Download - Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants

Previous page: The Tivoli Gardens
This page (from top): The neo-Baroque
Christiansborg Palace; Christiania; Rosenborg Castle;
Royal guards at Amalienborg Palace
PHOTO: GEORGE W. RUSSELL
statue that honours children’s author Hans
Christian Andersen. Much vandalized over the
past century, the mermaid made an uneventful
visit to Shanghai for the 2010 Expo.
No visit to Copenhagen is complete without
checking out Strøget, the city’s largest shopping
street and one of Europe’s longest retail avenues.
It offers a range of shops from high-end boutiques
to cheap chic, famous brand names and
small-scale local artisans. Denmark’s top brands
include design house Georg Jensen for jewellery,
homeware and gifts, and shoe specialist Ecco.
Another not-to-be missed area is Christiania,
the hippie freetown that is one of the city’s most
popular tourist attractions. While the streets are
not unsafe, recreational drugs are sold openly
and visitors are discouraged from photographing
the locals.
Copenhagen has oodles of Nordic culture.
The Statens Museum for Kunst is the premier art
gallery and features examples by Modigliani,
Picasso, Titian and Rembrandt as well as Danish
masters. An exhibition there in December showcases
Danish art after 1900.
Other great art collections include Ny Carlsberg
Glyptotek, the museum founded by the
brewer Carl Jacobsen (who donated the Little
Mermaid to the city), and the Kunstindustrimuseet,
which is devoted to design.
Despite its laidback attitude, Copenhagen
has a vibrant nightlife. The Nyhavn neighbourhood
offers bars and cafes on the picturesque
waterfront, while the upmarket Nørrebro and
Vesterbro districts house some of the city’s best
clubs and wine bars.
Scandinavian cuisine was once thought of
as little more than pickled herring, hot dogs and
meatballs with occasional servings of red cabbage,
but the region’s chefs have been acclaimed
in recent decades.
Some would thank René Redzepi, founder of
Noma, the restaurant near Christiania thought by
some critics to be the best and most innovative in
the world now that Spain’s experimental El Bulli
has closed. However, Icelandic curd, Greenland
musk ox meat and Finnish reindeer blood – never
mind the ground ant paste and cockroaches on its
recent menus – might not be to everyone’s taste.
Copenhagen abounds in tasty local food such
as salmon, sausage and venison, often paired
with local fruit such as lingonberries. Don’t miss
winter treats such as æbleskiver (apple dumplings)
or flødebolle (chocolate marshmallows).
Where to eat
• BioM Sophisticated organic dining.
Fredericiagade 78. 3332-2466.
• Kokkeriet One-star Michelin take on
Danish classics. Kronprinsessegade 64.
3315-2777.
• Noma René Redzepi’s groundbreaking
cuisine. Strandgade 93.
3296-3297.
• Public House Gastropub British with
a Danish twist. Vester Voldgade 25.
7026-2320.
• Relæ Christian Puglisi’s hotspot.
Jægersborggade 41. 3696-6609.
Where to stay
• Axel Hotel Guldsmeden Chic
and environmentally responsible.
Helgolandsgade 7-11. 3331-3266.
• CPH Living Floating 12-room
boutique hotel. 1C Langebrogade.
6160-8546.
• First Hotel Twentyseven Compact
but pampering. Løngangstræde 27.
7027-5627.
• Nimb Centrally located luxury.
Bernstorffsgade 5. 8870-0000.
• Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Elegant
boutique hotel near Tivoli Gardens.
Hammerichsgade 1. 3815-6500.
What to see
• Amalienborg Palace Winter home
of the royal family. Amalienborgs.
3312-2186.
• Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Exciting collection north of the city.
Strandvej 13, Humlebæk. 4919-0719.
• Rosenborg Castle Home to the
Royal Treasure. Øster Voldgade 4A.
3315-3286.
• Statens Museum for Kunst Fine
national gallery. Sølvgade 48-50.
3374-8494.
• Tivoli Gardens Amusement
park and “pleasure garden.”
Vesterbrogade 3. 3315-1001.
• Vikingeskibsmuseet Showcase
of Denmark’s ancient ships and
seafarers, 40km from Copenhagen.
Vindeboder 12, Roskilde.
4630-0200.
December 2012 57