Visiting Copenhagen and Zealand

Copenhagen is Denmark's capital and is popularly known as wonderful Copenhagen. Copenhagen is metropolis and yet a cosy and idyllic place with a lot of unique tourist attractions and even the best restaurant in the world! The greater Copenhagen area and the island of Zealand can also offer visitors beach holidays, view of amazing castles and fantastic landscapes.

Things to see in Copenhagen

In Copenhagen you will find many interesting things to see as a tourist. We have listed some of the most popular tourist attraction you will find in Copenhagen. Thing you should see when in Copenhagen includes:

• Tivoli Gardens - Tivoli is an a beautiful amusement park in the city centre of Copenhagen. Here you will both find beautiful flower gardens, entertainment and joyrides.
• The Little Mermaid - At Langelinie you will find the sculpture of The Little Mermaid. The Little Mermaid is know from the fairy tale written by the world famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Today The Little Mermaid is like a trademark for Copenhagen.
• Amalienborg Palace - Amalienborg Palace is situated in central Copenhagen and is the home of the Royal Danish Family. Each day at 12 o'clock you can see the Royal Guards' changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace.
• Nyhavn - Nyhavn Is the old harbour of Copenhagen. Here you will find many restaurants and beer gardens. Especially in the summertime you will find many people enjoying the special atmosphere and the sun at the harbour surrounded by colourful historic buildings.
• The Opera - The Opera is a new grand building situated at the harbour front. The best way of experiencing the Opera is by attending an opera or to get a tour of the amazing building.
• The Royal Theatre - The Royal Theatre at Kgs. Nytorv is a beautiful historic building from 1874. Inside the building you will find beautiful decorated corridors and halls.
• Christiansborg - Christiansborg castle is the residence of the Danish parliament Folketinget, The Prime Ministers resident, the high court and the beautiful Christiansborg Slotskirke church  You can admire this magnificent building with the high tower from the outside and you can also visit some of the premises.
• Børsen - Børsen is the old stock exchange of Copenhagen. Børsen is known for its Dragon Spire and the magnificent hall inside. Today the building houses the Danish Chamber of Commerce.
• Christiania - Christiania is know as the Freetown Christiania which is a self-proclaimed autonomous town in the city of Copenhagen. Here you will find people focusing on eco friendly solutions and having an alternative lifestyle than most other Danes.
• The Experimentarium - The Experimentarium offers interactive exhibitions where you can learn about the human body and test and compare your own senses to those of animals.
• The Black Diamond - The Black Diamond is a beautiful black building at the Copenhagen harbour waterfront housing the Royal Danish Library. The building's exterior is made of polished black granite.
• Copenhagen Zoo - Copenhagen Zoo is known as the wildest place in town. Here you can see elephants, zebras, tigers, leopards, giraffes, rhinos, kangaroos, flamingos, monkeys, birds, seals, sea lions, pinguins, polar bears and many other wild animals in animal friendly surroundings.
• Amager Strandpark - Amager Strandpark a new park near the beach. You can take the underground Metro to Amager Srandpark. Here you can enjoy the park, the beach and the fantastic view of the Øresund bridge which connects Denmark and Sweden.
• Carlsberg Breweries - At Carlsberg you can take a guided tour around their beer making premises. After the tour you can enjoy a Carlsberg beer or soda in the historic surroundings.
• National Gallery of Denmark - At the National Gallery of Denmark you can see interesting art exhibitions and attend different cultural events.

Copenhagen offers a lot of interesting attractions for you to see. A popular way of exploring Copenhagen is by taking a harbour tour by boat or taking a tour bus around the city. With a map or a tour guide you can also enjoy a walk in the narrow streets of the city centre and find the attractions that interest you. A great guide to guide you around is Copenhagen Tourist and it is free-of-charge. Remember to take a free copy of the guide at the airport or the Copenhagen Visitor Centre in the centre of Copenhagen.

Things to see outside Copenhagen on the island of Zealand

When you visit Copenhagen you can also find many other interesting tourist attractions outside the city on the island of Zealand. Here are some of the most interesting things to see and visit on the island of Zealand:

• Dyrehavsbakken - Dyrehavsbakken is a large amusement park situated in Klampenborg. The amusement park is surrounded by forest where you will find deers and other wildlife.
• Kronborg - Kronborg is a magnificent castle situated in Elsinore north of Copenhagen. It is one of northern Europe's greatest renaissance castles. Kronborg is know from Shakespeare's play Hamlet.
• Faxe Limestone Quarry - The limestone quarry in Faxe offers an amazing view. You can also visit the Geomuseum Faxe to learn more about limestone quarrying and the ancient story of the surroundings.
• Roskilde Cathedral - Roskilde Cathedral known in Danish as Roskilde Domkirke is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This amazing Gothic cathedral is also the site where Danish Kings and Queens are buried.
• Frederiksborg Castle - Frederiksborg Castle is situated in Hillerød on Zealand. The castle is surrounded by a lake and beautiful gardens. At the castle you will find National History Museum.
• Malmö, Sweden - When visiting Copenhagen you can easily also visit Sweden's 3. largest city Malmö. You can take a train or a car over Øresund bridge and tunnel and e.g. see the Turning Torso building, enjoy the sight of Malmö harbour or the old city centre.

You will find many other interesting and peaceful places to visit on the island of Zealand. You will e.g. find good beaches, peaceful forests, creeks and lakes where you can enjoy a quiet sailing trip, take a rowing or canoeing trip.

