.: INTRODUCTION :.

Copenhagen, one of the most vibrant cities in Scandinavia, is on the top chart of being a Europe’s friendliest city.  Small and charming with multitude of pavement cafes and mixed atmosphere of pedestrians and bicycles, it offers a wide range of entertainment with many cozy bars and intimate club and live music network at night. In summer, there are varied ranges of entertainment as the people gets together into the streets. In addition, there are many cultural attractions such as national museums, art galleries, art events and one of Europe’s interesting film scenes. 

Several factions of Copenhagen could be dated back to the 17^th and 18^th centuries, with the accumulation of magnificent renaissance palaces, parks and merchant houses that laid out around the waterways and canals that endow the city with prominent Dutch flavor. Several Danish monarchs in succession left their mark on the palace, monuments, and famous places in the city. Remarkably, Christian IV had left the city with many striking landmarks, including Rosenborg Slot and the districts of Nyborder and Christianshavn. Frederik III is another monarch who had graced the city with the grandiose palace of Amalienborg and the fascinating Marmorkirke Church as well as the elegant royal quarter of Frederikstad. 

Geographically, Copenhagen enjoys its strategic location on the narrow strait of Oresund that separate Denmark from Sweden, while commanding the gateway to the Baltic Sea which is one of the important trading routes, especially in medieval Europe. The Oresond Strait serves as a barrier or buffer zone that divides Europe and Scandinavia and helps to preserve Copenhagen its distinctive character. While many Scandinavian countries are more inclined toward puritanical licensing laws, Copenhagen leans towards European flavor, that tolerates the innocent hedonism of the famous Tivoli gardens to the Vesterbro’s red-light district, as well as the more relaxed attitude towards gay marriages to topless and pornography. In addition, it is the home to the unique “Free City” of Christiania with the distinct characteristic of being the drop-out community. The city’s most famous export is a beer, called Carlsberg and that is not a surprise.  With its more liberal social values, Copenhagen enjoys influx of tourists in thousands every year, especially from Swedes and other Scandinavians. 

The emerging millennium poses significant challenges to Copenhagen. The impressive Oresund Bridge, that links the city with Malmo and southern Sweden, enhances the infrastructure that would enable Copenhagen to become the leading urban center of western Baltic. On the contrary, the bridge threatens to undermine the traditional value of the Danish that imposes fears to many Copenhageners who regard the bridge as the symbol of foreign influences. The Denmark’s landmark decision in October 2000 referendum not to join the club of single European currency could have been the reflection of this tension that suggests a national desire to remain unaffected from the continental mainstream. This signals the national prides and the determination of the Danish to protect their unique characters. On the other hands, the Danish has a charisma of being tolerance. As a visitor to the country, you would feel the atmosphere of welcome and friendliness. Since everyone can speak English, there is no worry. 


WHEN TO VISIT
Lying at the same latitude as Moscow and Edinburgh, Copenhagen faces the winter with temperatures regularly falling below zero. It is wet, windy and cold. Perhaps the best time to visit the city is in spring when leaves on trees return. Rain in summer is quite common, and when sun returns, people turn out on street and occupy every last corner of park and pavement café. The long summer evenings witness the city at its liveliest.