Copenhagen, Denmark: A Designer’s Dream

Arne Jacobsen is world renowned primarily for his chair designs but nowhere is it as evident as the homage that is being paid to him at the Royal Radisson Blu Hotel, in Copenhagen. You may be familiar with his “7 Chair” along with his other famous chair designs, “The Egg” and “The Swan,” international icons of his work and of Danish furniture designers.

Unfamiliar with the Royal Radisson Blu and its history, as I walked in I felt as though I had stepped back in time to the sixties. The entire hotel is almost an ode to Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971), who designed the hotel.

AJ Suite 606 CPHZH
Club Room
The Alberto K restaurant at the Royal Radisson Blu has an excellent menu and a complementing view, while reflecting the same design features that are prominent throughout the hotel.

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Alberto K Restaurant at Royal Radisson Blu

In spite of the rain, we ventured out to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, a leading international museum in Europe for art and sculpture. If you’ve read any of my prior articles, you already know that sculpture is by far my favorite of art forms. The element of space and light, landscape and architecture dictate the look and feel of this museum yet both aspects are in itself a play on all that is on display within the interiors and exteriors. The museum even extends below into the bowels of the building with an underground exhibition…inspiring!

Meandering the gardens with the backdrop of the sea and on a clear day, you can see Sweden across the sound. Strategically placed are many impressive sculptures…an artist’s paradise. Although it is located approximately 35 minutes outside the city, it is more than worth the trip and if you purchase a Copenhagen card the cost is almost of no consequence.

Sculpture

The famous image of Copenhagen that we often see, with the colorful buildings, is located in Nyhaven where you find a convergence of canals, waterfront restaurants and canal tours.

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Without a doubt, the best way to navigate the city and get a feel of the people, the architecture and the romantic canals is not just by boat but rather by bicycle. For a nominal fee, you can rent a bicycle from almost any main hotel or bicycle shop darted all over the city. My friends decided that we should rent a bike. Not my first choice, but it was the best decision of the trip. We were able to discover four neighborhoods in about four and half hours.

Christianshavn has cafés, canals and one of the most beautiful and artistic churches I’ve ever seen, Vor Frelser Skirke http://www.vorfrelserskirke.dk/; it has the most unusual brown and gold spiral tower that you can climb, which sits on the outside of the church. Our Saviour’s Church (this is the name translated in English) tower stands 14 metres high with great views of the city.

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Close by is Freetown, which is literally a free town, autonomously run by the residents who live there tax free, portraying a “hippy” lifestyle. No pictures are allowed so you will have to see it yourself, but the music, food and many people with alternative lifestyles live and hangout there! Better known for its prior marijuana trade and commune lifestyle. Yet, it is governed by a special law, so what happens in Freetown stays in Freetown! Next we go on to see the famous Little Mermaid, situated in an unsuspecting location along the waterfront doesn’t disappoint. We cycle on to Nørrebro to find up and coming designers and galleries, another neighborhood worth exploring at length if you have time.

It would be remiss not to talk about dining in Copenhagen. The Danes are big meat eaters so if fish is your thing, it is not as popular here. However, two high-end restaurants did oblige.

Sticks and Sushi, http://www.sushi.dk/, is a group of high-end sushi restaurants in both Copenhagen and London. Located on the 12th floor of The Tivoli Hotel, 360º views greet you from a congenial outdoor space. Seated outside after dinner with a blanket and a digestif makes for fun or romantic evening. For the not so brave, they have a quirky area in the back where there are a handful of adult swings to swing on. With or without a drink, in tandem or solo, take in the views from that section of the restaurant along with some funky music in the background to get you motivated. Fun!

 

About the Author: Michelle Lowe, Lifestyle/Travel Editor for World Bride Magazine, based in London, UK. Owner of Yolo Bespoke Ltd., a lifestyle management and event planning company. Over ten years of experience as an Event Planner for Investment Banks in New York City.

 

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