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Denmark - and especially Copenhagen - is currently enjoying something of a metamorphosis from the quaint and cosy to a more cosmopolitan image.
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Scandinavian effortless ease
The effortless ease of Scandinavian architecture with its emphasis on the functional has an important part to play in modern-day Denmark. The same goes for the Nation’s venerable traditions in design and sculpture – whether you are exploring the choicest of Danish ceramics in Middelfart or Copenhagen, the history of Danish glassware in Ebeltoft or viewing Danish furniture design near Kolding.
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Design & furnitureDesign freaks make pilgrimages to the country to tread in the footsteps of the great Danish architects of the last century such as Arne Jacobsen and Jørn Utzon – or to visit the many specialist showrooms and auction houses offering original pieces by icons such as Poul Kjærholm, Hans J. Wegner and Børge Mogensen. Furniture design can also be enjoyed as part and parcel of the cityscape at the many cafés and restaurants – and downing beer straight from the bottle may well be forgiven as long as it is done in the seat of an Arne Jacobsen chair!
Cafés and restaurantsModern minimalist cafés are found throughout the country, but the most nose-catching new trend is the number of coffee bars that are popping up on almost every street corner. These coffees bars use only first-class quality beans – so, follow your nose to a refreshing break in your busy sightseeing schedule. Restaurants are changing too – creating their own blend of Nordic cuisine and using only the finest Danish produce.
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New architecture
New architecture and design happily go hand in hand with other cultural sights. In just the last few years the impressive achievements of the architect Henning Larsen have found their expression in buildings such as the extension to the New Carlsberg Glyptothek and Denmark’s new opera house on the island of Holmen in Copenhagen Harbour. The opera house is clad with southern German Jura Gelb limestone, and the foyer features Sicilian Perlatino marble. The wall of the auditorium facing the foyer is clad with maple wood, and the ceiling in the main auditorium is adorned with 105,000 sheets of 24 carat gold leaf.
The greatest architectural undertakings in recent years has been the extension to the Royal Danish Library as well as the Copenhagen Opera. The library is a towering matt black cube with the moniker “The Black Diamond” - it is reflected in the waters of the Copenhagen docks and, to judge from the overwhelming international attention it received, is a fine bid for the City’s new symbolic landmark. Across from this black diamond lies the monumental Copenhagen Opera - light and majestic it looks over the canal towards Amalienborg Palace.
The river is back in town! The cube design recurs in the architects’ work on a new museum of art in Denmark’s second largest city – Århus – which has all the energy of the big city yet at the same time retains a friendly ambience. Just recently the Århus River was uncovered in the City Centre and before long a whole strip of cafés and restaurants shot up to line the waterfront. A spring day by Århus River with a cold draught beer and a bite of smørrebrød can easily turn into a lifelong love affair, not least if rounded off with a visit to The Concert Hall which provides the venue for fine, local and international music events.
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Danish fashion & shoppingAs a concept “Danish Design” has come to the fore in few years. More and more Danish fashion designers have made a name for themselves both within and beyond the country’s borders. Instead of chasing the trends in the fashion meccas of Paris, London or Milan, a new generation of garment creators is cultivating national hallmarks and evolving a distinctive Nordic style.
Design as far as the eye can see
Clothes-shopping represents just one of the many opportunities in the Danish cities of Århus, Odense, Aalborg and, of course, Copenhagen. In these cities it would be impossible not to run into famous Danish designs such as Bang & Olufsen, LEGO, Fritz Hansen Furniture and the award-winning titanium eyewear from Lindberg Optic – one of the biggest success stories in Danish Design in recent times. Also deserving mention here would be the royal Danish porcelain and Danish silver, best represented by Royal Copenhagen and Georg Jensen, but also eminent among the little jeweller’s shops to be found on the narrow side streets of the Danish cities and towns.
Music and nightlifeThe Danes love music – right from the big open-air festivals to the intimate venues offering all the genres – jazz, blues, folk, salsa, modern pop and rock. If you venture out into Denmark's nightlife, there's every chance you'll come across some live music. Along with the recent blossoming of trend-setting cafés and restaurants, a whole raft of new bars have also popped up, many of them offering club culture or a disco. So just step out into Danish nightlife – and don't forget that the Danes themselves only really get down to partying after midnight and don't stop till dawn!
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