Sightseeing in Copenhagen - what to see. Complete travel guide

In the 18th century the capital of Denmark was totally destroyed by fire, in 1807 it was again burnt by the British. This is the main reason why Copenhagen has practically no historical centre with its traditional narrow streets. Nevertheless, there are a lot of attractive sights there - marvellous palaces, plenty of museums and galleries, lively well-planned amusement parks, one of the longest market streets in the world, cozy districts with bars, restaurants and cafes with open terraces.

The Little Mermaid Statue. Rather a small statue of Mermaid has become one of the most frequently photographed women in the world. Edward Eriksen created it by request of Carl Jacobsen, the founder of Carlsberg beer houses. 'The Mermaid' is a fairy-tale that was created by Hans Christian Andersen. The main heroine saves a prince, when his ship suffers a shipwreck. To have an opportunity to marry him, she has to sacrifice her beautiful hair and her fish tail. In 1909 Carl Jacobsen saw the ballet adaptation of this fairy-tale by the Danish Royal Ballet, and he was under such a strong impression that he decided to present a statue to the city. In 1913 the Little Mermaid was placed, and soon it became the symbol of Copenhagen.

Eriksen's wife, prima ballerina Ellen Price, was the model of the statue. The face of the Mermaid looks much like hers. By the way, unknown vandals beheaded the Mermaid several times, so the current head is not the original. In the 60s the Mermaid regularly became the centre of different protest actions, it was even desecrated many times. Those times have passed, but, nevertheless, even nowadays colourful graffiti appears on it from time to time. The bronze statue is one of the most popular sights of Copenhagen, so in the daytime it's very difficult to make a good photo of her without numerous tourists on the background. Sunrise is the best time for photographing the Mermaid. There are almost no people in the streets of the city on this early hour. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Amalienborg. Amalienborg is the winter residence of the Danish Royal family. This ensemble consists of four palaces, which are situated around the octagonal square with the equestrian statue of Frederic V in the middle. Primordially, noble families lived in Amalienborg, but after the fire in the Christiansborg Castle this area became the property of the Royal family. Consequently, all the four palaces look the same - they are all built in the rococo style, but their interiors differ a lot. Two of the palaces are open for tourists. Christian's VIII Palace serves as the Royal House of Glücksborg (1863-1972). This is the place where one can look at the private offices of Christian IX, Christian X and Frederic VIII, the Royal dining-room, Queen Luisa's salon and the Queen's wardrobe. All the rooms have original furnishings.

Christian's II Palace is rarely open for visitors. It's often used by the royal family, because the palace is the official place for audiences with the Danish Queen. Amalienborg borders with Amaliehaven, a public park, which is located between the palace and the port. This park doesn't have a long history - it was created only in 1983 by the Belgian architect Delone. Not only natives, but also a lot of tourists spend much time in this oasis in the very heart of the big city.

Rosenborg Castle. Every day at 12 o'clock one can watch the guard changing. The guard marches from Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg. Rosenborg was built in the beginning of the 7th century. Outside the castle is surrounded by beautiful canals and a cozy park. Inside the castle one can see rooms with marvellous paintings, ceramics and jewellery of the Danish Royal family, including the crown of Christian V. The dining room is decorated with fantastic wall carpets with the image of the glorious victory of the Danish in the Denmark-Sweden war (1675-1679).

Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli Gardens is one of the most famous amusement parks in Europe, projected by George Carstensen in the 1840s. Besides the world biggest carrousel 'Star Flyer', in this park tourists will find an aquarium, a museum, two theatres, or they can enjoy interesting performances on the open-air scene. On weekends and holidays visitors can see young Tivoli Guards, followed by an orchestra and a horsed stage-coach at 17.30 and 19.30. Even though sometimes Tivoli Gardens seem to be overcrowded, too expensive and, maybe, a little bit tasteless, they have their unique charm, especially in the evening, when trees are lightened with beautiful street lamps. From April to September the park becomes the location of numerous concerts, and in December a Christmas market takes place here. Rundetarn. Rundetarn is the oldest observatory in Europe. The tower, which was built during the reign of Christian IV, was a part of the educational centre of the 17th century, which also included a university library (nowadays it has been turned into a pavilion) and a students’ church. Follow the spiral staircase, which is more than 209 m long, and it will guide you to the top of the tower. From this place tourists can enjoy the amazingly beautiful view of the ancient part of the city.

The National museum. The National Museum is located in the former royal palace and it is considered the best historical and cultural museum in the country. Its permanent exhibition throws light upon the Danish history starting from the Ice Age and till the end of the 17th century. Visitors will also find ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman exhibits there. A part of the exhibition acquaints visitors with the way of life of natives during the prehistoric times. Moreover, the museum features an interactive section for children.