Danish streets and culture mesh in the sense of connectedness.
We can all use a good hug now and then, and many a Dane practices hygge on a daily basis. They do this by taking time to enjoy life’s small pleasures, especially the sharing of meals with family and friends. If coziness is an essential part of hygge, no one does it better than the Danes, for they wouldn’t think of setting a dinner table without the warm glow of candles, and that dining table is probably Danish modern.
Danish modern design is on display throughout Copenhagen – Denmark’s capital and a busy base port for Northern Europe cruises. A pleasing mix of old world charm and modernist architecture, Copenhagen is considered one of the world’s most livable cities. You can walk everywhere in the downtown core, where pedestrian-only streets include the mile-long Strøget, its five interconnecting streets lined with shops selling an array of Danish products. These include handpainted porcelain, damask tablecloths, fine table linens and wooden toys.
Amid the selection of shops along the Strøget are cafés and coffeehouse serving mouth-watering pastries and freshly-brewed coffee. After admiring the 17th-century architecture at Kongens Nytorv (King’s New Square) you can pop into Reinh Van Hauen bakery for a tasty cinnamon roll called kanel-snegl. Delicious layer cakes, including a chocolate and coffee mousse creation honouring the Danish author Karen Blixen, are served in La Glace patisserie at Skoubogade 3, just off the Strøget.
Danish pastries served with a smile in the Winter Garden Cafe.
After strolling the length of the Strøget, from King’s New Square to City Hall Square, you’ll be ready for lunch at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum founded in 1897 by the brewing magnate Carl Jacobsen. The museum’s domed courtyard is bright and airy and the perfect spot to pause for a light lunch in its Winter Garden café.
Close by are the famous Tivoli Gardens – an amusement park of twinkling lights, flower gardens, rides and restaurants which first opened in 1843. King Christian VIII authorized its construction upon hearing the convincing argument that people amusing themselves do not think about politics. When Walt Disney began planning Disneyland, he drew inspiration from the magical atmosphere created at Tivoli Gardens.
Modern street art adorns the Strøget.
Opposite the Tivoli Gardens is a statue of Hans Christian Andersen, immortalized as the author of such beloved fairy tales as The Ugly Duckling and The Little Mermaid. A bronze statue of the Little Mermaid sits demurely on a shoreside boulder in Copenhagen’s harbour. She’s a short stroll from Langelinie Cruise Pier and one of numerous attractions awaiting visitors to Copenhagen, a city whose residents know how to enjoy the little things in life.
About Anne Vipond