Hotels and accommodation in Copenhagen and Zealand

In Copenhagen you will find luxury 5-star hotels, standard business class hotels, tourist class hotels as well as non-expensive accommodation. Luxury hotels in Copenhagen include the following 5-star hotels: Hotel D'Angleterre, First Hotel Skt. Petri, Radisson Blue Royal Hotel Copenhagen, Hilton Copenhagen Airport and Marriot Copenhagen.

Other great hotels in Copenhagen include Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center and the new designer hotel Bella Sky Comwell. Both in and around Copenhagen you will find many other hotels, youth hostels, tourist apartments and other tourist accommodations. On Zealand you will find hotels in the larger cities and cosy Bed and Breakfast inns around the countryside.

Book you accommodation in Copenhagen and Zealand by using the internet, by contacting the hotel or other accommodation by phone or simply contact a travel agency to help you find the right accommodation for you when you visit Denmark.

Visit the world's best restaurant in Copenhagen and other dinning places

The world's best restaurant lies in Copenhagen and the world best chef is Danish. The gourmet restaurant Noma has been awarded as the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine at the San Pellegrino Awards in London in 2010 and again in 2011. Noma uses the finest Danish foods to create delicious modern Nordic dishes.

Amazingly at the Geranium restaurant you will meet the world's best chef Rasmus Kofoed! On January 21st 2011 Rasmus Kofoed and his team won the prestigious Bocus d'Or chef contest in France. The Bocus d'Or contest is considered to be the world championship for chefs. When visiting Copenhagen you hereby both have unique opportunity to dine at Noma - the worlds best restaurant and eat at the Geranium restaurant where the food is prepared by the worlds best chef. However if you wish to have the meal of your life at Noma or Geranium you must book a table long in advance. Bon appétit!

In and around Copenhagen you will find many other top-class restaurants e.g. Kong Hans, Era Ora, Umami, Alberto K, Søllerød Kro, Mielcke & Hurtigkarl and Herman. Denmark does not only offer gourmet restaurant. You will find restaurant and cafés in Copenhagen and the rest of Zealand offering meals and dinning in all price ranges. If you get really hungry you can also snap a quick Danish sausage at a "Pølsevogn" which is a mobile sausage stand found in central squares and streets in the Danish capital.

Shopping in and around Copenhagen

In the Copenhagen city centre you will find many fashion shops and other specialised smaller shops as well as the department stores Magasin and Illum. A the main pedestrian street "Strøget" you can find good offers and specialised clothing stores, shoe stores, bag stores, home ware shops, bookstores and many other small interesting stores and shops.

Outside the city centre of Copenhagen and on the rest of Zealand you will also find many smaller shops, but you will also be able to find some large shopping centres. Here are some of the largest and most popular shopping malls and shopping centres near Copenhagen:

• Fisketorvet - Fisketorvet Shopping Center has 124 shops and restaurants. It covers an area of 57,000 m2. Fisketorvet lies 2 km from the centre of Copenhagen.
• Waterfront Shopping -  Waterfront Shopping is an exclusive shopping centre with 24 shops and 4 restaurants in Hellerup. It covers and area of 16,000 m2. Waterfront Shopping lies 6 km north form the centre of Copenhagen.
• Rødovre Centrum - In Rødovre Centrum you will find 110 shops, restaurants, personal care clinics and company offices  Rødovre Center covers a total area of 65,000 m2 . You will find Rødovre Centrum 9 km west from the centre of Copenhagen.
• Field's - Field's is the largest shopping centre in Scandinavia. It has 140 shops, 20 cafés and restaurants and covers and area of 115,000 m2. Field's is situated in the Ørestad which lies 10 km south from the centre of Copenhagen.
• Copenhagen Airport Shopping Centre - At Copenhagen Airport you will find a total of 80 shops including restaurants, snack bars and exchange offices. Copenhagen Airport lies 10 km south east from the centre of Copenhagen.
• Lyngby Storcenter - Lyngby Storcenter has 125 stores and restaurants and covers a total area of 34,000 m2. You will find Lyngby Storcenter 13 km north from the centre of Copenhagen.
• Ballerup Centret -  Ballerup Centret has 58 shops and 9 restaurants and cover a total area of 31,000 m2. Ballerup Centret lies 18 km north west from the centre of Copenhagen.
• WAVES - WAVES is a major shopping center situated in Greve. You will find 110 shops and well as 23 restaurants and cafés. WAVES covers a total area of 28,400 m2. You will find Waves 21 km south from the centre of Copenhagen.
• City2 - City2 in Taastrup has 84 shops, 11 restaurants, a cinema and fitness center. City2 covers a total area of 100,000 m2, but not all are in use at the moment because the center is being renovated. You will find City2 24 km south west from the centre of Copenhagen.
• SlotsArkaderne - SlotsArkaderne in Hillerød have 49  shops and 5 restaurants and cafés. The shopping area is 18,000 m2. You will SlotsArkaderne 38 km north west from the centre of Copenhagen
• Næstved Stor-Center - Næstved Stor-Center has 68 shops including a hypermarket and 6 restaurants and cafés. Næstved Stor-Center lies 81 km south west from the centre of Copenhagen.

Come visit Copenhagen and Zealand

If you want to visit Copenhagen the surrounding areas then do no wait - book your flight or other transport now. On the internet it is easy to find cheap flight offers to Copenhagen from most parts of the world. Copenhagen Airport has many direct flight connections to other European cities as well as overseas. Many ferry cruises also come to Copenhagen. You can also drive to Copenhagen, but you must either cross a bridge or take a ferry if you come from abroad. Welcome to wonderful Copenhagen!