Things to do in Copenhagen

Copenhagen mixes royal history with a famously easy-going way of life. The colourful gabled houses of Nyhavn, the palaces of Slotsholmen and Amalienborg and the twisting spire of the Church of Our Saviour sit alongside cycle lanes, harbour baths and some of Europe's most talked-about restaurants.

The city is compact and flat, so it's easy to see on foot, by bike or from the water on a canal cruise. Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, brings rides and lantern-lit gardens to the city centre, and new landmarks like CopenHill, a power plant with a ski slope on its roof, show the city's playful side.