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Copenhagen, the fairytale capital of Denmark
Copenhagen is the capital in Denmark. With a population (2008) of 1.1 million, it is also the largest city. The city straddles the islands of Zealand and Amager. The Oresund Bridge links Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmö, creating a metropolitan area of 3.7 million people.
Copenhagen is famous as a Scandinavian city with lots of greenery, an abundance of waterways and canals, an extensive network of bicycle lanes and neat Scandinavian architecture. The oldest district is Middelalderbyen, the Medieval City. However, most of the important tourist sights are at Frederiksstaden. Among the tourist attractions there include the Amalienborg Palace and the Marble Church. Slotsholmen is a small island that is also part of central Copenhagen, together with Christianshavn, another district on an artificial island.
Due to the many spires and steeples on the churches and castles, Copenhagen is often called the "City of Spires". The most distinctive spire include that of the Church of Our Saviour, the one at City Hall, and the one at Christiansborg Palace. The historic centre of Copenhagen is kept free from any modern highrise structures. Nonetheless, one can see modern development in districts such as Ørestad. The largest shopping mall in Scandinavia is also presently being constructed near the international airport. Two of the largest hotel buildings in Scandinavia will also be located in Copenhagen. The city was honoured with the title "World's Best Designed City 2008" by the British design magazine Monocle in 2008.
History of Copenhagen
Copenpagen was already a fishing village during the Viking age, when it was simply called Havn, meaning "harbour". It was first mentioned in history in the 11th century. Archaeological excavations revealed that it was a small town then. The year 1167 is regarded as the year Copenhagen was founded. This was when the town came under the control of Bishop Absalon. Its excellent harbour propelled it to the position of a medieval commercial centre. The name Copenhagen comes from the old Danish name for it, Køpmannæhafn, meaning "merchant's harbour". It was granted city status in 1254, under Bishop Jakob Erlandsen. It became the capital of Denmark in the 15th century.Due to its position and importance, Copenhagen often suffered for attacks by foreign forces. It received repeated attacks from the Germans of the Hanseatic League. Sweden under King Charles X laid siege to it in 1658-59. The British under Lord Nelson dealt a hefty blow on the city in 1801, during the Battle of Copenhagen. Copenhagen was occupied by Nazi forces during World War II, from 9 April 1940 until 4 May 1945. Since then, the city has enjoyed peace and has grown substantially in size.
Getting there
Copenhagen Airport has flights connecting it with most cities in Europe and other continents. It is one of the hubs for SAS (Scandinavian Airlines). Click here to look for flight tickets online. Copenhagen is also connected to the Swedish city of Malmö by the Oresund Bridge.Copenhagen Travel Tips
Copenhagen is served by a mass transit network of S-Trains, Intercity-Trains, metro and buses. Tickets can be bought from the vending machines. The cheapest is for 2 zones and costs DKK21 for adults. In addition, the Copenhagen Card allows you unlimited travel on its public transport and admission to 60 of its museums and tourist attractions. The Copenhagen Card costs DKK199 for 24 hours and DKK429 for 72 hours.Weather in Copenhagen
Best time to visit Copenhagen
The best time to visit Copenhagen is from early May to late August, when the weather is warmest. In summer the temperature can reach 20°C, and the day can be as long as 18 hours. Winters are cold in Copenhagen. Average temperature can drop below 0°C between December and March. Highest rainfall can be expected in the months of July to September, when monthly precipitation is over 5cm.Books on Copenhagen
Looking for books on Copenhagen? Click here to view a selection of Books on Copenhagen at Amazon.|
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