THE DANISH DESSERT

Home to the Little Mermaid and Snow Queen, Denmark8217;s capital, Copenhagen, is bound to thrill the child in you

Any time you wish to set free the child within you, go to Copenhagen. The Scandinavian city may not conjure visions of toys, tales and good old-fashioned fun, but it8217;s a cinch you8217;ll be heading down memory lane as soon as you step into it. For, in Denmark8217;s famous capital you8217;ll rediscover much of what you held dear as a child: fairy tales, Lego blocks and amusement parks.

Take a walk through narrow, cobbled lanes lined with quaint cottages, sky-high churches and canals with swans, and you half expect characters from fairy tales8212;The Snow Queen, The Little Mermaid and The Emperor8217;s New Clothes, all penned by Hans Christian Andersen, the 19th century Danish writer 8212;to pop out.

And if you have a toddler who gets her high from amusement rides as mine does, Tivoli gardens, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, is the place to head for. Full of gardens, rides, clowns and acrobats, amusement shows, even music concerts, the gardens are a kids8217; paradise. Also don8217;t miss out on Legoland8212;the colourful building blocks being the country8217;s most famous export8212;that8217;s a short train and bus ride from Copenhagen and nothing short of a pilgrimage.

Of course, nothing symbolises Copenhagen better than the petite Little Mermaid sitting on a rock in the harbour. It8217;s purported to be cast in the likeness of Andersen8217;s wife and has captivated millions of tourists over the past 100 years. Unfortunately, it has also attracted vandals: its head has been sawed off twice and an arm once. But each time it has been lovingly restored by the residents.

As you scratch the city8217;s surface, you see why it is rated one of most liveable cities in the world. Copenhagen is like an overgrown village: skyscrapers are banned and the tallest modern building is only 20 storeys high8212;and there are very few of them. Yet, the city bustles with its 15 lakh residents and balances well the best of its long history and architecture with modern design and culture. Though one of the oldest in Europe, the city is emerging as a cool destination for the design conscious and is filled with trendy shops and cafeacute;s.

This is a city best discovered while strolling, especially along Stroslash;get, the longest and oldest pedestrian-only street in Europe. It has many of the city8217;s famous and expensive stores featuring Danish brands. In fact, it8217;s a bit of a struggle to keep your purse shut as you weave through shops filled with Royal Copenhagen Chinaware, Georg Jensen silver jewellery, Bodum household goods, Ecco shoes, Skagen watches and Bang 038; Olufsen stereos. There is also a multitude of souvenir shops selling affordable mementos.

Having filled your shopping bags, you can sit down at one of the cosy restaurants at Nyhavn new harbour, and dig into a Danish smoslash;rrebroslash;d. An open sandwich, it8217;s a piece of buttered Danish hard, whole-grain bread, topped with cold cuts of meat and a vegetable layer. There is also a wide variety of beers to choose from, and for the academically inclined, a visit to the Carlsberg Brewery Centre is a must. Nyhavn is also the starting point for various canal tour excursions.

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Copenhagen gets its name from 8220;koslash;ben-havn8221; or 8220;merchants8217; harbour8221;, and was a Viking stronghold. While the only Vikings you still see are the street performers, the maritime nature is apparent at all times. People love to kayak in canals and sailing boats of all shapes and sizes are docked on the waterfront.

So if you8217;re looking for a relaxed family outing pickled with plain fun and smacking of nostalgia, it8217;s time you caught a plane to Denmark.