The charm of Ventotene is apparent the moment you spot it from the boat transporting you to its shores. Sitting there like a lonely sponge cake protruding from the surface of a clear blue plate, the island's sheer size -- or lack thereof -- promises something not only special but personal.
Arriving on this tiny island off the west coast of Italy, you enter the port built into the side of the volcanic island by the ancient Romans and only recently developed and expanded to provide for heavier traffic. The fishermen's boats lining the harbor along with pizza and scuba shops give the island that quintessential small-town Italian feel.
To get to the center of the island, you walk the winding ramp to Piazza Castello, where the town hall sits. Grab a cappuccino at one of the two cafes there, which moonlight as restaurants during peak season from May to October. If caffeine doesn't satisfy you, grab a bottle of wine at one of the local alimentari and sit in the park right off the square for majestic views of the small uninhabited island of Santo Stefano (used to detain Mussolini's adversaries during his rule).
Part of the cluster of islands known as the Pontines, Ventotene -- which gets its name from the Italian word for wind, "vento" -- lies in the Tyrrhenian Sea just west of the mainland region of Campania.
It occupies less than a square mile, and its history dates to the Roman Empire, when emperors such as Augustus and Tiberius found the island's isolation perfect for banished troublemakers. During World War II, it was used as a listening post by a German garrison before being captured by the Allies in 1943.
The island also has a rich literary history. It is thought that Homer intended this to be the spot where Ulysses confronted the sirens during his long journey home. John Steinbeck wrote about the 1943 U.S. raid on Ventotene while he was a war correspondent for the New York Herald Tribune.
During the day, you can sunbathe at one of the three main beaches. Cala Nave is the preferred choice for its accessibility, black volcanic sand and rock outcroppings that make for ideal basking in the intense Mediterranean sun.
Ventotene has become a scuba diving destination because of its lush and mostly undisturbed aquatic life. There are several scuba-diving schools on the island, one of which was erected in the late '70s and is the oldest scuba academy in the whole of Italy. Private and group lessons start at 100 euros.
Ventotene's size makes it perfect for simply setting off and exploring. Walking is cheap, and traversing the bright landscape -- which often doubles as cliff's edge because of the island's narrow width -- is rewarding not only for its brilliantly colored vegetation but also for its panoramic views and lack of entry fee.
Lower on the island, discover the chiseled rocks pockmarked by saline (little crevices used to collect fresh salt water in ancient times) and the sea caves down by the port where transparent pools often act as windows into the astonishing marine life that surrounds the island.
If you're looking for something a little less nature-oriented, there are two museums. Villa Giulia -- which is less enclosed museum than outdoor relic -- is the ancient remains of a structure that housed/imprisoned Emperor Augustus' daughter, Giulia, who was exiled there for her promiscuity and immorality. The other is the Archeological Museum, which in its more standard presentation holds many artifacts that have been uncovered on the island over the years.
Unlike its more frantic (by Italian standards) and popular southern neighbors, Ischia and Capri, Ventotene has barely been touched by international tourism. The hotels are affordable, and the food isn't overpriced. Today, it's home to a year-round population of about 600. That number skyrockets during the summer months, especially in August, when it seems that every Italian heads to the seaside, or September, when the Festival of Saint Candice (Festa di Santa Candida) turns the island into one extended party.
Ventotene's real appeal isn't in its breathtaking 360-degree sea views, its clear, clean water or even its architecture and people. There are other places in Italy just as stunning. Its charm is in the sense you get that you're experiencing something not discovered by the tourists who flock en masse to the rest of Italy year-round. A sense you're among Italians.
Getting there: Ferries run from Naples and Formia
Dining: The island's restaurants keep visitors well-fed during peak season from May to October. Da Benito, with an unparalleled location literally inside the foot of a cliff, or Il Giardino, known for its lentils, are popular choices. The choices are more limited off season.
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Culture. Show all posts
2008/10/18
Munich's new modern design
by Aric Chen
For much of the world, Munich is likely to evoke one or more stereotypical images, among them the Glockenspiel in the tower of the neo-Gothic Rathaus, or city hall; the annual Oktoberfest bacchanal; and mustachioed men wearing lederhosen. Style, a word generally not associated with lederhosen, doesn't spring to mind. But these days Munich, Germany's third-largest city and the capital of Bavaria, is shedding its dirndls and feathered caps in favor of cutting-edge design.
For much of the world, Munich is likely to evoke one or more stereotypical images, among them the Glockenspiel in the tower of the neo-Gothic Rathaus, or city hall; the annual Oktoberfest bacchanal; and mustachioed men wearing lederhosen. Style, a word generally not associated with lederhosen, doesn't spring to mind. But these days Munich, Germany's third-largest city and the capital of Bavaria, is shedding its dirndls and feathered caps in favor of cutting-edge design.
