Travel 1
Scotland, Europe, the world
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From fairytales to futuristic design in Copenhagen. Words: Louisa Pearson
ast time I was in Copenhagen it was under parental
orders: despite our protests. my brother and l were not
going to be allowed to spend all of our Danish holiday in Legoland. Perhaps if I’d been a little older and less obsessed with the idea ol‘ living in a world made of plastic bricks. id have been more enthusiastic about Copenhagen. While Paris. Amsterdam and Barcelona top the city break charts. there's never been a better time to join the design alicionados who‘ve long flocked to Copenhagen.
So what’s to know about Denmark‘s capital'.’ You might already know the song: ‘\\'onderl’ul Copenhagen‘. as featured in l‘rank Loesser’s 1952 musical Hans Christian Andersen. Then ol’ course there‘s the Little Mermaid sculpture. a tribute to the city‘s star fairytale writer. And don’t forget Tivoli (iardens. the amusement park which has been providing thrills and spills for over l5() years: it's open 1‘) April—27 ()ctober (wwwtivolidk ).
The city has many established attractions. but what about the ones that don‘t get quite so much publicity? The museums
dedicated to Carlsberg. erotica and tobacco are must-sees il‘
you‘re lascinated by naughty habits. Or how about the hippy commune ol' Christiania'.’ l’ounded in l‘)7l it's a world of its own. with cral't markets. organic cafes and guided tours in summer. ll’ shopping‘s your thing. take a stroll down Stroget. the world's longest pedestrian mall. created from live streets in the centre ol‘ the city.
There‘s no denying that design is a major reason to visit Copenhagen. l-‘rom the l7th century town houses to the l)anske Design Centre (which is hosting a tribute to renowned designer Arne .lacobsen until 2 June. www.arne—jac()bsen.com). the architecture is contrastng and breathtaking. An lovers can enjoy Arken. the recently-built radical modern art gallery. cinema and auditorium. while the l.ousiana Museum of Modern Art regularly has world-class exhibitions li‘oin artists such as Miro. \Vat'hol and Hockney.
And what about the nightlile'.’ There are all the bars. caries and restaurants you'd expect l'or a capital city. and two clubs
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with internationally cemented reputations. Vega -— a converted 50s trade tmion building — is regularly voted one ol the world’s top DJ venues and has had artists such as Kylie. Bjork and David Bowie perl'orm there. Spread over four lloors it’s a must-see (www.vega.dk). Slightly smaller but just as popular and attracting equally big names is Rust. which spills out into an outdoor yard in summertime. In terms of live music. the speciality in Copenhagen is jazz. with the acclaimed Copenhagen Jaullouse twwwjazzhousedk) leading the way. and two citywide festivals during the year (July and November).
It all this has whet your appetite then log onto wwvv.visitcopenhagen.com. This ol‘licial (and surprisingly modern) website has everything you need to know.
travel@list.co.uk
Vega is one of the world’s top DJ venues; Kylie, Bjork and David Bowie perform there
Stroget is the world’s longest pedestrian mall