ART

One of the world's great design capitals
You would expect Copenhagen and its surroundings to have something rather special up its sleeve in the art and design department, and you will not be disappointed.
Copenhagen's architectural richness is one of the first things that strikes new visitors to the city.

From the delightful 17th century Dutch-style town houses that line the quay at Nyhavn to the dynamic, modern extensions to venerable old buildings such as the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Statens Museum for Kunst and The Royal Library, Copenhagen's buildings will dazzle and charm you.

This also happens to be Arne Jacobsen's Copenhagen town, and Jacobsen crops up in the city's renowned art and design museums, such as the recently opened Danske Design Center and the much loved Kunstindustriemuseet (Museum of Decorative Arts).

Art museums are also plentiful here. Lousiana Museum of Modern Art's idyllic location beside the waters of the Øresund provides a serene backdrop for its world class collection. Lousiana's temporary exhibitions usually feature world famous artists, such as Miro, Warhol and Hockney, and draw audiences from around the world.

The Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery), meanwhile, boasts an impressive collection of classical and contemporary art, while the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek focuses on ancient Mediterranean art, and Danish and French art of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Last, but by no means least, come Copenhagen's fashion designers, currently at the very top of the tree internationally. So if only the cutting edge of catwalk trends will satisfy you, this is the city to melt your credit cards.

Activities & entertainment
The Copenhagen area boasts an extraordinarily broad range of activities and entertainments to suit all ages and tastes.
Tivoli Gardens is usually top of everyone's list of places to visit, its unique style and atmosphere are as synonymous with the city as the Little Mermaid.

But you should not forget the amusement park Bakken to the north of the city, which, though equally appealing, is often overlooked by foreign visitors.

Meanwhile, several of Copenhagen's museums enjoy a deserved international reputation for their rich collections and inventive temporary exhibitions.

The biggest museum is Nationalmuseet (the National Museum), but there are plenty more specialised museums such as the Tøjhusmuseet (the Armoury Museum) and Teater Museet (the Theatre Museum).

Beer and eroticism are on the agenda at the Carlsberg Museum and the Museum of Erotica, and to complete the trinity of Copenhagen's most popular vices, there is also the Tobacco Museum on Strøget.

Meanwhile, Copenhagen Zoo is world renowned as a centre for the breeding of endangered animals, and those that did not make it are on show, stuffed, at the Zoological Museum!

And let us not forget the city itself, whose historical buildings and grand parks offer endless opportunities for enchanting walks and vistas.

Museums of modern art
To the benefit of both visitors and Copenhageners, brand new art museums and extensions to existing museums are being built these years. And you rarely get to see the same exhibition twice.
The top three in the area

Statens Museum for Kunst (The National Gallery)
Sølvgade 48 - 50, City

European and Danish paintings and sculptures from the 15th century onwards. Works from Albrecht Dürer to Picasso.

Arken (Museum of Modern Art)
Strandparken, Ishøj

20th-century paintings, achitecture, sculptures and collages.

Louisiana (Museum of Modern Art)
Gl. Strandvej 13, Humlebæk

Extensive collection of modern art from 1945 onwards, as well as changing exhibitions focusing on modern, international art.

Galleries
There has never before been so much variety available, featuring provocative video installations rubbing shoulders with established Danish painters and sculptors. The range of experiences available during a stroll down just a single street in Copenhagen or a tour in the countryside is impressively varied.
Bredgade, in the heart of Copenhagen's financial district, is Copenhagen to Gallery Susanne Højriis, specialising in minimalist and figurative Danish artists. Gallery Christian Dam, Gallery Birch and Gallery Asbæk are platforms for cutting edge Danish artists. The latter also presents two international exhibitions every year.

In contrast to many major European cities, Copenhagen's contemporary art galleries are relatively centralised, making a one-day recce a distinct possibility for the intrepid art lover, with time left to return to savour one or two exhibitions at leisure.

Design in Copenhagen
If you have a particular interest in interior design, you should pay a visit to the new 5-storey Danish Design Centre on HC Andersens Boulevard, which hosts regularly changing exhibitions on a diverse range of design-related themes. The impressive glass-fronted building is another of Henning Larsen's masterpieces.
Meanwhile, Kunstindustrimuseet (The Danish Museum of Decorative Art) charts the progress of Danish and international decorative design over the centuries.

The Royal Academy School of Architecture on Holmen holds regular exhibitions in Meldahls Smedie, while the nearby Danish Centre For Architecture at Gammel Dok offers changing exhibitions. It also features an excellent bookshop and café.

Design institutions
Showrooms