Beyond SHOT
SHOT 2012
Copenhagen: Beyond SHOT
Copenhagen is a fascinating city with many interesting historical sites, cultural venues, and entertainment centers. Here are a few suggestions for seeing the city, as well as links to major attractions and sources of general informatrion. You may also want to view selected videos of Copenhagen.
Visit the harbor, the Little Mermaid & Christiania
Take the Metro to Kongen Nytorv; be sure to bring the a city map from your conference folder. Walk along Nyhavn (New harbor) and along the harbor towards the north. The Little Mermaid is located in the harbor to the north-east, off Kastellet, a well preserved fortification from the 17th century, as well as an operating military facility which you can visit. Also, you can take the Metro to Christianshavn where you can see the Dutch style canal neighborhood and walk along the eastern harbor front.
Take a stroll through Frederiksberg Gardens
A beautiful green oasis two blocks from the conference venue. See the Frederiksberg Garden website for more details, and ask at the hotel or conference registration desk for directions.
The Copenhagen WALL
The WALL, a Københavns Museum installation, is a 12-meter long and 2-meter high interactive plasma screen at Frederiksberg Rundel, a 10-15 minute walk from the SHOT venue. Dreamlike, the city looms up before its audience as a 3D image. Then, with a mere wave of your hand across the multi-touch screen, you're able to glide effortlessly from neighborhood to neighborhood through the city's streets. You can also pause and zoom-in on whatever catches your interest. Highly recommended!
Explore Copenhagen town center
Bordered by Kongens Nytorv (metro station) and Rådhuspladsen (Copenhagen Town hall Square), Nørreport (metro station) and the harbor, this 0.7 square mile area dates back to the middle ages. Unfortunately, because the city burned repeatedly, only a few houses are more than 500 years old. This is a great shopping area. Remember to carry your city map.
Ride a citybike
Travel like a Copenhagener! You can use a citybike (bycyklen) for free in central Copenhagen. All you need is a 20-DKK coin; deposit it in the citybike locker and you will get it back when you return your citybike to any of the 110 citybike bike-racks throughout the area. Citybikes are not sophisticated, but they are readily available and easy to use. Remember, you can only use citybikes during daylight hours. See the citybike Website for more information.
Visit Freetown Christiania (Fristaden Christiania)
Take your city map and board the Metro for Christianshavn. Since 1971, Christiania has been a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of about 850 residents. It is beautifully located in a former naval barracks along Copenhagen's ancient fortifications, with ramparts and a moat. Freetown is home to an extensive illegal cannabis trade. The area is safe for tourists and has hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, but you should refrain from taking pictures and exercise the same caution as you would be in any other large urban areas.
Farther afield: visit Malmö, Sweden
This trip will take you past Copenhagen Central Station, Copenhagen Airport, and across the Sound to Malmö in Sweden. Malmö is a beautiful city with excellent shopping. Visit the DSB (Danish Railways) office in Frederiksberg Centeret (Frederiksberg Shopping Mall) next to CBS's Solbjerg Plads building. There you can buy a round-trip ticket to Malmö. Then board the Metro to Nørreport station where you will connect to the Öresundståget (Sound Train) to Malmö. This train operates every 20 minutes. NOTE: Non-EU citizens need to carry their passports in order to enter Sweden!
Links to more information:
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Royal Danish Theatre – Ballet, Opera, Symphony
Københavns Museum – The Museum of Copenhagen
Statens Museum for Kunst – National Gallery of Denmark
The Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde
Carlsberg Brewery
Tivoli Gardens
Frederiksberg Gardens
For additional information on Copehnhagen attractions, including cultural events, shopping, and restaurant reviews, try the following Websites:
Visit Copenhagen
Copenhagen.com
Copenhagen Post – Danish news in English
CPH:COOL – "Your cool guide to Copenhagen"
Danish Agency for Culture: Museums, Listed Buildings, and Historical Sites