Until my latest visit, I hadn't thought much of the city. I had traveled there twice—once as a backpacking teenager lured by the promise of copious beer, and again about 10 years later—and in my more sober moments Munich seemed a bit of a bore. It was as if the Wittelsbachs were still holed up in the royal palace: the spires of Baroque churches soared above winding streets, throngs followed the pied-piping Glockenspiel to the Marienplatz (the historic main square), and the Odeonsplatz and tony Maximilianstrasse presided with Italianate decorum. Munich was charming, elegant and postcard-perfect—but often as riveting as a boiled Bavarian potato. It was a well-preserved time warp rebuilt after World War II with a hint of self-satisfied, Disneyesque preciousness.
That's no longer the case. "In some ways, Munich has always been a creative city," says Christian Haas, a young local designer, over drinks at Heyluigi, a bustling boîte in the fashionable Glockenbach neighborhood, where a herd of wall-mounted plastic animals is the primary décor. "But it's changed a lot in recent years," he adds.
As Munich celebrates its 850th birthday this year, its historic center remains pleasantly intact—though it's now also home to a new synagogue and a Jewish Museum, designed by German firm Wandel Hoefer Lorch and opened in 2007. They are signs not just of a reinvigorated Jewish community but of a burst of innovation, powered by a strong economy (companies like BMW and Siemens call Munich home) and by the global boom in contemporary design. Driving in from the airport, one sees the evidence immediately: there's the Allianz soccer stadium, an illuminated doughnut completed for the 2006 World Cup by vanguard Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Closer to town are the BMW Museum and the glittering new BMW World, a car-delivery center accessorized with restaurants and shops. The swooping glass-and-steel leviathan, designed by Austrian firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, looks like a spaceship touching down.
Even the old center has received a design-driven jump start. Inserted with surgical precision inside a historic city block, Herzog & de Meuron's Fünf Höfe ("five courtyards") complex offers a Kubrickesque take on a 19th-century shopping arcade, its passageways and interior quadrangles distinguished by hanging plants, warped walls and a sculptural sphere by the artist Olafur Eliasson. One night, I met Uli Tredup, a Munich-based interior designer, for dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant called Brenner. The salsiccia was a bit dry, but the scene said it all, as bijoux-laden ladies and Gucci-swathed men navigated the minefield of high-end shopping bags by their chairs. More telling than the conspicuous consumption was the setting of the restaurant itself, which occupies the vaulted cavern of the city's royal stables, now encased within a modern complex built behind a Victorian-era façade. It's an 18th-century relic wrapped in 21st-century glass inside a 19th-century shell—an apt metaphor for the city's hybridization. The new creative energy is welcomed by Tredup, who has designed smart galleries and shops in Munich—including the Nymphenburg porcelain showroom and the Talbot Runhof boutique—as well as a house for Boris Becker.
Locals describe their home, tongue-in-cheek, as Italy's northernmost city. The pace is relaxed, and in summer the beer gardens are packed and the sky is pristine—an ideal habitat for the sun worshipers who stake their ground, full monty, in the R-rated section of the sprawling English Garden. "It's an extremely pleasant city," says Ingo Maurer, 76, the local designer who's legendary for his poetic lighting fixtures. "The feeling is gemütlich [cozy]," he says. Originally from the German side of Lake Constance, Maurer, who lives part-time in New York, settled in Munich four decades ago. With its egg yolk-yellow buildings hemming a quiet courtyard, his compound just off Kaiserstrasse could be described as gemütlich as well. This month, Maurer plans to open his first-ever Munich showroom, where visitors will find his classics—say, an explosive chandelier of shattered china—along with exhibitions, lectures and his latest work.
Munich is also home to designer Konstantin Grcic, renowned for the technological and formal innovations of his space-age products, and furniture maker ClassiCon, which produces several Grcic designs. The haute-modern kitchen manufacturer Bulthaup has its headquarters just outside of town. An emerging generation, including Haas and former Grcic protégés Stefan Diez, Nitzan Cohen and Clemens Weisshaar, are bringing their energy and talent to the city just as surefire, imported names like David Chipperfield and Andrée Putman have contributed interiors for, respectively, the Rena Lange boutique and the historic center's Blue Spa and Restaurant, at the Bayerischer Hof hotel.
The inventive crowd now flocks to a number of newly buzzing establishments. In the historic center they fill the restaurant Schumann's, a standby having a revival, and Saf im Zerwirk, a vegan eatery designed by Cohen. In nearby Glockenbach they savor tagliatelli al ragù at Heyluigi or the all-day breakfast at Café Maria, sip wine at the chilled-out Maroto Bar or the livelier Café King, and browse the tightly edited design bookstore Soda.
