark's old capital, west of Copenhagen, has two big draws. The Viking Ship Museum displays five original ships raised from the fjord, and builds full-size replicas in its boatyard. Up the hill, the twin-spired brick cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been the burial place of Danish kings and queens for centuries.

Where to stay in Copenhagen

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