Frederiksstaden: Copenhagen

The area to the north-east of Kongens Nytorv is characterized by wide, parallel streets and architectural uniformity. Frederiksstaden is named after King Frederik V, who ordered building to commence here in 1749, with royal architect Nicolai Eigtved placed in charge. After the densely packed, winding streets and canals of the Indre Byen it's a neat, orderly quarter with an air of affluence visible in the many private art galleries and auction houses along Bredgade.

The focal point for visitors is generally Amalienborg, the royal residence of the reigning monarch, Queen Margrethe II, where the changing of the guard can be witnessed daily at noon. There are plenty of other landmarks, however, including Frederikskirken (also known as 'Marmorkirken', or the Marble Church), and the Danish Museum of Art and Design (Kunstindustrimuseet), formerly Frederiks Hospital – the first real hospital in the country. For fans of the modern, the Royal Danish Playhouse, or Skuespilhuset on Sankt Annæ Plads, offers little in the way of English language plays, but is a piece of majestic modern architecture to rival the opera house on the other side of the harbor.

A walk up the Frederiksstaden streets of Borgergade or Store Kongensgade, away from the center, leads to the pretty yellow terraced houses of Nyboder, built to house the country's seamen in the 1600s. These small, tidy rows, with adorable names like 'Crocodile Street', continue to be offered to naval officers and their families. To the far north of the district is the attractive Churchillparken, with the remains of the 17th century fort Kastellet (or 'citadel') in the middle. From here, it's only a short walk out to the harbor site of the famous Little Mermaid statue.

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