Christmas in Copenhagen

Christmas officially begins in Copenhagen with the opening of Tivoli's Christmas Market and the market at Nyhavn. Both should be on your must-visit list, especially on a nice wintry evening.

At Nyhavn, along the harbor, you will find fabulous restaurants offering meals and drinks, while along the pier, there are 25 stalls selling all sorts of Christmas gifts. Many of the boats are lit up, lights are hung along the waterfront and the atmosphere is pure Christmas. Tell the children to keep an eye out for Santa and the Christmas elves who occasionally wander along the quay. The Nyhavn market is free, open to the public and runs through the 22nd of December.

Tivoli opened its doors to its annual Christmas Market on the 14th of November. The market is best experienced at night when all the lights are on and there is a chill in the air. Wander through the park, and enjoy the rides, the music and fabulous restaurants serving traditional holiday meals. (I always have a traditional meal of flaeskesteg and rodkal when I visit.)

The park is totally transformed during the Christmas season and the lights this year are even better than in previous years. There are 60 stalls selling all sorts of Christmas gifts and food. The restaurants are all serving Christmas meals, and Santa and his elves are also in the park, posing for photos with the children. The rides are all open and many have been converted into Christmas rides. During the day the Fairy Tale Theater is in the Glass Hall showcasing performances for children. There is an illumination show at the Tivoli lake every evening on the hour. Show times vary depending on the day. At night check out these two great shows: the Crazy Cabaret and the Hip Hop Nutcracker Ballet.

Each year Tivoli hosts the English Theatre of Copenhagen's cabaret. The cabaret show is always a bit raucous with lots of audience participation. This year's show is entitled "Hamlet's Private Dick", which is a Shakespearean spoof of Sherlock Holmes' investigation into the murder of the Prince of Denmark.

Buy a ticket to the show and get free entrance into Tivoli. Shows runs from the 14th of November to the 10th of January. (No shows on 24, 25, 26 December and 1 January.) More information is available at the Tivoli Box Office or at Go to www.londontoast.dk.

Tickets can be purchased through Billetnet at your local post office.

The other great show is the Hip Hop Nutcracker Ballet running through the 14th of December. This is a modern Hip Hop version of the classic Nutcracker tale. Get more information via the Tivoli Box office.

Tivoli charges a general admission fee of 85 kroner for adults and 45 for children. The Christmas season runs through the 30th of December (closed on the 24th and 25th of December).

If planning a visit to Copenhagen in the next few weeks, make sure to include Nyhavn and Tivoli in your plans. Also, plan to dress warmly - winter has come and it is a bit nippy - especially at night.

Glaedelig Jul til alle!