Copenhagen
Travel Guide > Europe > Denmark > Copenhagen
Introduction
The waterside city of Copenhagen has been the capital of Denmark for 600 years yet it is as modern and lively as its history is long and fascinating. The largest city in Denmark is located on the island of Zealand and is located on the East coast of Denmark. The proverbial "all roads lead to" certainly seems to apply more to Copenhagen than to Rome, as Danish roads, trains and even bicycle paths all seem to end up in the middle of the city. And with good reason. Copenhagen is a great travel destination contains a charm that make it one of Europe's most enjoyable and livable cities.
Whether you are in search of architecture, culture, cafés, entertainment, museums, a bustling nightlife or just a first class restaurant, Copenhagen seems to have it all. With its location as the gateway between mainland Europe and Scandinavia, it is also conveniently located for a weekend getaway. It is small enough to walk around and explore on foot, but large enough not to feel that you are visiting the same street 5 times a day. This, strict anti-pollution laws and a lot of car free streets also help explain the large number of bicycles that make up Copenhagen street traffic.
Neighbourhoods
- Christianshavn - famous for its many canals and the 'free city' of Christiania.
- Frederiksberg - small town originally formed around Frederiksberg castle.
- Holmen - North of Christianshavn and location of Copenhagens opera house.
- Indre By - Downtown Copenhagen this is the oldest part of the city and is dotted with churches and historic buildings.
- Kastellet
- North West
- Nørrebro
- Østerbro - north of the center
- Vesterbro
Sights and Activities
- Christiania - a community of people trying to create a fair and equal consensus-governed democracy for its people. They arrange their own guided tours.
- Copenhagen Zoo in Frederiksberg.
- The Little Mermaid - true to her name, this famous statue is only about 1.25m high. Located near Kastellet and one of the best vantage points is from the water.
- Tivoli Gardens - world famous amusement park and gardens in the centre of Copenhagen and one of the oldest amusements park in the world.
Events and Festivals
- Aalborg Carnival (late May) - celebration of the victory of spring over winter
Weather
Being located on the water, Copenhagen has a temperate maritime climate which although changeable is not very prone to extremes. Average winter temperatures in the coldest months of January and February lie around freezing point and May to September sees highs of around 30 °C, with averages around 25 °C. The wettest time of the year are the fall months of August through October.
Getting There
By Plane
Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is located in the suburb Kastrup some 8 km south of the city centre and is the busiest airport in Scandinavia, serving more than 20 million passengers in 2006. It serves destinations all across Europe and some intercontinental ones as well. There is a total of three terminals - named 1, 2 and 3 - with Terminal 1 being purely domestic and the other 2 international.
Getting to and from the airport is easy and options numerous. Since September 2007 the Copenhagen Metro line M2 has provided a direct link between the airport (station named "Lufthavnen") and the inner city in only 14 minutes. The trip covers 3 zones and will cost you 28,50 DKR (a little less than 4€) for a one-way ticket.
The airport also has a main line train station placed right below terminal 3 serving Copenhagen Central and Malmö, Sweden as the next stop in either direction respectively. On the Danish side the fare structure is the same as with the Metro, so the trip to Copenhagen Central will cost you the same.
Numerous buses also serve the airport, but unless your destination isn't served by a train/metro station they will for the most part not be preferable, as they are not a cheaper alternative. Night bus 96N may be useful, however, as it runs Monday-Wednesday night between the airport and the city when the Metro does not.
Taxis are to be found outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. For passengers going to Sweden by taxi, there are special taxis outside Terminal 3, however some regular taxis also accept trips across the bridge.
By Train
Copenhagen Central Station (Københavns Hovedbanegård or København H) is the main station in Copenhagen and Denmark. It is located in the heart of the city only a street away from City Hall Square and all trains that go through Copenhagen call at this station (except the S-tog ring line F that bypasses the inner city completely). The entire country can be reached through Copenhagen Central and it is also well-connected to the other Scandinavian countries Sweden and Norway with Oresund trains departing for Malmö every 20 minutes. Trains to Gothenburg, Stockholm, Oslo, Trondheim and even Kiruna in far northern Sweden depart from Copenhagen Central as well as many trains for many other smaller destinations in both countries.
Albeit not as well served, there are also trains to continental Europe, mainly Germany, with trains to both Hamburg and Berlin departing several times a day. Sleeper trains to farther away cities like Munich, Amsterdam and Basel, Switzerland also serve Copenhagen Central.
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This is version 4. Last edited at 6:03 on May 15, 08 by GeoBot (+57). 9 articles link to this page.
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