WHY COPENHAGEN?
Copenhagen is the perfect mix of old and new Scandinavia - young, hip, cool and vibrant plus grand, traditional and fin-de-siècle-stunning. The cuisine is proving to be first class too, whether you would like to sample traditional fare at Restaurant Willumsen, famous for smørrebrød (delicious open sandwiches), or head to modern Michelin-star places (and celebrity favourites) like Restaurant Ensemble (where the one-set menu, for £80, changes every two weeks) and Noma (think asparagus and mousse of smoked marrow, razor clams and horseradish "snow"). Either way, you will end up happy and content.
RESTAURANT WILLUMSEN
Store Regnegade 26, Copenhagen (00 45 33 93 91 92; www.willumsen.aok.dk).
NOMA
Strandgade 93, Copenhagen (00 45 32 96 32 97; www.noma.dk).
RESTAURANT ENSEMBLE
Tordenskjoldsgade 11, Copenhagen (00 45 33 11 33 52; www.restaurantensemble.dk).
WHERE TO STAY
FRONT is a fantastic hotel for a Copenhagen visit: it is effortlessly cool and surprisingly relaxed, and its location in the old sailors' haunt of Nyhavn is difficult to beat. The area around it is largely residential, but don't be surprised if you rub shoulders with local celebrities like the Laudrup brothers (footballers Brian and Michael) or even the Danish queen Margrete, who lives in Amalienborg Castle down the street. Rooms are good (the free minibar is a bonus), and the small bathrooms are weighed up by the spa and sauna downstairs. The restaurant is open around the clock. Read more in the Hot List 2007
FRONT
Skt. Annæ Plads 21, Copenhagen (00 45 33 13 34 00; www.front.dk).
FURTHER AFIELD
If you get tired of big city life, hop on the boat leaving Havnegade 39 and you will end up on the beautiful island of Hven, located in Øresund, which separates Denmark and Sweden. In fact, Hven is Swedish now, although it - along with the part of Sweden it overlooks - was Danish up until the mid-17th century. As a result, its most famous inhabitant, astronomer Tycho Brahe, was Danish and the ruins of his castle, surrounded by a Renaissance garden, is a fantastic destination for a day out.
SPAR SHIPPING
Havnegade 39, Copenhagen (00 33 33 93 55; www.sparshipping.dk). Spar Shipping sails to Hven from Copenhagen's harbour once a day. You must book before you go, in particular if you are thinking about bringing a bicycle.
MORE INFORMATION
Find out more about Copenhagen in CNTraveller.com's special feature about the Eight Best City Breaks in the World |
