Copenhagen is a city with much charm, as reflected in its canals, narrow streets, and charming houses that have stood for hundreds of years.The country of Denmark consists of one peninsula and more than 400 islands. Copenhagen is situated on the east coast of Denmark's largest island, Zealand. Copenhagen has been the capital of Denmark for nearly 600 years and is also the largest city in Scandinavia.

Bicycles spin alongside automobile traffic, and in the early morning in the pedestrian streets of the city the air is filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and newly scrubbed storefronts. A prominent point of orientation in the city is the main rail station, Central Station, which is bordered on the west by the primary hotel district and to the northeast by the ever popular Tivoli Gardens. Just north of Tivoli is Rådhuspladsen, the central city square and the main terminus for the local bus network. To the east is the city's waterfront, including the canal district of Christianshavn.

The flat terrain of the city center of Copenhagen invites walking or bicycling. The tangles of cobbled one-way streets are interesting in themselves! Between April and September, the city provides over 2000 bicycles which can be borrowed from one of the over 150 racks located at strategic points. A coin deposit unlocks the rack. The coin is refunded when the cycle is returned.

Copenhagen is not divided into single-purpose districts, so people work, play, shop, and live throughout the central core of this multi layered, densely populated capital. Most sights lie within this one square-mile center. Copenhagen, has the longest pedestrian mall on earth. The mall, Strøget, (pronounced 'stroll' and meaning 'stripe') was completed in 1962 and serves as a model for pedestrian malls all over the world. It is an amalgamation of five streets: Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv and Ostergade. It runs through the center of the city between Rådhuspladsen and Kongens Nytorv, the square at the head of the Nyhavn canal. The mall is filled with fascinating reminders of Denmark's past as well as department stores, shops, restaurants, theaters and museums.

The most affordable way to see Copenhagen is with a Copenhagen card. Choose one for a 24, 48 or 72 hour period and enjoy free travel by public transportation and free entry into more than 60 museums and attractions in the greater Copenhagen area, as well as discounts on many others.

For sightseeing beyond the city there is an excellent and efficient public transportation system. Trains and buses operate from 5 am to midnight. After that, night buses run every half hour from the main bus station at Rådhus Pladsen to most areas of the city and surroundings.

There are many green spaces within and around the city center, with large parks and gardens in which to relax and enjoy the day. Be sure to try a cruise through the canals of Christianshavn, and give a nod in the direction of the Little Mermaid. Architecturally, Copenhagen has more than its share of interesting sights, from the administrative palace of Christianborg Slot on the island of Slotsholmen to the fascinating steeple of the Gothic style Vor Frelsers Kirke.