Copenhagen

From World travel guide

Copenhagen (Danish: København) is the capital of Denmark, on the island of Zealand.

Contents 1 Districts 2 Understand 3 Get in 3.1 By plane 3.2 By train and bus 3.3 By boat 3.4 By yacht 4 Get around 4.1 S-Tog 4.2 By bicycle 4.3 Taxi 5 See 6 Do 6.1 Annual events 7 Learn 8 Cope 9 Work 10 Buy 11 Eat 11.1 Franchises 12 Drink 13 Sleep 14 Contact 15 Stay safe 16 Get out 17 External links

Districts

• Indre By, Downtown.
• Christianshavn
• Kastellet
• Holmen
• Vesterbro
• Frederiksberg
• Nørrebro
• Østerbro
• North West, NV.

Understand

Copenhagen is one of Europe's most enjoyable cities. Situated on the Oresund (Danish: Øresund) strait, with Sweden just minutes away by train, it is a link between mainland Europe and Scandinavia, and has a wealth of cultural and entertaining things to see and do. The city has a reputation for tolerance, with a famous red light area and the fascinating 'free city' of Christiania, a community of drop-outs from society. There is more to here than Carlsberg and The Little Mermaid, and a trip to the wonderful Tivoli Gardens will leave the visitor in no doubt that this is a very special city.

Get in

By plane

Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport (CPH) is the main hub of Scandinavia's largest carrier SAS Scandinavian and regularly wins favorable comments from passengers for both design and function — this is a much more pleasant place to transit than, say, London Heathrow or Frankfurt.

A number of low-cost carriers also fly to the airport. EasyJet serve Copenhagen from London Stansted, Newcastle, Bristol and Berlin Schoenefeld. Sterling, Snowflake (SAS's budget brand) and Maersk Air connect Copenhagen with many cities in Europe and beyond.

Consider Sturup Airport in Malmö, Sweden as well - it's 40 minutes by bus from central Malmö, from there 30 minutes by train to Copenhagen Central Station. Or use the direct Bus 737 (DKK 100, 50 minutes). Ryanair fly from London (Stansted) and Wizzair from Warsaw and Budapest.

To go from the airport to downtown Copenhagen you will need a 3-zone ticket (26 DKK) to take the train. It takes 18 minutes to the central station (Hovedbanegården), the ticket is valid for 1 hour on the train, buses and the metro. Or get a yellow card valid for 10 trips for DKK 145.

By train and bus

All buses and trains stop at Central Station, the main transport hub. There are hourly trains from major cities such as Odense and Aarhus via the Storebælt Bridge.

The easiest and fastest way to get in from Sweden is to cross the Øresund Bridge via Malmö, a journey of only 30 minutes.

Gråhundbus (DKK 60, DKK 100 same day return), Swebus Express, and Säfflebussen have routes to Malmö and Sweden. To Malmö the buses take longer but are cheaper than the train, especially for daytrips.

There are about half a dozen daily trains to Hamburg and Luebeck in Germany via Rødby-Puttgarden (train ferry).

By boat

Ferries ply between Copenhagen Port and Oslo (16hr), Bornholm (7hr) and Malmö (45 min).

By yacht

Copenhagen has several marinas. The biggest is Svanemøllehavnen. There are no designated visitor berths but it is almost always possible to find one with a green sign. Daily charge: 75-120 DKK.

Get around

The two big hubs are the Central Station (da: Hovedbanegården) with S-trains, Intercity-trains, and buses and Nørreport Station with S-trains, metro, regional trains, and buses.

S-Tog

The backbone of transportation in Copenhagen is the S-Tog regional train system, although two metro lines running to the southern suburbs have recently been added on the map. Buses travel to destinations outside the train network.

All public transport in Copenhagen, as well as the rest of the country, operates on a zone system. The smallest ticket is the two-zone ticket which will cost you DKK 17, and can be purchased from ticket offices, vending machines and bus drivers. It will allow you to travel around Copenhagen proper for an hour. A ten-trip klippekort will give you a discount of around 40%, and you can also purchase a day pass starting at DKK 90. Alternatively, buy a Copenhagen Card, which gives free transport throughout the region and free admission to many museums and sights. The card costs DKK 215/375/495 for 1/2/3 days.

By bicycle

In the center of the city, you can also get around by the free public city-bikes. These are specially painted by various sponsors and are very simple bikes that you can find on special stands near some important places like the main train station, the Tivoli park, the port and some others. After you insert a 20DKK coin, you can take the bike and go where you want as far as you stay in the inner part of the city marked on a plan that you will get with the bike. When you return the bike to some stand again (not necessarily the same one), you will get your 20DKK coin back.

The bikes usually come with a map on which the main attractions are marked. The map also marks the borders of the city within which you are allowed to ride the bike. If you are caught outside these borders, you could be faced with a fine (around 1000 DKK).

