Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
COPENHAGEN IN...
TWO DAYS
Start with a canal and harbour tour, then soak up the salty atmosphere of Nyhavn on your
way to
Designmuseum Danmark
. Lunch on celebrated smørrebrød at
Schønnemann
be-
fore heading up the historic
Rundetårn
for a bird's-eye view of the city. That done, stock
up on Danish design at
Illums Bolighus
,
Hay House
or
Stilleben
,
then pick a restaurant in
Vesterbro's buzzing Kødbyen (Meat City) precinct. Once fed, cap the night with shame-
less fun and Danish hygge(cosiness) at
Tivoli
. On day two, brush up on your Danish his-
tory at
Nationalmuseet
, lunch at produce market
Torvehallerne KBH
,
break free from the
rat race at
Christiania
before New Nordic feasting at
Kanalen
or
Kadeau
.
If the night is still
young, kick on with cocktails at
Ruby
or
1105
,
or with late-night sax at
La Fontaine
.
FOUR DAYS
If you have a third day, escape the city with a trip to art museum
Louisiana
. Lunch there
before heading back into the city to snoop around
Rosenborg Slot
, then head straight to
Ved Stranden 10
for a well-earned glass of vino. Fine-dine at
Höst
or keep it simple and
juicy at
Cock's & Cows
.
Kick-start day four with masterpieces at
Statens Museum for
Kunst
or
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
, then spend the rest of the day treading the grit-hip
streets of
Nørrebro
, home to street art, eclectic bars, and the city's most beautiful
cemetery,
Assistens Kirkegård
. If you get hungry, slip into
Manfreds og Vin
for local pro-
duce cooked simply and skillfully.
History
Copenhagen was founded in 1167 by tough-as-nails Bishop Absalon, who erected a fort-
ress on Slotsholmen Island, fortifying a small and previously unprotected harbourside vil-
lage.
After the fortification was built, the harbourside village grew in importance and took on
the name Kømandshavn (Merchant's Port), which was later condensed to København. Ab-
salon's fortress stood until 1369, when it was destroyed in an attack on the town by the
powerful Hanseatic states.
In 1376 construction began on a new Slotsholmen fortification, Copenhagen Castle, and
in 1416 King Erik of Pomerania took up residence at the site, marking the beginning of
Copenhagen's role as the capital of Denmark.
