Copenhagen - The 19th century Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen once described Christmas time in his country as "magnificent, incomparably magnificent." A visit to Copenhagen in the run-up to Christmas is proof that this has not changed with the city looking its most festive. An enormous decorated Christmas tree stands in front of the mayor's house and half a million Christmas lights can be found blinking in Tivoli park which hosts the biggest Christmas market in Scandinavia from November 20 to December 30. Stall owners sell everything from Christmas gift ideas to homemade wooden items.
Also on sale are festive foods such as cakes and sweets and needless to say there is plenty of Jule Glogg, Denmark's Christmas punch, to be had. Glogg is a mixture of red wine and schnapps with raisins, almonds and cinnamon.
Children can ride a carousel or a pony in Tivoli and there's ice skating on the park's small lake with its Chinese tower. There are plenty of good restaurants and extra shopping can be found in Copenhagen's main retail area.
The Danish capital is very pedestrian friendly and easy to find your way around. Stroget pedestrian zone, for example, is a kilometre long and most shops stay open until 8 pm at the weekends in December.
More high-class shopping can be found in Amagertorv where porcelain, silver, glass and designer products are on sale. Royal Copenhagen porcelain's headquarters is in a Renaissance building. It was founded in 1795 and to this day makes exclusive porcelain services such as Flora Danica. The building is well worth a visit just to walk up its stairs and see the festively decorated Christmas tables.
Visitors to Copenhagen can find another Christmas market from mid-November to just before Christmas Eve along the romantic Nyhavn harbour canal. Stalls line the canal where boats have been pulling up for over 200 years.
For 10 days in December the autonomous neighbourhood of Christiania holds a Christmas market called the Julemarked. The Swedish city of Malmo, which is just a half hour drive over the Oresund Bridge, also has a fine Christmas market with a skating rink.
Copenhagen also has a skating rink on Kongens Nytorv square. Behind the rink is a luxury hotel, a department store and the royal theatre where The Nutcracker ballet is performed every day in December.
Probably the best place to finish off your Christmas shopping is in one of the city's many restaurants, bars and cafes where the atmosphere is especially "hyggelig" (cosy) as the Danes would say. Try ordering some Julefrokost, a generous buffet of dishes only served during Christmas, with some glogg, aquavit or Danish Gammel herb schnapps. A glass of Jule Brygg, Danish Christmas beer, is also another popular beverage to try.
Internet: www.visitdenmark.com.
