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Smiling DenmarkIt’s official: Denmark
is the world’s most contented country. The diminutive nation tops most
happiness studies with Scandinavian reliability. It’s easy to see why:
standards of living are sky-high. Transport runs on time; summer houses on
the beach are the norm (there’s an abundance of sandy shores); cycle
paths thread through the cities, forests, dales and wetlands; restaurants
in Denmark serve up some of world’s best (and freshest) grub.
Cafe-cruise in laid-back Copenhagen,
Copenhagen
restaurant Noma
has been named the best restaurant in the world. Book
your table at Noma. canoe the fjords of North
Jutland or hire a bike to tackle the 11 national cycle routes, and
find out what they’re smiling about. |
Visit
Copenhagen
restaurant Noma
has been named the best
Michelin restaurant in the world. It s The S.
Pellegrino World s 50 Best Restaurants
behind the crowning of restaurant Noma in the past year has been very
successful to specialize in Nordic cuisine.
Our intention at Restaorant noma is to create and to prepare a distinctly advanced kind of cuisine, while nonetheless conjoining our patently Nordic approach with a manner of purity and simplicity in the approach. We are also busy infusing our new Nordic cuisine with a markedly curative potential. These values are all reflected in our menus’ ultimate articulation and manifest themselves both in the construction and presentation of the individual courses and in the means of preparation and ingredients upon which they are based. Book your table Copenhagen is still Scandinavia s gastronomic capital, with the best restaurants. The Michelin Guide in 2010 have 12 restaurants in Copenhagen together 13 Michelin stars. Restaurant AOC is new to the list. Nordic food best international The past decade,
the Nordic kitchen experienced a comeback of the very big thanks to
Copenhagen s top restaurants. |
Introducing Smiling DenmarkThe Danes are, overwhelmingly, a happy bunch. In fact, if you believe those contentment surveys that come out every couple of years, Denmark is one of the happiest nations on earth with some of the best quality of life. Along winding cobbled streets Danes shop and dine at some of the most exciting places in Europe. Copenhagen’s restaurants have more Michelin stars than any other Scandinavian city, and Denmark as a whole would doubtless have more still if the inspectors from Michelin ever troubled themselves to leave the capital and head for Aalborg or Århus & around. Even standards in a workaday Danish café are generally very high. - - And of course, in Copenhagen, you'll find "Noma", the world's best Michelin star restaurant.
Beyond the capital and the bigger cities, Smiling Denmark offers a mix of lively towns such as Ribe and Odense plus rural countryside, medieval churches, Renaissance castles and tidy 18th-century villages. Neolithic dolmen, preserved 2000-year-old ‘bog people’, and impressive Viking ruins are just some of the remnants of the nation’s long and fascinating history. Denmark continues to stamp its effortlessly cool style on the world with its furniture, fashion, architecture and graphic design, as it has done for the last half-century or so. This obsession with good design, detail and fine craftsmanship is evident even in something as mundane as a Copenhagen metro or train ride. Centuries on from the Viking era, Denmark remains very much a maritime nation, bordered by the Baltic and the North Sea. No place in the country is more than an hour’s drive from its lovely seashore, much of which is lined with splendid white-sand beaches. Denmark’s hydrocarbon-rich economy is booming; it has the highest per capita GDP in the European Union (EU); literacy is 100%; unemployment is low; and its social-welfare programmes are the envy of continents. Education is free, and about half of all Danish students who graduate from secondary school continue on to higher education. You don’t need statistics to understand the Smiling Dane’s happy lot, though. Stroll around Copenhagen or pretty much any Danish town and you’ll experience some of the most harmonious civic spaces anywhere. The capital’s intimate scale and faultless transport systems combine with the ornate history and bold modern lines of the built environment