COPENHAGEN

Wonderful Copenhagen has all you crave in an international metropolis (noted the scandinavian Press in a Winter 2002 article). The bonus is the cozy atmosphere that immediately makes you feel at home. You could easily spend a lifetime here. But Copenhagen is also compact enough to get a good feel for during a weekend, preferably a long one.

BASICS
As soon as you arrive, buy a Copenhagen Card at the railway station or a tourist office. The card (DKK 175 for 24 hours, DKK 295 for 48 hours and DKK 395 for 72 hours) comes with a guide book and a map and gives you free admission to 70 attractions. It is also valid for unlimited travel on all regular buses and trains within the region, and gives you good value for your money in this otherwise not so cheap capital.

The citys most beloved tourist attraction, is free of charge. The Little Mermaid is a character created in 1837 by Hans Christian Andersen and, sculpted in bronze by Edward Eriksen in 1913, it rests on a boulder near Langeline where the cruise ships dock.

Another sight that is free is the members of the Royal Guard in their toy soldier style uniforms topped with tall bear skin hats, patrolling the Amalienborg Palace. When the royal family is in residence at the palace the courtyard serves as a stage for a ceremonious changing of the guard. The new guard departs from barracks near Rosen-berg Castle about half a kilometer away at 11.30 am and marches along back streets accompanied by a band.

Another odd attraction that is good value is a one-hour walk with the night watchman at Grbrdre Torv as he makes his interesting round. Show up at 9pm (June 8 - September 4) and give a little donation at the end of the walk.

BIKES
Everywhere you go in Copenhagen there are bikes. Visitors can take advantage of the thousands of free City Bikes. All you have to do for a free ride is to drop a 20-kronor coin into a slot that will release a bicycle from a specially designed stand. The coin is refunded when the bike is returned. All the rules that you must follow are written on the bicycle. You will find the bikes at railway- and bus stations, and at the most-visited tourist attractions. The low-tech bicycles are designed so none of their parts fit ordinary bikes to discourage theft.

You can also join a City Safari bike tour (phone +45 33 23 94 90) from the main railway stations for a standard historic loop or choose the off the beaten path neighbour-hoods to see remarkable wall art, the citys medieval infrastructure and charming parks (about 2 1/2 hours at DKK 150).

H. C. ANDERSEN
Even if H.C. Andersen was born in Odense, he has always been considered a native of Copenhagen. He was 14 years old when he moved to the capital and this is where he wrote most of his 156 tales.

Today, 125 years after the death of the legendary poet, you can still follow his footsteps in the Danish capital. The best way to do this is to get hold of the brochure H.C. Andersens Copenhagen, available at tourist offices and train stations, or follow these simple directions: Start at his impressive statue by the Town Hall, and continue eastwards down Vestergade where the author lived at No. 18 when he arrived in the capital in 1819. Continue to the right over Gammel Torv & Nytorv down Rdhusstraede over Storm Bridge and down Frederiksholm Canal, crossing Marble Bridge into Christiansborg Riding Ground. Here on the right-hand side at No. 18 youll come across the Theatre Museum and the old Royal Court Theatre, where Andersen was a ballet dancing student from 1820-22. Moving on through the parliament complex, you come out to Christiansborg Castle Square before walking to your left - or to the north - over the canal towards Hjbro Plads. On the corner of Fortunstraede and Gammel Strand youll see the handsome town house of Domus Technica, where Andersen ate a farewell dinner with the love of his life, the Swedish singer Jenny Lind. Why not have lunch at Den Gyldne Fortun fish restaurant that has not changed much since the days when the author used to dine here. Moving along Fortunstraede you will come upon No. 6 Vingrdsstraede where the author lived from 1827-28. Continue to Kongens Nytorv and skirting the squares right hand side past the Royal Theatre, you soon reach Nyhavn, the old port. Going down the right side of Nyhavn Canal you pass No. 18, where Andersen lived in 1871-73 and No. 20, where the master wrote his first fairy tales from 1834-38. Cross the canal and make your way back to Kongens Nytorv along the noisy eastern-most side of the canal and past Hotel dAngleterre where Andersen stayed in room 208 to write in the 1840s and then take a drink at Hviids Vinstue where the author used to spend many hours. Andersen is buried in Assistens Cemetery, Kapelvej, Nrrebro.

BOATS
A nice way to see Copenhagen is from the water. Jump on the Water Bus (Vandbussen May 13-September 10, phone 33 13 31 05 www.canal.tours.dk) that departs from Kongens Nytorv every half hour. You see some of Copenhagens most beautiful sights while you cruise the canals at your leisure without a guide. The Waterbus makes ten stops along the way including at the Three Crowns (Trekroner) triangular old sea fort, built at the entrance of the harbour in 1787. Stop and take a closer look at the fascinating fortifications and enjoy lunch or a snack in the restaurant. Your Waterbus ticket is valid for a full day so you can improvise stops wherever you want along the way. If you want a traditional sightseeing tour, you can take the Netto (+45 32 544102) or Canal Tours (+45 33133105) boats that also depart from Nyhavn for one hour long guided tours of the citys harbour and canals. For the more adventurous there are also guided kayak sightseeing tours that depart from Gammel Strand (+45 40 50 40 06).