Not all is new here in terms of groundbreaking design. Munich was home to the Deutscher Werkbund, the seminal early-20th-century association—a Bauhaus precursor—that sought to integrate crafts with modern industry. Among its members were artists Richard Riemerschmid and Peter Behrens, who would help found the Neue Sammlung museum, which today has the world's largest collection, at around 75,000 objects, of modern and contemporary design. In 2002, the museum left its "provisional" home of nearly 80 years for dramatically expanded quarters in the Pinakothek der Moderne. Among its soaring galleries is one of the most comprehensive design installations I've ever seen, spanning Art Nouveau chairs, the Bauhaus, and mid-20th-century masters, as well as Macintosh computers and Braun appliances.
Nowadays, the city's forward-looking spirit shows up in unexpected ways. Consider the Nymphenburg porcelain manufactory, located in the 17th-century Nymphenburg Palace, its home for more than 250 years. The frilly figurines and Rococo dinner services are still handcrafted using machines powered by water. Swans ripple across the ponds of the palace grounds, where you might spot Franz, the current Duke of Bavaria, walking his dachshund, Wastl. But Nymphenburg's kilns are also producing some of the most notable contemporary designs around: porcelain driftwood candleholders by Ted Muehling, plates by Hella Jongerius that reveal the process of applying decoration, faux-stitched teapots by Grcic. "We want to explore what's possible in porcelain, while creating timeless pieces that have long-term value," Nymphenburg's CEO, Jörg Richtsfeld, tells me.
Munich is remaking itself by engaging its past. Its most radical spaces (think of Fünf Höfe or even Brenner) have emerged from a rich historical fabric, just as Nymphenburg's froufrou porcelain has evolved into pieces now coveted by avant-garde aficionados. The city is wresting innovation from its most entrenched traditions. And that may soon even extend—yes—to lederhosen. "It took me five years of living in Munich before I would even go to Oktoberfest, and 20 years to wear lederhosen there," says the designer Uli Tredup. "But now it's actually sort of cool for the kids to wear traditional clothes."
2008/10/17
Sun-splashed Miami on a budget
It might be notorious for its late-night party scene, swanky beach hotels with steeply priced drinks and the beachgoers who wear barely-there $300 swimsuits, but vacationing Miami-style doesn't have to cost a fortune.
From $3 beers to staying at a hostel for $34 a night to $7 bike rides along the Florida Everglades, visitors looking for deals have lots of options in the area.
Lodging
If you're adventurous and on a tight budget, consider staying in a hostel. Rooms can house anywhere between three and 14 travelers, sleeping on bunk beds, from $18 a night per person to about $40, depending on season and room size. Hostels in Miami Beach include Tropics Hotel & Hostel (1550 Collins Ave.), Jazz on South Beach Hostel (321 Collins Ave.), and South Beach Hostel (235 Washington Ave.).
For more conventional lodging, research your hotel at the one-stop shopping Web site http://www.miamihotels.com. Book a room while looking for nearby attractions, beaches and events.
Miami Beach
The Lincoln Road pedestrian mall is perfect for strolls and people-watching. You'll find dozens of restaurants and shops, along with locals walking dogs or weaving through the crowds on roller blades.
For a quick bite, check out Pizza Rustica (667 Lincoln Road, other locations on Washington Avenue), where you can get a huge slice of gourmet pizza for about $5. This is also a great spot for club-goers looking for something to fill their stomachs after a few drinks since it's open from 11 a.m. until 3 or 4 a.m.
At 625 Lincoln Road is a hidden gem popular with the locals. Snuggled between two stores is the narrow, tiny bar called Zeke's Roadhouse, which boasts more than 80 bottled beers and drafts from around the world -- each just $3. No hard alcohol is sold here, and no outside food or drinks are allowed on the premises. Keep your ID handy since bartenders check it with each purchase. No ID, no beer.
If you prefer to spend your time on the sand, the beach is walking distance (and free, unless you rent the pricey beach chairs). On your stroll, check out the Art Deco architecture and ritzy hotels. Or snap some pictures at the Casa Casuarina mansion where fashion designer Gianni Versace once lived, now a luxury hotel at 1116 Ocean Drive.
A drink at a trendy hotel bar on the beach -- the Delano, Setai, Shore Club, Gansevoort -- can cost up to $15, but you might just run into a celebrity. Owen Wilson was spotted at the Delano while filming "Marley & Me" with Jennifer Aniston. She reportedly spent time at the Mandarin Oriental.