to delight the eye, while the locals’ courtesy and sense of humour is refreshing. It’s hard, in short, to find fault with the place. The visitor’s most heartfelt grumble is usually the cost of visiting Denmark. True, it is not a cheap destination, but no more so than the UK, and which nation’s public transport system would you rather use? Cheer yourself up by thinking of the country’s peerless organisation and clockwork railway timetable as being subsidised by the extremely high taxes paid by your hosts. When viewed in this way, this first-rate destination seems like good value, and you get the fairy tales thrown in for free: the Danish royal family is genuinely loved and respected by the vast majority of its citizens, not least handsome Prince Frederik, his beautiful Australian-born princess-bride, Mary, and their young family. If you love castlesIf you love castles, Denmark has almost as many fairy tale castles as it does fairy tales! Visit the picturesque region of North Zealand just outside Copenhagen where you will find Elsinore and Kronborg Castle made famous as the setting of Shakepspeare s Hamlet as well as the magnificent Fredensborg Palace and Frederiksborg Castle. Leave Copenhagen behind as you head north through
magnificent Danish countryside and coastline towards Elsinore
and Kronborg
Castle. Chosen as the setting for Shakespeare s Hamlet, this
magnificent renaissance castle is on the UNESCO world heritage list. |
Tivoli
is Copenhagen's Pride and Joy Tivoli is the pride and joy of Copenhagen. For over 250 years people have been flocking here to enjoy the various amusement rides and games. Children will be delighted with the merry-go-round where Viking ships take the place of the standard horses and other animals. No matter what day of the week, there always seems to be some sort of musical event taking place at the Tivoli whether it's a rock concert or a parade. The Arabian-style fantasy palace houses numerous restaurants in addition to a beer garden. The opulent gardens are bursting with color as tulips are everywhere one looks. During the evening hours the scenery is just as amazing with over 100,000 Chinese colored lanterns lighting up the Chinese pagoda and main fountain. On many evenings brilliant fireworks light up the sky. Copenhagen is also renowned for its many fine dining and shopping establishments. After a delicious Danish meal, tourists can head out to any of the numerous jazz clubs or opt to dance the night away under the stars at any of the city's happening night spots. |
Greater Copenhagen
ArchitectureThe oldest section of Copenhagen s inner city is often referred to as "Middelalderbyen" (The Medieval City). However, the most distinctive district of Copenhagen is Frederiksstaden developed during the reign of Frederick V. It has Amalienborg Palace at its centre and is dominated by the dome of the Marble Church as well as a number of elegant 18th century mansions. Also part of the old inner city of Copenhagen is the small island of Slotsholmen with Christiansborg Palace and Christianshavn. Around the historical city centre lies a band of congenial residential bouroughs (Vesterbro, Inner Nørrebro, Inner Østerbro) dating mainly from late 19th century. They were built outside the old ramparts of the city when the city was finally allowed to expand beyond this barrier. An ambitious regeneration project will create a new Carlsberg District at the historical premises of the Carlsberg Breweries that has terminated the production of beer in Copenhagen and moved it to Fredericia. The district will have a total of nine highrises and seeks to mix the old industrial buildings with modern architecture to create a dense, maze-like quarter with a focus on sustainability and an active urban life. A third major area of urban development also with a focus on sustanibility is Nordhavn. The Copenhagen tradition with urban development on artificial islands that was initiated with Christian IV s construction of Christianshavn has recently been continued with the creation of Havneholmen as well as a canal district at Sluseholmen in the South Harbour. A district in Copenhagen with a very different take on modern architecture is that of Christiania whose many creative and idiosyncratic buildings are exponents of an "architecture without architects".
