Two worlds meet in Copenhagen

LeisureBest time to visit MayAugustYou need 45 daysMention Copenhagen to a traveller and the reaction is a happy smile The city is not only a prefix for elegant classical design but is also a capital that has the worldrsquos happiest and environmentallyaware people Since Irsquom visiting in winter Irsquom curious about how Irsquoll feel But therersquos something appealing about catching a city off guard as it welcomes anew seasonThe Royal Opera House designed by Henning Larsen is an architectural delightOn a boat journeyIf yoursquore looking for an overview of the city the classic boat tour of Copenhagen is ideal The light mdash alternating pearlgrey and bluegold mdash slants off riverbanks honeycombed with churches castles and old listed houses that date back to the 18th century on one hand and contemporary buildings on the other The stringent lines of the Royal Danish Play House designed by Lene Tranberg and the Opera House created by Henning Larsen that drips deacutecor by celebrated artist Olafur Eliasson among others are the many creative manifestations of Copenhagenrsquos openness to the new And thatrsquos the reason this boat journey glitters for me in reverie Itrsquos my first glimpse into a society that balances the competing imperatives of the traditional and the modernCopenhagen boasts of pristine clear waters as the citizens are very ecoconscious PicsSonia NazarethDesign havenStroget the longest pedestrian shopping street that houses the largest flagship stores of some prominent Danish design brands mdash Georg Jensen Royal Copenhagen Illumrsquos Bolighus mdash is addictive The furniture lighting silverware and porcelain available here are characterised by classic lightness elegance and durability born out of meticulous methodTivoli Gardens is the worldrsquos oldest pleasure gardenI see taps before me of every shape and size colour and texture Even the most mundane object has been reinterpretedJust like the slow food movement mdash which emerged in retaliation to the speed of modern life mdash design in general and the arts in particular have benefited from the slow approach deliberately adopted here The furniture that surrounds me in the Design Museum is the outcome of a long process of selection and preparation of wood This accompanied by careful craftsmanship has longevity written all over itA statue of Hans Christian AndersonDesign infiltrates everything The interiors of the Royal Smushi Cafeacute for instance are designed by Danish design icons such as Holmegaard Bang and Olufsen and Fritz Hansen The Nordic kitchen too has its eye firmly set on the local On the menu here are Danish classics such as Rod grod med flode mdash a red berry pudding with cream and aeblekage which is similar to apple charlotte These delicacies just like the fresh seasonal vegetables locallycaught fish and smoked meats which are a staple on most menus are a manifestation of the triumph of local cultureCopenhagen is a treasure trove of Lego marketsGreen cityBoundaries continue to be pushed The exhibition on at the Design Museum titled Attractive Things Work Better is a perfect example It examines why things with a functional purpose should be practical aesthetic and also attractive That explains the colours and the humorous twist the objects haveMost appealing is that the creativity spills out of the museum and into the city with its patches of green and pristinelyclean harbour As a local wise man tells me at the Lego shop ldquoLego derives from the Danish words lsquoleg godtrsquo which means lsquoplay wellrsquo and this is just what the Danes are accomplished atrdquo Several of the pieces are made with organic textiles or come from brands with an ethical profileIn this part of the world where the only reminders of the Vikings are young men and women helmeted on bicycles pedal power is applauded My guide tells me ldquoBicycling is a majority lifestyle with 55 per cent of people using their bikes daily Itrsquos about building sustainable communities that are healthy ecofriendly and funrdquoThe renaissancestyled Rosenborg Slot a 17th century castle with marbled and painted ceilings gilded mirrors and silver lions is striking The Amalienborg Palace is barnacled with history and is best seen during the daily changing of the royal guard Tivoli Gardens the worldrsquos oldest pleasure garden that opened in 1843 with its fairy lights and fountains may look like tourist spectacle but is ferociously local Thankfully that doesnrsquot stop it from integrating wellloved traditional rides with the latest in robust entertainmentA melting pot of culturesIn many ways these attractions become the set to vibrant life unfolding especially at the time of the music food and documentary festivals that pepper the active events calendar that has become synonymous with Copenhagen That these festivals have acquired as many followers as the cities iconic Carlsberg beer is unsurprising Because little can be compared to experiencing a place where creativity is encouragedCopenhagen has all the elements of a Hans Christian Anderson fairytale The design experiments to make the kingdom a worthy paradise The environmental dragons to be vanquished and slain by an army of ethical people The importance of the tiniest detail to the overall script Here if anywhere itrsquos easy to dip into a pocket of hope to believe the earth can be saved mdash in a city that acts as invitation to think about what we can collectively do