Copenhagen
Denmark's political, financial and artistic centre, COPENHAGEN is one of Europe's most user-friendly cities, a small and welcoming place where people rather than cars set the pace – and as most of the attractions, hotels, restaurants and nightlife are within the same square mile or so of the city centre, you'll quickly get your bearings. Copenhagen also offers a range of entertainment that belies its relatively modest size: by day, there's a cornucopia of historic royal palaces, national museums, art galleries and excellent shops; by night there are plenty of cosy bars, an intimate club and a live music network that could hardly be bettered, and exciting and ambitious arts venues like the new Operæn opera house and Playhouse theatre (the latter currently under construction). It's a city that comes into its own in summer – cafés spill out onto the streets, live music (especially jazz) is around every corner and the harbour comes to life with plentiful tour boats and busy open-air swimming pools. That's not to say you shouldn't come in winter: temperatures may hover around freezing but the cafés and bars provide warming glögg, Tivoli gets even more festive around Christmas, and temporary ice-skating rinks pop up around the city.

Much of Copenhagen dates from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a cultured ensemble of handsome Renaissance palaces, parks and merchants' houses laid out around the waterways and canals that give the city, in places, a pronounced Dutch flavour. Successive Danish monarchs left their mark here, in particular Christian IV, creator of many of the most striking landmarks including Rosenborg Slot and the district of Christianshavn; and Frederik V, who graced the capital with the palaces of Amalienborg and the grandiose Marmorkirke. These landmarks remain the highest points in a refreshingly low and undeveloped skyline.