Visit Copenhagen Concert Hall The new Copenhagen Concert Hall opened in January 2009. It is designed by Jean Nouvel and has four halls with the main auditorium seating 1800 people. It serves as the home of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra and along with the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles the most expensive concert hall ever built. Another important venue for classical music is the Tivoli Concert Hall located in the historical Tivoli Gardens. The Copenhagen Opera House (in Danish usually called Operaen) that opened in 2005 and is designed by Henning Larsen, is the national opera house of Denmark and among the most modern opera houses in the world. The old Royal Danish Theatre dating from 1748 still works as a supplementary opera scene. The Royal Danish Theatre is also home to the Royal Danish Ballet. Founded in 1748 along with the theatre, it is one of the oldest ballet troupes in Europe. It is home to the Bournonville style of ballet. Copenhagen has a significant jazz scene that has existed for many years. It developed when a number of American jazz musicians such as Ben Webster, Thad Jones, Richard Boone, Ernie Wilkins, Kenny Drew, Ed Thigpen, Bob Rockwell, Dexter Gordon, and others such as rock guitarist Link Wray came to live in Copenhagen during the 1960s. Every year in early July Copenhagen s streets, squares and parks fill up with big and small jazz concerts during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival (see yearly events). The most important venue for rhythmical music in Copenhagen is Vega in Vesterbro district which has been chosen as "best concert venue in Europe" by international music magazine Live Copenhagen is a major regional center of culture, business, media, and science. In 2008 Copenhagen was ranked #4 by Financial Times-owned FDi magazine on their list of Top50 European Cities of the Future after London, Paris and Berlin. In the 2008 Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index, published by MasterCard, Copenhagen was ranked 14th in the world and 1st in Scandinavia. In the The 2008 Global Cities Index, Copenhagen was ranked 36th in the world, 15th in Europe, and 2nd in Scandinavia. Life science, information technology and shipping are important sectors and research & development plays a major role in the city’s economy. Its strategic location and excellent infrastructure with the largest airport in Scandinavia located 14 minutes by train from the city centre, has made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters as well as conventions. With around 2.7 million inhabitants within a 50 km radius, Copenhagen is one of the most densely populated areas in Northern Europe. Copenhagen region ranks 3rd in Western Europe and 1st in the Nordic countries for attracting head offices. Copenhagen has repeatedly been recognized as one of the cities with the best quality of life and in 2008 it was singled out as the Most Liveable City in the World by international lifestyle magazine Monocle on their Top 25 Most Liveable Cities 2008 list. It is also considered one of the world’s most environmentally friendly cities with the water in the inner harbor being so clean that it can be used for swimming and 36% of all citizens commuting to work by bicycle, every day bicycling a total of 1.1 million km. Since the turn of the millennium Copenhagen has seen a strong urban and cultural development and has been described as a boom town. This is partly due to massive investments in cultural facilities as well as infrastructure and a new wave of successful designers, chefs and architects. Travellers have voted Copenhagen the cleanest city in Europe. From its humble origins as a fishing village to its heyday as the glittering capital of the Danish Empire, to its current position as one of the world’s premier design capitals, the stories and characters of Copenhagen’s history can be discovered in its sumptuous palaces, copper-roofed town houses and atmospheric cobbled squares. From the Viking Age there was a fishing village by the name of “Havn” (harbour) at the site. Recent archeological finds indicate that by the 11th century, Copenhagen had already grown into a small town with a large estate, a church, a market, at least two wells and many smaller habitations spread over a fairly wide area.[20] Many historians believes that the town dates back to the late Viking ages and possible founded by Sweyn I Forkbeard. From the middle of the 12th century it grew in importance after coming into the possession of the Bishop Absalon, who fortified it in 1167, the year traditionally marking the foundation of Copenhagen. The excellent harbour encouraged Copenhagen’s growth until it became an important centre of commerce. The city’s origin as a harbour and a place of commerce is reflected in its name. Its original designation, from which the contemporary Danish name is derived, was Køpmannæhafn, “merchants’ harbour”. The English name for the city is derived from its Low German name, Kopenhagen. The element hafnium is also named for Copenhagen, whose Latin name is Hafnia. It was repeatedly attacked by the Hanseatic League as the Germans took notice. In 1254, it received its charter as a city under Bishop Jakob Erlandsen. During 1658-59 it withstood a severe siege by the Swedes under Charles X and successfully repelled a major assault. In 1801 a British fleet under Admiral Parker fought a major battle, the Battle of Copenhagen, with the Danish Navy in Copenhagen harbour. It was during this battle Lord Nelson famously “put the telescope to the blind eye” in order not to see Admiral Parker’s signal to cease fire. When a British expeditionary force bombarded Copenhagen in 1807, to gain control of the Danish Navy, the city suffered great damage and hundreds of people were killed. The reason why the devastation was so great was that Copenhagen relied on an old defence-line rendered virtually useless by the increase in shooting range available to the British. But not until the 1850s were the ramparts of the city opened to allow new housing to be built around The Lakes (Danish: Søerne) which bordered the old defence system to the west. This dramatic increase of space was long overdue, not only because the old ramparts were out of date as a defence system, but also because of bad sanitation in the old city. Before the opening, Copenhagen Center was inhabited by approximately 125,000 people, peaking in the census of 1870 (140,000); today the figure is around 25,000. In 1901, Copenhagen expanded further, incorporating communities with 40,000 people, and in the process making Frederiksberg an enclave within Copenhagen. During World War II, Copenhagen was occupied by German troops along with the rest of the country from 9 April 1940 until 4 May 1945. In August 1943, when the government’s collaboration with the occupation forces collapsed, several ships were sunk in Copenhagen Harbour by the Royal Danish Navy to prevent them being used by the Germans. The city has grown greatly since the war, in the seventies using the so-called five-finger-plan of commuter train lines to surrounding towns and suburbs. Since the summer 2000, the cities of Copenhagen and Malmö have been connected by a toll bridge/tunnel (Øresund Bridge), which allows both rail and road passengers to cross. As a result, Copenhagen has become the centre of a larger metropolitan area which spans both nations. The construction of the bridge has led to a large number of changes to the public transportation system and the extensive redevelopment of Amager, south of the main city.