Many restaurants in South Beach and other touristy areas automatically add a tip (usually 15-18 percent) to the bill.
Art and gardens
The Miami Art Museum (101 W. Flagler St.) has a unique collection of different cultural traditions of South Florida. Adults pay $8, seniors $4, free for children under 12 and students with ID; free to all on the second Saturday of each month. Also on second Saturdays, local galleries and studios in the Wynwood Art District offer free wine (or beer) on a gallery walk, 7-10 p.m. The Wynwood galleries are open other days as well.
A short cab ride away, in the heart of Miami about a mile from downtown, is Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (3251 S. Miami Ave.) built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916. The landmark property includes a main house filled with treasures from around the world, a walkway lined with fountains and foliage, 10 acres of formal gardens and a hardwood hammock overlooking Biscayne Bay. Admission for adults is $12; children 6-12, $5; ages 5 and younger free.
Not far away, in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables, is the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
(10901 Old Cutler Road) with an extensive collection of rare tropical plants. Stop by its verandah restaurant or garden cafe, or spend the afternoon drinking tea here. Adults pay $20; seniors $15; children 6-17, $10. Admission is pay as you wish on the first Wednesday of each month.
Entertainment and food
Transit Lounge in the downtown area (729 SW First Ave.) hosts several local bands during the week that play Latin and funk music. A drink is around $6; open late (5 a.m.). If you get tired of dancing, sit along the walls adorned with paintings done by local artists and play that favorite game from childhood, Connect Four.
Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street, hosts Viernes Culturales or Cultural Fridays the last Friday of every month. The art and street festival spans four blocks lined with more than a dozen galleries, restaurants blasting Latin music and cigar shops -- some offering free drinks and appetizers. Stages are set up for live music. Organizers say the Latin festival attracts over 10,000 people to the heart of Little Havana. Dancing and cigar smoking is encouraged.
While on Calle Ocho, don't miss the Cuban food and coffee at Little Havana's famed Versailles Restaurant (3555 SW Eighth St.) a required stop for vote-seeking politicians -- including, most recently, Republican presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.
Nature
The best way to see South Florida's alligator-infested waters is riding an airboat through the Everglades. Everglades Alligator Farm is about 35 miles south of Miami in Homestead, while Everglades Safari Park is about 15 miles west on the Tamiami Trail. Both places offer a chance to experience Florida's river of grass up close. You can even take a picture holding a baby alligator or watch an alligator show. The adventure, airboat and all, costs about $23 for adults, $15 or less for children. Both Web sites offer printable discount coupons.
Also in Homestead, Shark Valley Tram Tours rents bikes for $6.50 an hour. A 15-mile nature trail through the northern region of Everglades National Park takes two to three hours. If you'd rather rest your feet, a two-hour guided tram ride with wildlife viewing and a stop at the Shark Valley observation tower for a panoramic view of the Everglades costs $15.25 ($9.25 for ages 3-12). (Access to Shark Valley was limited in early October due to flooding, with tram tours suspended and bike routes limited, so check on conditions before you plan a trip there.)
The fee for car entry to Everglades National Park is $10, good for seven consecutive days, or $5 per person on foot, bike or motorcycle.
Transportation
Miami lacks comprehensive public transportation, but there are economical ways to get around. You can't miss the big blue Super Shuttle vans from the airport to the beach and Miami hotels, $20 plus tip. The Tri-Rail is a convenient, affordable way to navigate the region, with stops including area airports, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. One-way fares are $2-$5.50, all-day $4 weekend fare.
Taxis are widely available if you prefer not to rent a car. A ride from the airport to the beach can cost about $30-35.
From $3 beers to staying at a hostel for $34 a night to $7 bike rides along the Florida Everglades, visitors looking for deals have lots of options in the area.
Lodging
If you're adventurous and on a tight budget, consider staying in a hostel. Rooms can house anywhere between three and 14 travelers, sleeping on bunk beds, from $18 a night per person to about $40, depending on season and room size. Hostels in Miami Beach include Tropics Hotel & Hostel (1550 Collins Ave.), Jazz on South Beach Hostel (321 Collins Ave.), and South Beach Hostel (235 Washington Ave.).
For more conventional lodging, research your hotel at the one-stop shopping Web site http://www.miamihotels.com. Book a room while looking for nearby attractions, beaches and events.
Miami Beach
The Lincoln Road pedestrian mall is perfect for strolls and people-watching. You'll find dozens of restaurants and shops, along with locals walking dogs or weaving through the crowds on roller blades.
