Where to stay

Those looking for "hygge," a comfortable and romantic experience, should book a hotel in Indre By, the romantic "Inner City" of the Copenhagen City Centre. This well-connected neighborhood with its cobblestone streets gives easy access to Copenhagen's most famous historic attractions. The brightly painted canal houses of its central Nyhavn port district are Copenhagen's most sought-after places to stay, but the always-busy city center has many other charming hotels as well. Book a hotel closer to the Amalienborg Palace and walk to the Rosenborg Castle, or find accommodations near the Christiansborg Palace and historic City Hall to visit the National Museum of Denmark and Museum of Copenhagen. Stay in the adjacent Østerbro neighborhood for easy access to the Kastellet, a star-shaped citadel.

Copenhagen is full of tap houses, micro-breweries and bars that serve novel craft beers. Stay in the lively Vesterbro neighborhood, just west of the inner city, to be able to walk back to your hotel after trying all the different flavors. Once a red light district, Vesterbro now has many of Copenhagen's hippest cafés, trendiest restaurants, best music venues and coolest underground clubs. Staying near Freetown Christiania, in the heart of popular Christianshavn, can also be fun. While this self-governing community looks a lot like an open-air museum for hippies, there are nice bohemian cafés within the village. The rest of this former working-class neighborhood has been gentrified to perfection and there are many hip hotels and stylish vacation rentals to choose from.

Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens theme park in the heart of the city is really easy to access from any hotel in Vesterbro or those around the City Hall Square in Indre By. Alternatively, find a child-friendly hotel in Østerbro, a harborside neighborhood in the northeast of the Copenhagen City Centre. Østerbro has nice parks and the scenic Langelinie promenade leading to the historic Little Mermaid statue that depicts the central character from Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairy tale. Nearby Frederiksberg has the Copenhagen Zoo and the fun KU.BE museum, as well as more upscale accommodations. Stay on Amager island in the Øresund Sound south across the bridge from the Christianshavn neighborhood to take the kids to the beach, waterskiing or go-karting. Amager is also home to the Blue Planet Aquarium and the wonderful Kastrup Sea Bath, a great swimming spot in summer.

By staying in Indre By, keen shoppers can start at the five-floor Illum mall in the heart of Copenhagen and then walk to Strøget, the city's pedestrianized shopping street full of typical Scandinavian shops. Most hotels in the inner city are also close enough to Østerbro's main street with designer fashion boutiques. If staying in the quieter Nørrebro neighborhood, browse the trendy shops along Nørrebrogade instead. Across the bridge from the Nyhavn port, Christianshavn is great for gifts and sleek Danish-design homewares. The parallel main streets of Istedgade and Vesterbrogade in Vesterbro sell modern Scandinavian fashion as well as retro second-hand clothing.

The local seafood and Nordic cuisine served in many excellent restaurants will be hard to resist if you stay in the Copenhagen City Centre. Across the bridge from here, stay in Christianshavn to have access to a wide range of other trendy dining options. Dining out in Copenhagen is never cheap, but by staying in or near Indre By, budget travelers can find delicious Danish treats in food halls and at markets for a fraction of the price. Book a hotel in the nearby Vesterbro neighborhood to try out its hipster bistros and burger bars in the revamped Meatpacking District.