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Smiling
Globe® recommends a visit to Tivoli Gardens
Copenhagen
Copenhagen s Tivoli Gardens -- an amusement park,
restaurant Mecca, and cultural hot spot all tied up together in one
package -- is the city's marquee attraction. And for good reason. 1. Feel Like A Kid Again One of the first things you'll see when you enter the park is the historic, 19th-century Pantomime Theater, whimsically decorated in an Oriental style (when the park was designed, Oriental themes were wildly popular in Copenhagen). You'll walk down sandy pathways toward funky fountains (in one there's a bubbling water-in-tubes display) and lush gardens of wild roses along with much flora and fauna. There are twinkling lights (even during the day) and sidewalk cafes -- and puppeteers performing and dancers twirling. I suddenly felt as free and deliriously energetic as I had at the age of 6 -- and all before I even got to the arcade and amusement park rides! 2.Tivoli's Location Despite its lofty reputation and central location, you could walk by the outside of the park and never know this it's there! I'll grant that it doesn't look too enticing from the outside, surrounded as it is by urban mini-skyscrapers of sorts and stubby hotels (not to mention the quite unromantic Hard Rock Café, which sits on a corner of the property). But don't let that dissuade you. And once you walk through the gates -- you're transported to another world. 3. The Demon and Other Rides The park may be historic – and indeed features rides, like the merry-go-round, that are odes to tradition – but the Demon (Daemonen in Danish) is purely contemporary. Let's put it this way: Speeds register as fast as 80 kilometers as the cars shoot through three loops on a Denmark's highest full-circuit roller coaster. It's floorless so there is no brace for your feet. And you will be flipped upside down at least twice. Intrigued? It's not the only ride (and we paraphrase from Tivoli's Web site) that "will turn you upside down, throw you around, or drop you from a great height." Thrill seekers should also check out The Golden Tower (Det Gyldne Tarn); it's 63 meters high and exerts minus 1G-force as it descends from the golden cupola at the top to the ground below (and then rises again, in a series of bungee jumping-like moves). Most of the people who got off after a ride on Dragon (Dragen), which swings you vertically, horizontally and flips you upside down, seemed exhilarated by the experience -- but a couple of women collapsed into the arms of friends, weeping in terror. Consider yourself warned. For young kids, there are plenty of options as well; the Nautilus, new in 2008, is a virtual reality ride that takes travelers below sea level; there's also a classic Ferris wheel, dragon boats and more. And the park has even maintained its traditional roller coaster, a wooden ride that requires workers to sit in the last car to actively brake when it goes too fast. 7. Illuminations At night, with all lit up, the park is at its most magical -- and if you can keep eyes prised until midnight, there's an evening fireworks display. 8. Cultural Arts The Tivoli Concert Hall is the hub of the park's cultural scene and offers a huge range of options, depending on the timing of your visit (try to secure tickets in advance). In 2008, it served as a summer home to the New York City Ballet, hosted the annual international piano competition, welcomed soloists ranging from vocalists to pianists, and offered chamber music concerts. The structure itself, built in 1956, is oddly gaudy from the front, with varied-colored panels. It's a strange look but you can't miss it! A refurbishment in 2005 incorporated an aquarium into a new foyer; to tour it requires a separate fee (and you don't have to stay for a concert!). 9. Shopping While by no means would we suggest bypassing Stroget, Stockholm s mercantile hubbub, to browse at Tivoli, there are still some nice boutiques at the park selling touristy but fun souvenirs, like Scandinavian giftware and teddy bears. However, one boutique that is simply not to be missed is Illums Bolighus. The Denmark design chain (it has bigger stores in other locations in Copenhagen) offers representative wares from all the fantastic Scandinavian and Nordic designers, including Finland's Iittala, Sweden's Orrefors, Denmark's Minima -- and many more!