For a quick bite, check out Pizza Rustica (667 Lincoln Road, other locations on Washington Avenue), where you can get a huge slice of gourmet pizza for about $5. This is also a great spot for club-goers looking for something to fill their stomachs after a few drinks since it's open from 11 a.m. until 3 or 4 a.m.
At 625 Lincoln Road is a hidden gem popular with the locals. Snuggled between two stores is the narrow, tiny bar called Zeke's Roadhouse, which boasts more than 80 bottled beers and drafts from around the world -- each just $3. No hard alcohol is sold here, and no outside food or drinks are allowed on the premises. Keep your ID handy since bartenders check it with each purchase. No ID, no beer.
If you prefer to spend your time on the sand, the beach is walking distance (and free, unless you rent the pricey beach chairs). On your stroll, check out the Art Deco architecture and ritzy hotels. Or snap some pictures at the Casa Casuarina mansion where fashion designer Gianni Versace once lived, now a luxury hotel at 1116 Ocean Drive.
A drink at a trendy hotel bar on the beach -- the Delano, Setai, Shore Club, Gansevoort -- can cost up to $15, but you might just run into a celebrity. Owen Wilson was spotted at the Delano while filming "Marley & Me" with Jennifer Aniston. She reportedly spent time at the Mandarin Oriental.
Many restaurants in South Beach and other touristy areas automatically add a tip (usually 15-18 percent) to the bill.
Art and gardens
The Miami Art Museum (101 W. Flagler St.) has a unique collection of different cultural traditions of South Florida. Adults pay $8, seniors $4, free for children under 12 and students with ID; free to all on the second Saturday of each month. Also on second Saturdays, local galleries and studios in the Wynwood Art District offer free wine (or beer) on a gallery walk, 7-10 p.m. The Wynwood galleries are open other days as well.
A short cab ride away, in the heart of Miami about a mile from downtown, is Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (3251 S. Miami Ave.) built by agricultural industrialist James Deering in 1916. The landmark property includes a main house filled with treasures from around the world, a walkway lined with fountains and foliage, 10 acres of formal gardens and a hardwood hammock overlooking Biscayne Bay. Admission for adults is $12; children 6-12, $5; ages 5 and younger free.
Not far away, in the Miami suburb of Coral Gables, is the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
(10901 Old Cutler Road) with an extensive collection of rare tropical plants. Stop by its verandah restaurant or garden cafe, or spend the afternoon drinking tea here. Adults pay $20; seniors $15; children 6-17, $10. Admission is pay as you wish on the first Wednesday of each month.
Entertainment and food
Transit Lounge in the downtown area (729 SW First Ave.) hosts several local bands during the week that play Latin and funk music. A drink is around $6; open late (5 a.m.). If you get tired of dancing, sit along the walls adorned with paintings done by local artists and play that favorite game from childhood, Connect Four.
Calle Ocho, or Eighth Street, hosts Viernes Culturales or Cultural Fridays the last Friday of every month. The art and street festival spans four blocks lined with more than a dozen galleries, restaurants blasting Latin music and cigar shops -- some offering free drinks and appetizers. Stages are set up for live music. Organizers say the Latin festival attracts over 10,000 people to the heart of Little Havana. Dancing and cigar smoking is encouraged.
While on Calle Ocho, don't miss the Cuban food and coffee at Little Havana's famed Versailles Restaurant (3555 SW Eighth St.) a required stop for vote-seeking politicians -- including, most recently, Republican presidential contenders Rudy Giuliani and Mike Huckabee.
Nature
The best way to see South Florida's alligator-infested waters is riding an airboat through the Everglades. Everglades Alligator Farm is about 35 miles south of Miami in Homestead, while Everglades Safari Park is about 15 miles west on the Tamiami Trail. Both places offer a chance to experience Florida's river of grass up close. You can even take a picture holding a baby alligator or watch an alligator show. The adventure, airboat and all, costs about $23 for adults, $15 or less for children. Both Web sites offer printable discount coupons.
Also in Homestead, Shark Valley Tram Tours rents bikes for $6.50 an hour. A 15-mile nature trail through the northern region of Everglades National Park takes two to three hours. If you'd rather rest your feet, a two-hour guided tram ride with wildlife viewing and a stop at the Shark Valley observation tower for a panoramic view of the Everglades costs $15.25 ($9.25 for ages 3-12). (Access to Shark Valley was limited in early October due to flooding, with tram tours suspended and bike routes limited, so check on conditions before you plan a trip there.)
The fee for car entry to Everglades National Park is $10, good for seven consecutive days, or $5 per person on foot, bike or motorcycle.
