Five ideas for guided tours in Copenhagen

• Tivoli Gardens

  The Tivoli Gardens, located in the heart of the city, are considered the first open amusement park in the world. Its inauguration took place in 1843. The park has almost 9 hectares of gardens, with hundreds of thousands of flowers. It has all kinds of rides and attractions, both ancient and modern, for all ages. There are many restaurants and bars. At night, Tivoli looks like a Christmas garland, with lights everywhere, including the magnificent pagoda near the lake, which glows with a thousand lights.

• The Little Mermaid

  In Churchill Park in Copenhagen harbor stands the bronze statue of the Little Mermaid, the famous heroine of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. The symbol of the Danish capital was donated by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries, and sculpted by the artist Edvard Eriksen. Installed on the quay of Langelinje since 1913, it is turned towards the ocean, and takes place on a rock. Her measurements are surprising when you approach her. The little mermaid is only 1.25 meters tall and weighs 175 kilos, but she is still the symbol of Denmark, and the first thing tourists come to admire.

• Nyhavn

  Nyhavn, which means “New Harbour”, is probably the most picturesque district of Copenhagen. It is a canal that was dug in the 17th century to connect the harbor to the city and the royal district of Frederiksstaden, to facilitate the transportation of goods. For a long time, the place was the haunt of sailors, who came to meet in dirty taverns. Nyhavn has become the most animated and touristic place of the city. It is on the odd side, the sunny side, that most of the animation is concentrated, with its beautiful colored and pastel colored houses, its old sailboats, its art galleries and all its restaurants and cafes. The network of canals and cobbled streets are a must for beautiful walks.

• Rosenborg Castle

  Rosenborg Castle was built from 1606 to 1631 by King Christian IV to be a holiday castle for the royalty, because at that time it was located outside the city walls. The castle was opened to the public to display collections of glassware, old tapestries, stylish furniture, but also and above all the splendid crown jewels. The castle is surrounded by the oldest park in the city, the King’s Garden at Kongens Have, a favorite place for Copenhageners to stroll.

• Christiania

  The Christiana district, located in the heart of Copenhagen, is a kind of self-managed territory. It was created in 1971 by the journalist Jacob Ludvigsen, who squatted for the first time in this former military zone. Very quickly, the place was invaded by a community of hippies, and proclaimed itself as a kind of “autonomous and free territory”, where the sale of cannabis is tolerated. The neighborhood is especially interesting for the freedom it has sought to establish, although violence and gangs have sometimes stained the history of Christiana. On the shores of the lake, you can see all sorts of small houses made of recycled materials, where plants have been integrated. The walls of the neighborhood are a kind of open-air museum, with all the paintings that have been drawn on them. Throughout your journey in Christiana, music will be present, with concerts organized in cafés or in the open air.