Please don't take away city-bikes that you see somewhere not on a stand, because there are high chances that somebody will soon return for it and by taking it away, you would not only deprive him of his mean of transport, but also of his 20DKK coin.

Taxi

It is DKK 13 cheaper to hail a taxi on the street. If you call for a taxi you need to know your street address.

• TaxaMotor +45 35353535
• Codan +45 38101010

See

There is free entrance to most museums once a week, mainly on Wednesdays.

• The seat of government in Slotsholmen and the ruins underneath, dating back to the 12th century.
• Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek [1] - currently, mostly closed for renovations (2004-early 2006) - one of the foremost collections in Europe of ancient, medieval and modern art
• The Rosenborg Castle and Treasury
• The famous Little Mermaid, near Kastellet. She is only about 1.25 meters high.
• The Botanic Garden with its Palm House. (at Nørreport Station)
• The free city of Christiania in Christianshavn
• The Assistens Kirkegård in Norrebro, with graves of, among others H.C.Andersen, Søren Kirkegaard and Niels Bohr
• Production of candy at Sømods Bolcher [2]
• Guided tours are offered twice every weekday (11am and 2pm) at the Carlsberg Brewery [3]. Take Bus No. 6 west from the Rådhuspladsen. The brewery is protected by two giant elephants at the gate.

Do

• Climb the 400 steps to the top of the spire of Vor Frelsers Kirke in Christianshavn for panoramic views of Copenhagen.

• See a play in the Royal Theater [4], or the new Opera (opened January 2005)

• Tivoli [5] (Vesterbrogade 3), a famous but rather tame and touristy amusement park. Entry 65 DKK, open 11-23 daily (longer on weekends). Closed in winter, except for the Nov-Dec Christmas market. Especially beautiful at night when coloured lamps light up everywhere. Pop/rock concerts every Friday night, sometimes with internationally known names. (Be early). Some evenings end with fireworks, consult the program. Also brass bands, pantomime theater etc. on the program.
• Dyrehavsbakken [6] is another well-known amusement park north of Copenhagen. Open from late March to late August, S-train to Klampenborg.
• The Open Air Museum [7] at Lyngby: a big area with 45 authentic relocated historical farms, houses, and windmills. Entrance fee: 25 DKK, free on We. Apr 3-Sep 30: Tu-Su 10AM-5PM, Oct 1-17: Tu-Su, 10AM-5PM.
• Niels Bohr Institute [8]. If you are a physicist or just interested in physics, come to the Institute and see the room of Niels Bohr with photos of the staff of the institute when he was the head of it, a model of the famous thought experiment weighing the clock, the archive, the photos of all the famous people who were developing the quantum theory during the so-called "golden age of physics, when even small people could do big things" and also the modern part of the institute. The people at the archive are wiling to show the institute to other people, if they are not too busy, but you should make an appointment in advance.

• Go on a harbour tour Canal tours, Netto Boats
• Fælledparken [9]. Located in Østerbro a few km north of the city centre, this large expanse of grass offers the perfect opportunity for a laid-back summers afternoon and evening - when weather permits! Buy a disposable grill, bread, meat and beer, and bring a frisbee, football or similar. Eat and play - there are playgrounds for the children. Be kind to the grass when placing the grill.

• Fri film [10] Every summer a number of quality movies are played at night in open air at parks in Copenhagen. Entrance is free. Beer and popcorn are sold.

• Beaches at Charlottenlund Fort, Charlottenlund and Amager Strandpark (The Lagoon), metro Lergravsparken.

Annual events

• Copenhagen Jazzfestival, [11] Tel: +45 33932013, email: info@jazzfestival.dk. Held in early July, 10 days of jazz everywhere in Copenhagen. In parks, cafes, clubs, theaters etc.
• Culture Night (Kulturnatten) [12] The last Friday before the school holiday in week 42 (mid-October). You buy a badge for DKK 70 and get access to major museums, exhibitions, churches, libraries, schools, organisations, the parliament, etc. also some places that are not open to the public the rest of the year. Open from 6pm to midnight. Attracts about 100 000 people.

Learn

• The Experimentarium [13] - an exposé of science and technology where you can play or watch electric, acoustic, physiological etc phenomenons. Enjoyable for most people, from youth to adults.

• The Tycho Brahe Planetarium [14] Gl. Kongevej 10, tickets: 33121224. The planetarium is also an OmniMax theatre.

Cope

Work

Buy

Check out Strøget, a pedestrian mall linking the streets of Østergade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, and Frederiksberggade that runs through the center of the city from Rådhuspladsen to Kgs Nytorv and Nørreport.

Eat

• Have a beer, or some herring, in the popular cafes along Nyhavn.

• Try one of the many lunch restaurants. They serve tasty Danish food at reasonable prices. DKK 150-200 will get you a couple of dishes, wine or beer, and coffee. They are typically open from noon to 6 p.m., so go early for lunch or later if you plan to have a light dinner. Especially in December you should book well in advance.