Transportation
Miami lacks comprehensive public transportation, but there are economical ways to get around. You can't miss the big blue Super Shuttle vans from the airport to the beach and Miami hotels, $20 plus tip. The Tri-Rail is a convenient, affordable way to navigate the region, with stops including area airports, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach. One-way fares are $2-$5.50, all-day $4 weekend fare.
Taxis are widely available if you prefer not to rent a car. A ride from the airport to the beach can cost about $30-35.
2008/10/16
Copenhagen: Insider tips
Trump card
The Copenhagen Card entitles you to free use of the city's train, bus and metro systems, as well as free admission to 60 museums and attractions. There are two versions, valid for either for either 24 hours (199 DKR) or 72 hours (429 DKR), which you can buy at tourist offices, train stations and some hotels
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Make your way some 40km north of the city to this fascinating museum -- it's well worth the effort. Set in a beautiful sculpture park in the coastal village of Humlebaek, Louisiana is a beguiling combination of nature, architecture and contemporary art.
On the up
Check out the district of Nørrebro for a taste of the 'other side' of Copenhagen. Slightly grungy, defiantly hip and definitely up-and-coming, this area has had its share of social problems, but it also has an undeniable energy and is increasingly popular with Copenhagen's young-and-trendy set.
Pass the Post
The Copenhagen Post is a weekly English-language paper, available from train stations and newsstands. It comes with the 16-page "In & Out Guide," which has complete entertainment listings and is worth the cover price by itself.
Route canal
Take a load off and let a canal boat take the strain as it meanders through Copenhagen's waterways. DFDS Canal Tours offers one-hour guided tours from Nyhaven and Gammel Strand, as well as a water bus service that allows you to board and disembark at any of its 16 stops.
Free museums
Two of the city's finest cultural treasures, the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery) and The National Museum don't charge for admission. A number of Copenhagen's museums and galleries offer free entry on Wednesdays, including the excellent Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket.
The Copenhagen Card entitles you to free use of the city's train, bus and metro systems, as well as free admission to 60 museums and attractions. There are two versions, valid for either for either 24 hours (199 DKR) or 72 hours (429 DKR), which you can buy at tourist offices, train stations and some hotels
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Make your way some 40km north of the city to this fascinating museum -- it's well worth the effort. Set in a beautiful sculpture park in the coastal village of Humlebaek, Louisiana is a beguiling combination of nature, architecture and contemporary art.
On the up
Check out the district of Nørrebro for a taste of the 'other side' of Copenhagen. Slightly grungy, defiantly hip and definitely up-and-coming, this area has had its share of social problems, but it also has an undeniable energy and is increasingly popular with Copenhagen's young-and-trendy set.
Pass the Post
The Copenhagen Post is a weekly English-language paper, available from train stations and newsstands. It comes with the 16-page "In & Out Guide," which has complete entertainment listings and is worth the cover price by itself.
Route canal
Take a load off and let a canal boat take the strain as it meanders through Copenhagen's waterways. DFDS Canal Tours offers one-hour guided tours from Nyhaven and Gammel Strand, as well as a water bus service that allows you to board and disembark at any of its 16 stops.
Free museums
Two of the city's finest cultural treasures, the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery) and The National Museum don't charge for admission. A number of Copenhagen's museums and galleries offer free entry on Wednesdays, including the excellent Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket.
Copenhagen: What to see
Copenhagen is compact and relatively traffic-free, making it a pleasure to explore on foot. Start your visit Start in Indre By, the bustling and historic heart of the city.
Although often described as the longest pedestrianzed street in Europe, Strøget is actually a series of connected streets. Stroll alongside the locals, checking out the street entertainers and boutiques and try not to let your credit card run away with itself.
Make a detour into the Latin Quarter, with its winding streets and historic buildings. The Rundetaarn (Round Tower -- Købmagergade 52) was built in the 17th century and still functions in its original role as an observatory. A wide, rising corridor leads to the top for a fantastic view of the city.
At the eastern end of Strøget is Kongens Nytorv. This expansive square is home to the Royal Theater and Charlottenborg Palace. Its glass-fronted cafés make an excellent spot to take a breather, but if you can hold out, just off the square is Nyhavn, the colorful facades of its medieval buildings providing the perfect backdrop for its harbor-side cafés.
Take the Knippelsbro bridge across the Inderhavnen (inner harbor) to reach the delightful little island of Christianshavn. Its canals and picture-postcard houses have earned it the moniker of 'Little Amsterdam' and its skyline is dominated by the spiraling black and gold spire of the Vor Frelsers Kirke church (Sankt Annæ Gade).
The island is also home of Christiania, the 'free city' that has been populated since 1971 by a community of various dropouts, artists and hippies. An incongruous mix of former army barracks and colorful, ramshackle homes, the mural-lined dirt streets make an interesting detour from the ordered architecture of Copenhagen proper.
