Beautiful Copenhagen

Copenhagen the capital of Denmark is the largest city in the country. It has a distinct European feel to it and a unique cafe culture.

Tivoli Gardens is a popular amusement park pleasure garden right in the center of the city dating back from 1843. You'll find yourself in a village with shops and pathways. There are over 20 attractions among them a roller coaster, roundabouts, and open-air theaters. You can relax in the restaurants and cafes, flower gardens and enjoy Tivoli when it is lit up at night.

The National Museum of Denmark offers runic stones on display. The Danish history collections has a sun chariot that is over 2,000 years old, Romanesque and Gothic church fittings, Danish porcelain and silver and collections of antiquities and coins. You'll enjoy the ethnographical collections with items from Greenland. There are also collections that include items from Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

Christianborg Palace sits on the tiny island of Slotsholmen and is the Danish seat of government. The palace has a history of over 800 years. Today it is home to the Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court. Much of the palace is open to the public.

The National Gallery of Denmark displays the largest collection of Danish art from the 1700s to the present day. There are also impressive art works from around the world. Among the highlights are the Danish and Nordic art exhibition as well as painting by the Dutch Masters, Edvard Munch, and Picasso among others.

Nyhaven or New Harbor is a beautiful area with brightly painted gabled buildings that line the canal. There are shops, restaurants, and cafes.

At the end of the harbor you'll find an anchor that is a memorial to Danish sailors who lost their lives in WW II. Museum ships are anchored here. You can get sightseeing trips around the harbor and long the canal.

The Little Mermaid is a world-famous statue which is one of the top tourist attractions in Copenhagen. It was created in 1913 to depict the heroine from the story "The Little Mermaid" by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. She is visited by more then a million visitors every year and is considered to be the most photographed statue in Denmark.

Den Bla Planet which is also known as the National Aquarium Denmark was designed to look like a whirlpool. It is the largest aquarium in Northern Europe and one of the top attractions in Copenhagen.

The walls of the building evoke rolling waves and the inner pathways flow like tributaries from the central core through eight sections. You can see everything from eagle rays to turtles to hammerhead sharks to seahorses to moray eels and to alligators.

You can watch the otters play and touch a sea creature in the tropical touch pool.

The Round Tower on Kabmagergade is a 36-meter-high structure that was built as an observatory in 1642. Today in the tower is a small collection that is connected with the famous Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. At the tower you'll find that you can reach the viewing platform by climbing a wide spiral ramp. The views from the top over Copenhagen are panoramic.

The newest attraction is a glass floor that hovers 25 meters above the ground and you can stand on it and look down into the castle's core. The Round Tower features the well-known story by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen "The Tinderbox" - "eyes as big as the Round Tower."

Rosenborg Palace is just a 10-minute walk from the Round Tower and is home to some of Denmark's greatest cultural treasures. It was originally built by Christian IV as a pleasure palace. The castle became a museum in 1838 and in the basement you'll find the Danish crown jewels and royal regalia.

Some of the highlights are the Marble Room, a Baroque receoption room, and the Knights' Hall with the Coronation Throne as well as the famous Rosenborg Tapestries.

Amalienborg Palace is a lovely castle with waterfront gardens. It is the sister palace of Rosenborg. The four palaces that face onto the square were built as homes for the nobility, but were taken over by the Royal Family after a fire at Christianborg in 1794.

Stroget Shopping Mile is the bustling shopping area where you can find plenty of boutiques, cafes, and restaurants. Its nickname Stroget was given in the 1800s and it consists of several roads crisscrossing one another. They begin at Town Hall Square and end at Kongens Nytorv. The Stroget is pedestrianized.

Town Hall Square is dominated by the Copenhagen Town Hall with a mix of Italian Renaissance and medieval Danish architecture. You can climb up to the top of the tower which is 106 meters high and the tallest in the city to get spectacular views all around, The building is decorated with sculptures and paintings.

The World Clock at the main entrance was designed and built by Jans Olsen in 1955. It shows the time and date as well as various astronomical constellation.

Christiania is one of Denmark's most loved tourist attractions. This "freetown" is a functioning alternative society, where many usual norms don't apply and people live by their own rules. Cars are banned and people get about on bikes. Horses roam free.

The highlights here are the impressive houses and buildings and the large lake were children enjoy themselves on hot summer days, There are small shops and cafes that take a special Christiania currency.

Copenhagen Zoo is a bit over three kilometers from the city center and was founded in 1859. It is one of the oldest and largest zoos in Europe. The animals live in natural surroundings and you can watch polar bears, seals, lions and other animals being fed, At the entrance is an observation tower. Among the favorite exhibits are the bird lake with storks and pelicans, the reptile house, monkey house, and the lion's den. Of special interest is the Norman-Foster-designed elephant enclosure.

Baaken an amusement park is about a 20-minute drive north of Copenhagen. It has various amusements as well as restaurants and cafes and fun things for younger children to do. Baaken has been open since 1583 and has six coasters and over 30 different rides, including a ghost train. It is surrounded by wood and parkland. Believe it or not, this has been a leisure facility since 1583. There are no less than six roller coasters and more than 30 different rides, including a ghost train.