Denmark is a country where fairy tales are written directly on the facades of houses. Nyhavn, The Little Mermaid, bicycles and warmth. A country that invented hygge — the art of being happy here and now.
Copenhagen is a city that makes you want to slow down. Not because there is nothing to do, but because everything here is worth pausing for.
Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, but he made Copenhagen a city of fairy tales. His stories — about ugly ducklings, mermaids and steadfast tin soldiers — have permeated Danish culture entirely. Arriving in Copenhagen, you understand where they come from: this city is itself an illustration from a book. Coloured houses, quiet canals, bicycles everywhere.
The Danes invented a word: hygge — pronounced something like "hoo-guh". There is no precise translation. It is cosiness, warmth, being present in the moment. Candles on the table, hot coffee, good company. Hygge is a philosophy, and it is visible in every café, every park, every gesture.
The Little Mermaid has sat on her rock at the Langelinie waterfront since 1913. Sculptor Edvard Eriksen created her after Andersen's fairy tale — ballet dancer Ellen Price posed for the body, the sculptor's wife for the face. In a hundred years she has been beheaded several times, had her arm sawn off, been painted in various colours. She always returns to her place.
A Danish folk legend says: if a merman finds a person who will love her as she is — she will become real. Perhaps that is why people come to her — in hope of something genuine.
Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world, opened in 1843. Andersen was a regular guest. It is said that Tivoli inspired Walt Disney to create Disneyland. In the evening, when thousands of lights come on — you believe it.
Copenhagen is one of Europe's most expensive cities — but worth it. Best time: summer, when the day lasts nearly 18 hours and the whole city comes outside. Essential: Nyhavn in the morning before tourists, The Little Mermaid at sunrise, a cycle ride along the canals, smørrebrød in any café (open sandwiches — the national dish), and an evening in Tivoli when the lights come on. The airport is 15 minutes from the centre by metro.