Tourists pose for photos at the site of The Little Memaid
statue, at the Langelinie Quay, Copenhagen, Denmark. Hans Christian Andersen,
the 19th century author of “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,”
“The Ugly Duckling” and other fairytales was born in central Denmark but lived
and died in Copenhagen.
COPENHAGEN
- While it's easy to spend a fortune in Copenhagen, one of Europe's
most
expensive cities, the Danish capital also has a lot to offer for travellers
on a tight budget.
The city centre is compact enough that you can get around on
foot, enjoying the top sights and walking in the footsteps of fairytale writer
Hans Christian Andersen — without spending a single krone.
WINDOW SHOPPING
Danes are a relaxed bunch and shopkeepers won't sneer at you
for inspecting their goods without buying anything. There's no place for window
shopping in Copenhagen like Stroeget, the artery that runs from City Hall
square to the picturesque harbour of Nyhavn. Skip the souvenir shops with
plastic Viking helmets (history check: real Viking helmets didn't have horns)
and explore the internationally acclaimed world of Danish design, from the
hand-painted china at Royal Copenhagen to the cutting-edge fashion boutiques
with clothes from homegrown designers like Noir, Munthe plus Simonsen, Day
Birger et Mikkelsen and Baum und Pferdgarten. If you visit in December, don't
miss the Yuletide markets with Christmastime treats at Hoejbro Plads or Nyhavn.
FREE MUSEUMS
Take advantage of free admission to state-run museums
including the National Museum, the National Gallery or the Post & Tele
Museum where you can try out a telephone with a crank handle and lift a rather
heavy early mobile phone (also check out the splendid view from the rooftop
cafe). The David Collection features work from Vilhelm Hammershoei and other
Danish painters, and a rare collection of Islamic art. Admission to the
permanent collections is free but there is a fee for temporary exhibits. Some
private museums offer free access on particular days: On Mondays at Ny
Carlsberg Glyptotek — best known for its impressionist paintings, antique
sculptures and Etruscan collection; on Wednesdays the Danish Design Center (5
p.m.-9 p.m.) and on Fridays, the Museum of Copenhagen.
IN HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN'S FOOTSTEPS
The 19th century author of "The Little Mermaid,"
''The Emperor's New Clothes," ''The Ugly Duckling" and other
fairytales was born in central Denmark but lived and died in Copenhagen. The city
has two statues of him: one in the Kongens Have park and another, more famous,
outside City Hall. The Magasin du Nord department store has kept a tiny attic
room where he briefly lived, and access is free through the store. His
tombstone is located in the Assistens churchyard, a half-hour walk from
downtown close to the graves of other famed Danes — including Danish thinker
Soeren Kierkegaard and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Niels Bohr. And while at
that churchyard, don't miss the grave of Giertrud Birgitte Bodenhoff whose
story is rather scary: Legend has it she was buried alive at age 19, and
strangled by a grave robber shortly after her burial.
PHOTO SOUVENIRS
The location of the iconic Little Mermaid statue is a bit
off and be advised: her size is underwhelming. Still, many find her worth the
half-hour walk from the downtown area. A tribute to Andersen's fairytale, the
100-year-old bronze statue is free to admire and photograph. Unfortunately, the
easy access has also led to acts of vandalism. Over the years she's been
decapitated, splashed with paint and defaced by graffiti. Those looking for an
exotic twist to their photo album or social media may want to pay a visit to
Christiania, the free-wheeling neighbourhood founded by hippies in the 1970s (just
don't photograph the drug dealers). The Royal Life Guards parade through the
city every day at noon in connection with the changing of the guards at the
Amalienborg Palace, the home of the royal family. Check out the City Hall's
ornamented front and the gilded statue of city founder Bishop Absalon just
above the balcony. The building from 1905 was inspired by the City Hall in
Siena, Italy, and can be visited for free.
FESTIVALS
Copenhagen was home to a prominent jazz scene in the 1960s
and 1970s, when many American jazz musicians settled here. The annual jazz
festival still draws big names in early July (this year, July 5-14) and many
concerts are held outdoors, rain or shine. Many are free. The Kongens Have park
offers a free children's version of the festival. The park also has an
old-fashioned puppet theatre during the summer months. In August, the
Copenhagen Dance Festival is staged at the police headquarters from 1924,
considered a masterpiece of neo-classicistic architecture with a circular courtyard
surrounded by pairs of columns.