The capital of Denmark and home to over one million Danes, Copenhagen is beautiful and friendly city which is big enough to offer any of the advantages of a world capital such as high end shopping, culture and nightlife yet small enough to explore over a weekend while felling safe and navigating by foot or bike! Copenhagen is located on the eastern corner of the Zealand Island near the Öresund strait acting as cultural link between Sweden and greater Scandinavia and mainland Europe. As a result, you’ll be sure to pass through Copenhagen if intrepidly exploring these two areas as the Öresund Bridge is the only roadway linking these two landmasses.
I arrived on an overnight bus from Stockholm waking to a rather grey day, which is not uncommon for this marine environment, but the rain held off and allowed for plenty of walking and sightseeing. Although the city is one of the best cities for cyclist, so if you can, bring you bike and experience the city like a local!
Surprisingly, the two oldest operating amusement parks in the world, complete with original (and the world's oldest roller coasters), are both located in Copenhagen. So if you're interested to experience these rides or have children to entertain, make sure you give the Bakken or Tivoli amusement parks a visit.
Another attraction you should visit while taking in Copenhagen’s sights, is the spectacular Amalienborg palace which is Copenhagen's royal residence located near the Kastellet which is the best example of a star-shaped fortress. For the quintessential Copenhagen experience, visit the 17th century Nyhavn canal and entertainment district which is lined by brightly coloured townhouses.
The Round Tower or Rundetårn, is a 17th-century tower located in central Copenhagen which was originally built as an observatory but for a small fee you can climb it and will be rewarded with sweeping views across the city and Öresund Strait.
However, often the highlight of a visit to Copenhagen is visiting the Carlsberg Museum/Factory and joining a tour of the brewery. The tour includes visiting the world’s largest collection of beer bottles, some 16,500, of them and you’ll end the tour by sampling a couple free Carlsberg beers!