CHRISTIANIA
On a dark night thirty years ago, activists pulled down the fence around the old Bdmansstraedes military barracks in Copenhagen and occupied the area. This was the birth of the free town of Christiania that today is the second most popular tourist attraction in the Danish capital.

Emigrate with bus number 8 was the slogan 30 years ago. And yes it was not more complicated than that to travel to a completely different world. The number 8 bus to Princessgade is still running but perhaps Christiania is not that different any more. Many of the 1000 residents are aging and the younger ones have families. The township is going through its second baby boom right now. A resthome for the elderly is under consideration. The drug trade, is now, according to Danish police, big business run by biker gangs.

Tourists do get to see drugs being sold openly and there are some die-hard hippies still around, but there are also some beautifully renovated houses and lovely gardens and a plethora of handicraft businesses.

The drugs have become an issue of contention even within Christiania where there is now a budding class society. There is a clear split between the residents who live in the renovated houses and the ones who have stayed put it the derelict rooming houses. (The rent is the same for all residents - 1300 crowns a month). The founding residents complain about the more egoistic young generation and grieve the disappearing spirit of cooperation. The people who live in surrounding areas nowadays do not complain as much about the drugs as they do about the cars that the Christiania residents park in their area, since they cannot take their cars into the township that still remains car-free.

There is a guided tour of Christiania every Saturday and Sunday at 3pm (+45 32 57 96 70, ww.christiania.org). As a tourist you may feel a bit like walking naked through the Vatican but it is worth it for this car-free, carefree social experiment that could probably only survive in the relatively liberal Scandinavia - or possibly Holland.

PUBS
No tour is complete without a stop at one of the watering holes of Copenhagen. Its hard to miss Hviids Vinstue next to Hotel dAngleterre at Kongens Nytorv right at the beginning of Copenhagens famous pedestrian street, Strget. As soon as you enter this wine bar, a few steps down from the street level, you are taken back a few hundred years to 1723 when Hviid first opened his establishment. The old walls are covered with portraits of famous patrons of the past. Nowadays Hviids is popular with the after-work, or after-theatre crowd as the Royal Danish Theatre is right across the square. Most people opt for a Carlsberg or Tuborg beer at this wine bar, but all kinds of drinks with a bit of alcohol are available.

There are plenty of other pubs in what the bohemians used to call The Death Route or the Minefield, loosely defined to within sight of the spire of the Nikolaj Church (that is now an art museum). All the pubs (like Skindbuksen, Parnas, Kongens Bar, Andys Bar, Bernikows vinstue, Palae Bar, Hvid Lam and Kongkursen) in this older section of the Danish capital are no-frills establishments with plenty of atmosphere and history that you can read about in The Humble Establishments, published by the Danish Hotel Porters Association and available from your hotel porter.

THE BLACK DIAMOND
Compared to the Taj Mahal or Sidneys Opera House for its evocative and enigmatic appearance, The Black Diamond is a major extension to the Royal Library in Copenhagen. The 7-story building towers over the citys landscape and doubles the size of the original library building, which dates back to 1906. The Royal Library that is also Denmarks National Library dates back to 1697 and its oldest book is Dalbybogen from about 1060. The Black Diamond gets its name for its exterior in black granite from Zimbabwe. It is the most striking addition to Copenhagens waterfront to date and a visit is a Copenhagen must. Here you will find a bookshop, six reading rooms, a courtyard for interesting exhibitions and an expansive hall for concerts, meetings and conferences. The cafeteria is good and the gourmet Sren K (after the philosopher Sren Kierkegaard) restaurant with its spectacular harbourfront views serves excellent food.

RESTAURANTS
You dont have to go far to look for a good meal in Copenhagen. Nyhavn that has been nicknamed Copenhagens longest dining table is full of eateries of all kinds. There are superb fish restaurants like Kroghs (Gammel Strand) and Copenhagen institutions like Pussy Galores Flying Circus restaurant and cocktail bar (Skt Hans Torv 30) and Cafe Ketchup (Pilestraede) where you can both dine and dance. If you are willing to pay for the best, Kommendanten (Ny Adelgade), Restaurationen (Mntergade), Era Ora (Ovengade Neden Vandet), Godt (Gothersgade), Kong Hans (Vingrdsstraede) and Pierre Andre (Ny stergade) have all been awarded Michelin stars. If you are looking for something inexpensive, a smrrebrd and a Tuborg will fit the bill at classic Ida Davidsen (Store Kongensgade) or Mnter (Mntergade). And try and fit in a Danish plse that can still compete with the best. The first hot dog stand (or what the Danes call hot dog caf cold feet) opened in Copenhagen in 1921 and made headlines. Now there are about 200 stands in the capital and every Dane eats an average of 25 of the artificially coloured red wieners every year.