Though Tivoli is best known as a summer playground, it's also open at Christmastime, and is even more festive during December. It's ablaze in lights all day, seasonal decorations abound and a full-fledged Christmas market sells all manner of tchotchkes. Interestingly, in the past few years, cruise lines like the U.K.'s P&O and Cunard have been offering a handful of seasonal cruises to Scandinavian market cities in December. Ultimately, we're not saying that you should bypass Copenhagen's fine historic attractions to while away the day at Tivoli (or are we?) -- it's just that I can't think of a more delightful way to spend a day or evening. And here's a tip: If you are embarking or debarking your cruise in Copenhagen, it's a great place to pass a few quiet hours (the city's central rail station, which not only has a quick train to the airport but also will store luggage for a fee, happens to be right across the street!). What do you love best about Tivoli? Or, if you haven't been, why can't you wait to go? Tell me at editor@smilingglobe.com. The short story about Tivoli Copenhagen Denmark Composer Hans Christian Lumbye (b. 1810 - d. 1874) was Tivoli 's musical director from 1843 to 1872. Lumbye was inspired by Viennese waltz composers like the Strauss family (Johann Strauss I and his sons), and became known as the "Strauss of the North." Many of his compositions are specifically inspired by the Tivoli gardens, including "Salute to the Ticket Holders of Tivoli , "Carnival Joys" and "A Festive Night at Tivoli ". The Tivoli Symphony Orchestra still performs many of his works. In 1874, Chinese style Pantomimeteatret (The Tivoli Pantomime Theatre) took the place of an older smaller theater. The audience stands in the open, the stage being inside the building. The Tivoli theatre's "curtain" is a mechanical peacock's tail. From the very beginning, the Theater was the home of Italian pantomimes, introduced in Denmark by the Italian Giuseppe Casorti. This tradition, which is dependent on the Italian Commedia dell'Arte has been kept alive, including the characters Cassander (the old father), Columbine (his beautiful daughter), Harlequin (her lover), and, especially popular with the youngest spectators, the stupid servant Pierrot. The absence of spoken dialogue is an advantage, as Tivoli is now an international tourist attraction. In 1943, Nazi sympathizers attempted to break the Danish people's spirit by burning many of Tivoli's buildings, including the concert hall, to the ground. Undaunted, the Danes built temporary buildings, and the park was back in operation after a few weeks. Tivoli is always evolving without abandoning its original charm or traditions. As Georg Carstensen said in 1844, "Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished," a sentiment echoed just over a century later when Walt Disney said of his own Tivoli-inspired theme park, "Disneyland will never be finished as long as there is imagination left in the world." |
Political forcesDenmark has a multi-party system and no single
party has held an absolute majority in parliament since the beginning of
the 20th century.
Since only four post-war governments have enjoyed a majority in
parliament, government bills rarely become law without negotiations and
compromise with both supporting and opposition parties. Hence the Danish
parliament tends to be more powerful than legislatures in other EU
countries. The constitution does not grant the judiciary power of
judicial review of legislation, however the courts have asserted this
power with the consent of the other branches of government. Since there
are no constitutional or administrative courts, the Supreme Court deals
with a constitutional dimension. Denmark is the oldest kingdom in the world MonarchyQueen
Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid), born 16 April
1940, is since 14 January 1972 Queen Regnant and head of state. The Royal Reception RoomsThe
Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace are located on the first
floor, the so-called bel-étage, at the north end of the main wing and
in the wing running along the courtyard Prince Jørgens Gård. To visit the Royal Reception Rooms you enter Dronningeporten (Queen s Gate) and go through Drabantsalen (Guards Room). From there you go to Kongetrappen (King s Stairway). At the foot of the stairs are Audiensgemakket (Audience Chamber) and Statsrådssalen (Council Room). The Queen holds an audience every other Monday and attends Council with the government as required. The Queen in Council signs the new laws after they have been agreed upon by the Parliament. The Audience Chamber and the Council Room are the only Royal Reception Rooms that are closed to the public.
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