The capital and most populated city in Denmark, Copenhagen has an urban population of 1,246,611 and a metropolitan population of 1,969,941. Copenhagen has over 94,000 students enrolled in its largest universities and institutions. Since the turn of the millennium, Copenhagen has seen strong urban and cultural development, facilitated by investment in its institutions and infrastructure. The city is the cultural, economic and governmental centre of Denmark and one of the major financial centres of Northern Europe with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. In 2012, Copenhagen was third in the ranking of the richest cities in the world in terms of gross earnings, dropping from first place in 2009.

City Highlights and Observations
Our last stop on Holland America’s Eurodam was Copenhagen, where we had embarked twelve days previously to begin our Baltic Sea Cruise. Since we would be staying on board the ship overnight, we opted for another “Hop on/Hop Off” tour of the city that would bring us back to the ship, after taking us on three different routes that covered the historic parts of Copenhagen, primarily in the central core of the city . . . including the famous Tivoli Gardens, the Carlsberg Brewery, the Little Mermaid, and the historic neighborhoods that surround the downtown core.

Tivoli Gardens is, of course, one of the most popular and recognizable amusement parks in Europe, if not the world.  Located right in the heart of the city, Tivoli opened on 15 August 1843 and is reported to be the second oldest amusement park in the world. With 4.033 million visitors in 2012, Tivoli is the second most popular seasonal theme park in the world, the most visited theme park in Scandinavia, and the fourth most visited in Europe, only behind Disneyland Paris, Europa-Park Rust and the Efteling.

The Little Mermaid, a bronze statue of a mermaid by Edward Erksen is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the popular Langelinie promenade and park, in the northeastern part of the city. It measures about 4.1 ft and weighs 385 pounds. Based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since 1913.

THE LITTLE MERMAID

THE ROYAL YACHT