Franchises

• Taco Shop [15] Mexican food, mostly take-away but has a few tables if you want to eat there. Located on Østerbro, Frederiksberg, and Indre By.

Drink

The main tourist area is around Nyhavn while another popular area with many cafes and restaurants is around the old University.

For a range of interesting bars and cafes head to Nørrebro (north and across the lakes from Nørreport station.) From the main street Nørrebrogade either turn left on Blågårds Plads (try Props for a cosy glass of wine on rickety chairs, or Cafe Apotek for interesting imported beers, quirky decor and cheap live music) or right onto Fælledvej to Sankt Hans Torv (as well as the obvious places on the square, there are plenty of places on small streets around, from traditional Danish pubs to trendy cocktail bars and microbreweries).

Vesterbro, Christianshavn (including Christiania), and Frederiksberg are other good, relatively lively areas to explore. Østerbro is quieter but there are some 'nice' places: the French cafe on the north side of the lake is a great place to enjoy a quiet beer while looking at swans; Panzon on Rosenvængets Alle (near Trianglen) is a good place to splurge on a glass of wine. In the central shopping area head south of Strøget to parallel-running Strædet where there are a number of cosy cafes.

Note that Danish 'cafes' are equally ready to serve coffees or beer and wine. At most places the beer on tap is either Carlsberg or Tuborg. In either case there will be a choice of the light pilsner, and then a slightly redder Special or Classic. Some might also offer wheat or dark beer. A large beer costs 40 DKK or so in central Copenhagen. Unless you come from elsewhere in Scandinavia don't frighten yourself by trying to work out what this costs in your home currency. If you are on a budget you could follow the example of local teenagers and get primed with bottled beer from a supermarket or kiosk (3-7 DKK for a 380 ml bottle).

If you want to watch some rugby or Manchester United there are some expat Irish/British pubs in the inner city. The Globe on Nørregade has a cosy library and does good food; The Dubliner near Amagertorv on Strøget (main walking street) is cavernous and raucous.

For a coastal city Copenhagen has surprisingly few places where you can enjoy a water view with your beer or coffee. Nyhavn is rather crowded and touristy (imitate the locals on a sunny day by buying beer from a kiosk and dangling your legs over the water). There are a couple of swanky places on Langelinie (near the little Mermaid) and the cafe at the base of the Black Diamond has a lovely outlook over the canal.

Sleep

Copenhagen offers all kinds of accommodation but as always in Denmark prices are high. Many hotels cluster around the central station (e.g. the Radisson-SAS which was designed by Arne Jacobsen). Special rates are sometimes available by internet or from travel agencies, so look around. For information on youth hostels in Copenhagen try Danhostel.

The closest camping site is at Charlottenlund Fort at Charlottenlund 6 km from the center of Copenhagen.

Contact

• Wireless internet: Cafe Escobar at Nørrebro.

Stay safe

Get out

• Scania, Sweden, with Malmö and Lund is easily accessible through the Oresund bridge, which you can travel by train or car.
• Amager is the island south of Copenhagen.
• Dragør Is an old charming city ca. 20 Km south of Copenhagen on the island of Amager close to the airport. Get there by bus.
• Louisiana Museum for modern art [16]. The museum is a 35 minutes train ride from Copenhagen near Humlebæk and houses one of Europes finest collections of modern art. With 10,000 square metres of exhibition space, a relaxed atmosphere and a setting in a beautiful old park, located half an hour north along the coast, it makes a good half or full-day excursion from Copenhagen.
• Ordrupgaard [17] .Vilvordevej 110, Charlottenlund, tel: +45 39641183. Art museum with paintings of Monet, Renoir, Dega, Pissarro, Gauguin, Hammershøi, Philipsen, and L.A.Ring. Reopened sept 2005 with new Zaha Hadid building.
• Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde
• Elsinore castle in Elsinore. The setting of Hamlet.
• Flakfortet [18]. Artificial island and sea fortress. Has a restaurant, and beds. Get there by ferry from Nyhavn or sail there by yourself.

• Middelgrundsfortet [19] Sea fortress. The worlds largest artificial island. Has a restaurant and a hotel.

• Trekroner Sea fortress, Canal Tours stop there.
• Experimentarium Science center in Hellerup
• Arken Museum for modern art. [20] in Ishøj.
• Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldnæsholm [21], Skjoldenæsvej 107 4174 Jystrup. Tram museum located in a beautiful area. The old trams are restored and kept running by volunteers. You can go on trams into the woods around Skjoldnæsholm. Good place for a picnic.

External links

• Wonderful Copenhagen - the official tourism site of Copenhagen and the surrounding area
• AOK Copenhagen Site
• Meet the Danes Arranges dinners for travellers with local danes.

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