Visible across the Inderhavnen is Amalienborg Slotsplads, a regal square surrounded by the four Amalienborg palaces, the royal family's winter residence. You can watch the changing of the guard each day at noon.
Nearby is Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress that has housed by troops since 1660, and just beyond, on the Langelinie coastline, is the small bronze statue of the Little Mermaid. In reality, this tribute to a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is somewhat disappointing, but it remains hugely popular and is an inevitable box to tick on any visitor's itinerary.
Rosenborg Slot is a former royal residence surrounded by a moat in the peaceful setting of Kongens Have (The King's Garden), the city's oldest park, and the nearby Botanisk Have (Botanical Gardens) are a pleasant location for a summer stroll.
Copenhagen also has some superb cultural treasures; be sure to visit the Nationalmuseet (Frederiksholms Kanal 12), which includes a fascinating collection of ancient objects that have survived, preserved in Denmark's peat bogs, and a stunning array of Viking artifacts.
The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery, Sølvgade 48 - 50) has a vast collection representing 700 years of European art, but even more impressive is Ny Carlsberg Glypotek, with its glass-domed Winter Garden, impressive collection of ancient sculpture and a wing devoted to French artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.
End your stay with a trip to Tivoli Gardens. These pricey pleasure gardens in the centre of town may not match bigger amusement parks in terms of thrill rides, but they have bags of charm, fairytale landscaped gardens, a lake, theatres and concert halls. In summer Tivoli stays open until midnight and as dusk falls lanterns twinkle into life and the atmosphere becomes almost magical.
Although often described as the longest pedestrianzed street in Europe, Strøget is actually a series of connected streets. Stroll alongside the locals, checking out the street entertainers and boutiques and try not to let your credit card run away with itself.
Make a detour into the Latin Quarter, with its winding streets and historic buildings. The Rundetaarn (Round Tower -- Købmagergade 52) was built in the 17th century and still functions in its original role as an observatory. A wide, rising corridor leads to the top for a fantastic view of the city.
At the eastern end of Strøget is Kongens Nytorv. This expansive square is home to the Royal Theater and Charlottenborg Palace. Its glass-fronted cafés make an excellent spot to take a breather, but if you can hold out, just off the square is Nyhavn, the colorful facades of its medieval buildings providing the perfect backdrop for its harbor-side cafés.
Take the Knippelsbro bridge across the Inderhavnen (inner harbor) to reach the delightful little island of Christianshavn. Its canals and picture-postcard houses have earned it the moniker of 'Little Amsterdam' and its skyline is dominated by the spiraling black and gold spire of the Vor Frelsers Kirke church (Sankt Annæ Gade).
The island is also home of Christiania, the 'free city' that has been populated since 1971 by a community of various dropouts, artists and hippies. An incongruous mix of former army barracks and colorful, ramshackle homes, the mural-lined dirt streets make an interesting detour from the ordered architecture of Copenhagen proper.
Visible across the Inderhavnen is Amalienborg Slotsplads, a regal square surrounded by the four Amalienborg palaces, the royal family's winter residence. You can watch the changing of the guard each day at noon.
Nearby is Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress that has housed by troops since 1660, and just beyond, on the Langelinie coastline, is the small bronze statue of the Little Mermaid. In reality, this tribute to a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale is somewhat disappointing, but it remains hugely popular and is an inevitable box to tick on any visitor's itinerary.
Rosenborg Slot is a former royal residence surrounded by a moat in the peaceful setting of Kongens Have (The King's Garden), the city's oldest park, and the nearby Botanisk Have (Botanical Gardens) are a pleasant location for a summer stroll.
Copenhagen also has some superb cultural treasures; be sure to visit the Nationalmuseet (Frederiksholms Kanal 12), which includes a fascinating collection of ancient objects that have survived, preserved in Denmark's peat bogs, and a stunning array of Viking artifacts.
The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery, Sølvgade 48 - 50) has a vast collection representing 700 years of European art, but even more impressive is Ny Carlsberg Glypotek, with its glass-domed Winter Garden, impressive collection of ancient sculpture and a wing devoted to French artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.
End your stay with a trip to Tivoli Gardens. These pricey pleasure gardens in the centre of town may not match bigger amusement parks in terms of thrill rides, but they have bags of charm, fairytale landscaped gardens, a lake, theatres and concert halls. In summer Tivoli stays open until midnight and as dusk falls lanterns twinkle into life and the atmosphere becomes almost magical.