SHOPPING
Danish design has recently enjoyed a major revival and names like Jakobsen, Wegner and Poul Henningsen pop up everywhere as international magazines often have pictures of celebrities posing in classic Danish furniture. To see the real thing you have to go to Copenhagen and if you are a design and architecture fan there are some places you must check out. Paustian (Kalkbraenderilbskaj 2) is an exclusive modern furniture house, designed by Jrn Utzon (of Sydney Opera House fame). Interstudio on Amerika Quay is close by. Check out the streamlined modernism of Casa Shop (Store Regnegade 2) and Gubi Design (Grnnegade 10). Then of course there is the classic for design - Illums Bolig-hus at Amagertorv. Other shops and design houses to include on your tour are Montana, the Bang & Olufsen hi-fi showroom, Royal Copenhagen Retail, Georg Jensen Silversmith and the Bodum House, all situated on the one-mile long pedestrian street Strget.

Connecting Kongens Nytorv square and the City Hall, Strget is Copenhagens No 1 shopping street and a veritable smorgasbord of everything from amber jewelry to funky gifts to cheap clothes. The names to look for if you want the latest in fashion from Danish designers are the brands In Wear/Martinique, Sand, Charlotte Sparre and Munthe plus Simonsen. If the prices shock you, remember the 15-19% VAT refunds at the airport when you shop Tax-Free in all major shops and department stores (www.global refund.com/denmark). If you are looking for bargains Gammel Strand has a flea market on Fridays and Saturdays (from May through September) and Israels Plads, Nrrebrogade and Smallegade (behind Fredriksbergs Town Hall) have great flea and antique markets every Saturday (from May to November).

SWEDEN
Many maps of Copenhagen now also include Malm in Sweden. Thanks to the Bridge and generally excellent communications, the whole resund area is very accessible. The train trip from Kastrup airport takes 12 minutes to Copenhagen and 15 minutes to the main train station in Malm. If you rent a car you can easily cross the bridge and, for example, visit the Swedish kingdom of glass in a day. One of the nicest day trips to Sweden otherwise starts with a ride on one of the catamarans from Nyhavn across the Sound to Malm, Landskrona or Helsingborg. Ardent shoppers go to Malm on Sundays as the shops here are open while most shops in Copenhagen are closed.

BUSINESS
Copenhagen is perfectly situated to become the gateway to the whole Baltic region with its approximately 130 million consumers, says Stephen Burgger, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Denmark. If you want to find out more about doing business in the Danish capital, the newly started Chamber (American Chamber of Commerce, Denmark, Christians Brygge 28, DK-1559 Copenhagen V, phone +45 33 93 29 32, fax +45 33 13 05 17, ww.amcham.dk) could be your first contact. With an emphasis on US-Danish business, the organization provides hands-on networking while the older American Club (Vinkelvej 4, DK-2990 Niv, +45 49 181042) does lunches with prominent speakers that draw many of the 3 000 U.S. expats who live here.

TIVOLI
Copenhagens premiere attraction is Tivoli that was founded in 1843 and since then has been visited by 270 million people. The beautiful fairy tale garden where no plastic or neon lights are allowed offers lots of different rides, pantomime shows and the colourful Tivoli Boys Guard parade. There are some 30 different eating places and the Tivoli museum has three floors full of memorabilia. Every evening there are shows and musical entertainment and twice a week the final event of the evening is a splendid fireworks.

HOTELS
In February Hilton (Copen-hagen Airport Hotel +45 32 501501, www.hilton.com) opens its doors in a city where Marriot (Copenhagen Hotel +45 33 772413, www.marriot.com) just opened and the European Scandic +(+45 33321223, ww.scandic-hotels.com) and Radisson SAS (+45 33 965000, www.radisson.com) already have 5 respectively 4 hotels. If you are looking for something different, the centrally located Ascot Hotel (+45 33 126000, www.dkhotel-list.dk/dansk/ascot), housed in an old bathhouse designed by Martin Nyrop, who also designed the beautiful Copenhagen Town Hall, also offers convenient apartments. If you want to stay in the middle of a veritable water culture house with lakes, pools, childrens pools, baths, spa, saunas, steam and aroma baths and jacuzzis in a new state of the art facility, DGI City with its 104-room hotel (+45 33 298050, www. dginbyen.dk) is the place for you. The location behind the main railway station is very convenient. Here, like in most hotels, you can count on a fantastic breakfast that is included in your bill. There are also several good and inexpensive Youth Hostels (+45 32 52 2708, ww.danhostel.dk/Copenhagen) on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

PS. To update information before you go check out www.copenhagen.dk.