Things move quickly in the cutting-edge Danish capital, whether it be design, art, architecture or the public transport system. And the restaurants aren't bad either
At Kastrup airport, children, tots to teens, blond-haired and blue-eyed, waved Danish flags with unhibitated enthusiasm as I passed throught the arrivals hall. It wasn't a personal welcome to Copenhagen, of course, but enough to indece a warm glow before I was shunted from the futuristic new terminal onto the expeditious train link, and spat out at the city's Central Station, just 12 dizzying minutes later.
EVENTS
Jazz
The annual Copenhagen Jazz Festival (from the first Friday in July) features about 450 concerts over 10 days and takes over many of the city's streets. The offical website is at www.cjf/dk. There are also small-group jazz tours of the city (including dinner, drinks and admissions).
SHOPPING
The areas around Bregade and Skt Hans Torv are worth browsing for antiques and second-hand furniture. However, the serious shopper will head straight for the Strøget. At the top of this elongated high street is the Bodum superstore and directly opposite is a Bang & Olufsen hi-fi showroom. Further down, there is the shopping mecca of the department store Illum and five interconnected Royal Copenhagen shops featuring exquisite porcelain, antiques, silver, crystal and furniture, and Illums Bolighus, housing peerless Danish design. It's worth wandering through the gallery/museum-style halls even if you are not planning to buy anything. Once there, though, it'll be hard to resist the glinting simplicity of a Jensen stainless-steel watch, the perfect porcelain of Bing & Grøndhal, or the crystal creations of star craftsmen such as Michael Bang, Torben Jørgensen and Allan Scharf.
WHAT TO SEE
Tivoli Gardens Vesterbrogade 3 (00 45 3315 1001). Open between May and October, Tivoli is the city's tourism cash-cow. But don't be put off: a romantic evening stroll through this old-fashioned amusement park can be an enchanting experience.
Museum Erotica Købmagergade 24 (00 45 3312 0311). A mixture of Carry On-style peep show and a more prosaic erotica-through-the-ages exhibition. Fortunately, the museum's vicarious thrills fail to attract the dirty-mac brigade.
Rosenborg Slot Øster Voldgade 4A (00 45 3315 3286). This 17th-century Dutch Renaissance castle was built for King Christian IV as his summer home. The lower level contains a dazzling array of crown jewels, including Queen Margrethe II's current collection.
Danish Museum of Decorative Arts Bredgade 68 (00 45 3314 9452).
Statens Museum for Kunst Sølvgade 48-50 (00 45 3374 8494).
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Dantes Plads 7 (00 45 3341 8141).
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Gl Strandvej 13, Humblebæk (00 45 4919 0719). A short train-ride out of Copenhagen.
Arken Museum of Modern Art Skovvej 100, Ishøj (00 45 4354 0222).
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