Copenhagen's iconic Little Mermaid
Great Danes
“Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen” continues to enchant visitors – and Bev Malzard is particularly taken with its eclectic design and architecture.
If you’re not walking, boat or bicycle is the best way to explore Copenhagen. Denmark’s capital city is a true natural beauty that has, over the centuries, been designed, primped and polished to within an inch of its life. Always on show, and stepping up to the mark with its pretty, chocolate-box-toy-soldier presentation, the city on the water has burst out of its uniform ambience and is presenting a swathe of new buildings that have, collectively, changed the face of the harbour shoreline, the flanks of the city’s canals and some of the quiet streets.
When you think of Denmark, what springs to mind? Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Danish pastries, a little mermaid, some very fine china, a certain princess, Vikings, beech forests, Hans Christian Andersen, herrings, and a down-to-earth, pragmatic people? All the above can claim to be Danish but what shines the brightest light on modern Denmark is its design. Virtually everything in this country, and especially in the city of Copenhagen, has some connection with excellent design. Whether it’s mediaeval churches, Renaissance castles or country homes, ordered streets and canals or the pretty, multi-storeyed, colourful harbourside houses of the cities that flourished in Denmark’s Golden Age, a particularly prosperous time from 1588 to 1648, the design surprises continue as Denmark slips stylishly into the 21st century.
The sleek lines of the Danish National Gallery
A leader in industrial design for the past century or so, Denmark can claim a swag of world-class design houses: audio brand Bang & Olufsen, chic coffee accessories company Bodum, Royal Copenhagen fine china and Georg Jensen, the famous Danish silverware brand. The essence of the country’s distinctive design is to be found in its timeless simplicity, the use of quality materials and ineffable functionality.
Danish architecture, in Denmark and abroad, is a standout on the international architectural scene. Often, it is ahead of its time; sometimes, it finds itself at the centre of public controversy, as in the case of the Sydney Opera House, designed by acclaimed Danish architect Jørn Utzon, who sadly passed away in December 2008. Utzon designed beautiful buildings for sites all over the world – including many in his own country. In the dock area of Copenhagen, the Paustian furniture store, an Utzon-designed building, is a place of true inspiration. Contained within its stunning exterior is Denmark’s largest collection of quality furniture as well as carpets, lighting and accessories – the best in contemporary interior design from Scandinavia and the rest of the world. It may not be the best place to pick up souvenirs but it’s a great place to appropriate design and decorating ideas.
Two newish buildings that have had Copenhagen residents atwitter over the past few years are the amazing Copenhagen Opera House, designed by Henning Larsen and opened in 2004; and the Royal Danish Library, a looming construction pressing the shoreline, designed by Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen and dubbed the Black Diamond, thanks to its black-marble-and-glass shell.
Overlooking Copenhagen harbour at the Skuespilhuset, part of the Opera complex
The Black Diamond has a host of detractors and as many admirers. It leans dramatically over the city’s waterfront, reflecting the water and light, constantly changing hue. The extraordinary building is an extension of the nineteenth-century, red-brick Royal Library. It certainly catches the eye and the imagination as you glide by on the harbour. You’ll get the best view of these beauties from the water: take a canal boat trip to get your bearings on the harbour and all it offers at the same time.
In and around town, on foot or bicycle, you’ll happen upon wonderful old buildings from various eras that undoubtedly caused a stir in their times, too. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, now a fine-art museum, is an imposing period-design structure standing on Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard. The museum is full of wonderful items including Etruscan art, nineteenth-century paintings from Denmark and France, and sculptures than span 5000 years. There are a few stars on show here: two favourites are the work of Paul Gauguin and more than 30 pieces by Rodin. Take a break from art and relax over coffee and cake or perhaps a meal at the tropical-plant-filled winter-garden restaurant.
One of Copenhagen’s oldies but goodies is the city’s famous Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park that has charmed adults and thrilled children for more than 160 years. It’s neither Luna Park nor Disneyland, but an expansive area that incorporates old-fashioned gardens, a host of food pavilions and rides galore – from the innocent, romantic rides of the past to the modern Demon, a corkscrewing roller-coaster, and the dead-drop Golden Tower. The Tivoli is at its best at night, when the magic of lights transforms the park into a fairytale precinct. Kitsch and schmaltz rule the day and, judging from the behaviour of park visitors, this is just the atmosphere that is desired.
