Copenhagen
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The Kingdom of Denmark is the geographical link between Scandinavia and Europe. Half-timber villages and tidy farms rub shoulders with towns and a few cities, where pedestrians set the pace, not traffic. In the capital, Copenhagen—København in Danish—mothers safely park baby carriages outside bakeries while outdoor cafés fill with cappuccino-sippers, and lanky Danes pedal to work in lanes thick with bicycle traffic. The town was a fishing colony until 1157, when Valdemar the Great gave it to Bishop Absalon, who built a castle on the site of what is now the parliament, Christiansborg. It grew as a center on the Baltic trade route and became known as købmændenes havn (merchants' harbor) and eventually København.
In the 15th century it became the royal residence and the capital of Norway and Sweden. From 1596 to 1648 Christian IV, a Renaissance king obsessed with fine architecture, began a building boom that crowned the city with towers and castles, many of which still stand. They're almost all that remain of the city's 800-year history; much of Copenhagen was destroyed by two major fires in the 18th century and by British bombing during the Napoleonic Wars.
Today’s Copenhagen has no glittering skylines and little of the high-stress bustle of most capitals. The morning air in the pedestrian streets of the city's core is redolent of baked bread and soap-scrubbed storefronts. If there's such a thing as a cozy city, this is it.
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Centrum
Centrum (central Copenhagen, aka downtown and city center) is packed with shops, restaurants, and businesses, as well as the crowning architectural achievements of Christian IV. Its boundaries roughly match the fortified borders under his reign (1588–1648), when the city was surrounded by fortified walls and moats.
Centrum is cut by the city's pedestrian spine, called Strøget (pronounced stroy-et), Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street (about 2 km [1 mile]). It's actually a series of five streets: Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv, and Østergade. By mid-morning, particularly on Saturday, it's congested with people, baby strollers, and motionless-until-paid mimes. To the north of Strøget, you will find smaller, more peaceful shopping streets.
Christianshavn
Across the capital's main harbor, Inderhavn, stands the smaller, 17th-century Christianshavn. In the early 1600s this area was mostly a series of shallows between land, which were eventually dammed. Today Christianshavn's colorful boats and postcard maritime character make it one of the toniest parts of town. To get there, walk from the Christiansborg area in Centrum across the Knippelsbro Bridge.
Cobbled avenues, antique street lamps, and bohemian charm are all part of one of the city's oldest neighborhoods. Even the system of earthworks—the best preserved of Copenhagen's original fortification walls—still exists. In the 17th century, Christian IV offered what were patches of partially flooded land for free, and with additional tax benefits; in return, takers would have to fill them in and construct sturdy buildings for trade, commerce, housing for the shipbuilding workers, and defense against sea attacks.
Gentrified today, the area harbors restaurants, cafés, and shops, and its ramparts are edged with green areas and walking paths, making it the perfect neighborhood for an afternoon or evening amble. The central square, Christianshavn Torv, is where all activity emanates from, and Torvegade, a bustling shopping street, is the main thoroughfare. For a pleasant break, relax at one of the cafés along Wilders Canal, which streams through the heart of town.
Frederiksstaden
Northeast of Kongens Nytorv is the posh thoroughfare of Bredgade, which intersects Frederiksstaden, a royal quarter commissioned by Frederik V in the mid-1700s. It’s home to the castle of Amalienborg. Time your visit with the noon changing of the guard. The old sailors' neighborhood of Nyboder is west of the fortification of Kastellet.
Vesterbro
To the west of Centrum is the vibrant neighborhood of Vesterbro. Formerly home to mostly working-class inhabitants and a red-light district, immigrants and trendy young folk have since moved in and seem to live quite harmoniously with the original populations. The buildings date from the late 1800s and were constructed during the industrial revolution. A number of popular cafés now surround the spruced-up Halmtorvet Square, which was previously notorious for its late-night prostitution.
Istedgade is a main artery in the neighborhood, leading from the Central Station to Enghave Plads. Istedgade has diversified over the past several years; no longer an area reserved for porn shops and massage parlors, the colorful neighborhood is now full of low-key cafés and trendy boutiques that serve the neighborhood's rapidly growing population of artists and students. It is a nice place to enjoy a snack, a coffee, or a beer in the sun. Though Istedgade is relatively safe, you may want to avoid the area near Central Station late at night.
The street of Vesterbrogade runs west from Rådhuspladsen to the neighborhoods of Valby and Frederiksberg. Originally a farming area that supplied the royal households with fresh produce, Frederiksberg is now known for its residences of the well-heeled and the city zoo. Valby is also where Carlsberg has its headquarters, although the company now only brews specialty beers here.