2008/10/11
Copenhagen: City overview
A recent study on global wellbeing showed the Danes to be the happiest people on the planet and with about a fifth of them living in their capital it stands to reason that Copenhagen must be a little bit special.
So what are they so happy about? Well, lifestyle magazine Monocle recently named Copenhagen as being the world's most livable city, highlighting the quality of its infrastructure, transport system and contemporary buildings.
It's true that the city is well planned and well managed; it boasts a new metro system, the main arteries in the centre are pedestrianized and the other streets are filled with cyclists rather than exhaust fumes.
But Copenhagen is not some soulless exercise in sterile urban planning. There are the winding medieval streets of Indre By and the Latin Quarter, the picture-postcard houses of Nyhavn, the canals of Christanshavn, and the palaces and parks of Fredericksstaden and Rosenborg. The city is, simply, charming.
If you spend some time in Copenhagen you'll quickly come to understand the Danish concept of "hygge", a word with multiple meanings that is best translated as something between "cozy" and "relaxed". But if that suggests a city of bygone cuteness it doesn't take into account the sleek modernism of Danish design.
Arne Jacobsen's legacy can be seen throughout the city (check out the Radisson SAS Royal and Café Stelling) but no less visionary are recent structures such as Henning Larsen's futuristic Opera House or the dramatic new Royal Library, known as the "Black Diamond".
The clean lines and minimalism that characterize Danish design are evident in the interiors of the city's stylish bars, restaurants and hotels and perhaps their influence can even be detected in the trend away from bland, stodgy cooking to a cleaner, healthier style that is earning the city's restaurants acclaim and Michelin stars.
The alternative side of Copenhagen can be seen in places like Christiania, the 'free city' founded in 1971 by a collection of dropouts, hippies and social visionaries.
The fact that this semi-autonomous experiment in communal living has survived for so long is testament to the open-mindedness of the Danish; but the very existence of Christiania has always been controversial and government plans to 'normalize' the area suggest it may not be 'free' much longer.
Like any city of its size, Copenhagen has its share of social problems. Nørrebro has been the scene of a riots in recent years, with some commentators blaming social deprivation and others blaming boredom among young people.
But it is working class areas like Nørrebro and Vesterbro, away from the tourist trail, that are the beating heart of the city. They are home to many of Copenhagen's trendiest bars and clubs and they have a sense of community that is difficult to convey; it is something Danes might describe as "hygge".
So why are the Danish so happy? Go to Copenhagen and you'll understand.
So what are they so happy about? Well, lifestyle magazine Monocle recently named Copenhagen as being the world's most livable city, highlighting the quality of its infrastructure, transport system and contemporary buildings.
It's true that the city is well planned and well managed; it boasts a new metro system, the main arteries in the centre are pedestrianized and the other streets are filled with cyclists rather than exhaust fumes.
But Copenhagen is not some soulless exercise in sterile urban planning. There are the winding medieval streets of Indre By and the Latin Quarter, the picture-postcard houses of Nyhavn, the canals of Christanshavn, and the palaces and parks of Fredericksstaden and Rosenborg. The city is, simply, charming.
If you spend some time in Copenhagen you'll quickly come to understand the Danish concept of "hygge", a word with multiple meanings that is best translated as something between "cozy" and "relaxed". But if that suggests a city of bygone cuteness it doesn't take into account the sleek modernism of Danish design.
Arne Jacobsen's legacy can be seen throughout the city (check out the Radisson SAS Royal and Café Stelling) but no less visionary are recent structures such as Henning Larsen's futuristic Opera House or the dramatic new Royal Library, known as the "Black Diamond".
The clean lines and minimalism that characterize Danish design are evident in the interiors of the city's stylish bars, restaurants and hotels and perhaps their influence can even be detected in the trend away from bland, stodgy cooking to a cleaner, healthier style that is earning the city's restaurants acclaim and Michelin stars.
The alternative side of Copenhagen can be seen in places like Christiania, the 'free city' founded in 1971 by a collection of dropouts, hippies and social visionaries.
The fact that this semi-autonomous experiment in communal living has survived for so long is testament to the open-mindedness of the Danish; but the very existence of Christiania has always been controversial and government plans to 'normalize' the area suggest it may not be 'free' much longer.
Like any city of its size, Copenhagen has its share of social problems. Nørrebro has been the scene of a riots in recent years, with some commentators blaming social deprivation and others blaming boredom among young people.
But it is working class areas like Nørrebro and Vesterbro, away from the tourist trail, that are the beating heart of the city. They are home to many of Copenhagen's trendiest bars and clubs and they have a sense of community that is difficult to convey; it is something Danes might describe as "hygge".
So why are the Danish so happy? Go to Copenhagen and you'll understand.
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