Modern Danish furrniture at Interstudio
Fronting the Copenhagen waterfront, Amalienborg Palace is an austere standout, with four classical Baroque mansions in a square formation centring on an octagonal central courtyard, making up the home of the royal family. The entire precinct is guarded by sentries, and there is a ceremonial changing of the guard at noon daily. Amalienborg is one of Copenhagen’s best examples of restrained Baroque architecture – the sort that doesn’t run riot with curls and swirls. Then head inland to view the splendid Frederiks Kirke – commonly known as the Marble Church – with a glorious dome that can be seen from all over the city.
You can’t visit Copenhagen without a thought for Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid. It’s odd that she sits patiently looking toward the shore and not out into the harbour. Nostalgia aside, it feels disrespectful to see tourists putting their arms around her and invading her tiny space on the rock.
If you hanker for unusual architecture, there are Holmen’s red-brick warehouses, barracks and foundries, built on reclaimed land in the seventeenth century for the Danish military. Today, Holmen is home to schools specialising in drama, film, architecture and music. For architecture fans, the Royal Danish School of Architecture holds regular exhibitions in Meldahls Smedie, in Holmen.
But brilliant design isn’t just about buildings. Copenhagen’s restaurant and café scene also underwent an amazing transformation in the mid-1990s. This recent Scandinavian revolution has produced – just to mention the tip of the eatery iceberg – Café Victor, Café Dan Turell, Café Sommersko, Café Ultimo Tivoli, and Quote Café Restaurant & Bar. These new and fabulous eateries and wine bars made their names for fine Danish cooking as well as their good looks. Newcomer Hotel Twentyseven has an excellent wine bar and, rubbing shoulders with it is the Absolut Icebar, built from ice, naturally. Though no ordinary ice: this white stuff is brought in all the way from the Torne River in Lapland.
Window-shopping shows the city’s sophisticated fashion-design side, with everything from locally designed men’s and women’s clothing to cutting-edge shoes and accessories enlivening store windows.
Homewares shops bristle with innovative Scandinavian-designed kitchen implements and, when it comes to interior items, the best advice I can give prospective visitors to Copenhagen is to pack your suitcase to half full, then take half out: there’s serious shopping to be done here.
There’s also good food, great accommodation, excellent transport and enough activities to keep you going for at least a week, but spare a thought – and perhaps your appetite – for what is considered by many to be Denmark’s crowning design glory: the open-face sandwich. Forget wraps, baps, filled croissants, bagels and foccacia; this is the real Danish deal, cheap and very cheerful.
Photography by Wonderful Copenhagen
Travel Facts
Getting there
Getting around
- Avis, phone 13 63 33 or visit www.avis.com.au
- DriveAway Holidays, phone 1300 723 972 or visit www.driveaway.com.au
- Hertz, phone 13 3039 or visit www.hertz.co.nz
- Intrepid Travel, phone 1300 364 512 or visit www.intrepidtravel.com
- Rail Europe, phone 03 9642 8644 or visit www.raileurope.com.au
- Rail Plus, phone 1300 555 003 or visit www.railplus.com.au
- Renault Euro Drive, phone 1300 551 160 or visit www.renaulteurodrive.com.au
- Scenic Tours, phone 1300 136 001 or visit www.scenictours.com
- Tempo Holidays, phone 03 9646 0277 or visit www.tempoholidays.com
- Trafalgar Tours, visit www.trafalgartours.com.au
- Uniworld Cruises, visit www.uniworldcruises.com.au
- Utracks, phone 1300 303 368 or visit www.utracks.com
Where to stay
- Adina Apartment Hotel Copenhagen offers one- and two-bedroom apartments and studios within one of Copenhagen’s newest harbourside developments. Phone +45 3969 1000 or visit www.adina.eu.com
- Clarion Collection Hotel Twentyseven is a funky little hotel with a lovely cocktail and the best buffet breakfast you’ll ever find, as well as a great evening “snack buffet”. Phone +45 70 27 56 27 or visit www.hotel27.dk
Further information
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Capital Gains