Copenhagen Christmas Markets Tour

Description:

71 Nyhavn Hotel is a four-star luxury hotel on Nyhavn. As a rebuilt storehouse dating from 1804, the hotel had to undergo a total restoration process in 1997. The rooms are now furnished with private bathroom/toilet, cable TV, mini-bar, hairdryer and trouser press. Executive rooms also have fax machines and ironing facilities. The hotel has its own gourmet restaurant (open until midnight) and a lobby bar (open 24 hours).

Description:

Royal Copenhagen's trademark, three wavy blue lines, has come to symbolize quality. Founded in 1775, the factory was a royal possession for a century before passing into private hands in 1868. Royal Copenhagen's Christmas plates are collectors' items. The factory has turned out a new plate each year since 1908, most of the designs depicting the Danish countryside in winter. There's a huge selection of seconds on the top floor, and unless you're an expert, you probably can't tell the difference. Visitors are welcome at the factory at Søndre Fasanvej 5 (tel. 38-14-48-48), where tours are given Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm. (These tours, which occur at a location about 15km [9 1/3 miles] west of Copenhagen, can be arranged, along with transportation from central Copenhagen, by contacting the Royal Copenhagen store.) Purchases cannot be made at the factory.

There are also various porcelain and silver retailers in this same location, as well as the Royal Copenhagen Antiques shop, which specializes in buying and selling antique Georg Jensen, Royal Copenhagen, Bing & Grøndahl porcelain, and Michelson Christmas spoons. In November 2006, the showrooms of this place were radically renovated...

Our Local Expert Says:

A tourist must.

Description:

This small harbor street is one of Copenhagen's biggest visitor attractions, and while its row of timber-built, brightly-painted 17th-century buildings-most of them cafes-are an obvious tourist trap, there is something delightful about sitting here by the water on a hot summer's day. While all the cafes offer outside seating in spring/summer as well as a mostly traditional Danish lunch menu, a cheaper alternative is to buy a bottled drink from a local supermarket or an ice cream and sit on the edge of the pier. Nyhavn has two very different sides, with the Charlottenborg side much quieter. It also has a lively and chequered past: Just 30 years ago, the street was a rowdy collection of notorious drinking dens frequented by sailors. Heavily cleaned up for tourists, traces remain in the tattoo parlor and the all-night Hong Kong Bar. Note that should you be visiting Copenhagen in wintertime, off-season Nyhavn is virtually deserted.

Our Local Expert Says:

Famed for its Christmas gløgg, or mulled wine

Description:

This very traditional bar on Kongens Nytorv, below Restaurant Bali, is Copenhagen's oldest drinking spot, dating right back to 1723. The clientele are incredibly diverse, from tourists and businessmen to actors from the nearby Royal Theater (those who know their Danish stars may well spot a celebrity or two here). It's a nostalgic place, where the decor has been retained as much as possible to its roots, with plenty of cosy dark corners all furnished in dark mahogany. Hviids is also famous for its 'Gløgg'-traditional Danish mulled wine-that is homemade here according to the bar's own recipe and has been served every December since 1954.There's no cafe menu, but in the daytime it's possible to buy a couple of small open sandwiches along with a Tuborg beer for DKK 55.

Description:

Despite living in the shadow of neighboring Copenhagen, Malmö is a great little city in its own right, with an attractive old town area combined with a dynamic harborfront that includes architectural wonders like the Turning Torso (pictured). Easily reached from Copenhagen on a daytrip thanks to the Øresundsbroen - the train takes just 45 minutes - shoppers can get more out of the Swedish kronor and enjoy the hospitality and easy pace of Swedish culture. Malmö has its own, smaller version of Copenhagen's walking street Strøget, a large pedestrian square (Gustav Adolfs Torg) and the charming old town of Gamla Västera, which is home to some small boutiques specializing in different handicrafts. There is also the green oasis of Folkets Park, and numerous cultural attractions, including Malmö Konsthall, Malmö Opera and a brand new museum of modern art, the Moderna Museum - an offshoot of the internationally-renowned museum of the same name in Stockholm. For summer sunseekers, there are also plenty of attractive beaches situated along the coast on either side of the city. read more

Description:

This delightful manor in Gammel Holte, north of Copenhagen, houses a museum of modern art. Originally this was part of lands belonging to the Crown. In 1755 Lauritz de Thurah bought Gl. Holtegård and constructed the distinguished three-winged main building, which was taken over in 1976 by Sllerd. Gl. Holtegård shows temporary exhibitions, but also has a fixed collection of very fine paintings. Here you can also find the archives of the municipality.

Our Local Expert Says:

Quite magical.

Description:

The world-famous Tivoli Pleasure Gardens first opened its doors on August 15, 1843. It's said that the park's founder, Georg Carstensen, said that Tivoli would never be completely finished and, staying true to that statement, a new ride is added each year. Another story is that Walt Disney was moved enough after visiting to attempt to purchase the gardens and after being refused, went on to design his own Disneyland in California.

But Tivoli is more than just rides: In addition to the daily Pierrot pantomime shows, there are also regular classical concerts in the concert hall and free Friday night rock concerts with big international and local names performing on the Garden's open air stage. Tivoli is also famous for its extravagant firework displays, which take place a handful of times a year. In addition to its summer season, Tivoli's Christmas opening recreates a magical winter wonderland experience, while the most recent addition is the week-long Halloween season (which actually coincides more with the school autumn holiday than October 31).