Copenhagen Facts

1. Copenhagen is the largest city in Scandinavia.

2. Random fact: The tallest building in downtown Copenhagen, the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, was Copenhagen's first skyscraper when it was built in 1960 and remains the sole high-rise in the city center.

3. Around 28 percent of Copenhagen burnt down in the Great Fire of October 1728, amounting to a staggering 1,660 houses.

4. Interesting fact: Copenhagen was once a walled city, where passage was only possible at one of the town's three 'ports' – Vesterport, Østerport and Nørreport.

5. Copenhagen has been rated as the world's top cities for cyclists. Copenhageners cycle a total of 1.2 km every day along 340 km of cycle lanes.

6. The city has been under siege twice: Once in 1523, when it was captured by the Swedes, and again in 1807, when Copenhagen's inhabitants were besieged by the English army for four days and nights.

7. Fun fact: The world's first official sex change operation was performed in Copenhagen in 1952, when former GI George Jorgensen became Christine Jorgensen – a prelude to Copenhagen's permissive reputation of the '60s and '70s, perhaps?

8. Around 30 percent of the Danish population – 1.8 million out of 5.4 million – live in the Copenhagen Metropolitan area.

9. Gastro fact: Copenhagen has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in Scandinavia, with a total of 12; twice as many as Stockholm.

10. Eco fact: Copenhagen's harbor has been thoroughly cleaned in the past decade: So well, in fact, that the inner harbor is now clean enough to swim in.

11. Copenhagen was voted the world's happiest city in 2007 – and rated the fourth most expensive in 2009.

12. Weird fact: The dragon spire of Copenhagen's old Stock Exchange, Børsen – now home to the Danish Chamber of Commerce – was created by a designer of fireworks.