Copenhagen Is the Capital of Christmas—What to See and Do

"A historic amusement park in the heart of the city, this 1843 pleasure garden has evolved through wars and changing times, and in winter it turns utterly hygge, with early sunsets revealing trees strung with red hearts and ornaments and air scented with hot aebleskiver and roasted almonds. We loved the design details—buildings and promenades shaped by generations of architects, a theater tucked into a pagoda, a restaurant disguised as a chalet, skill games hiding in alleys, and lamps shaped like flowers—plus whimsical holiday touches like a claw machine packed with wrapped gifts, a windmill in a giant Santa hat, and fake snow dusting every roof. The rides rise over it all: the Star Flyer lifts you 260 feet for a gentle 360-degree spin over the city (on clear days, you can see as far as Sweden), the 1914 coaster—the oldest in Europe—still runs with a live brakeman, and the 1943 ferris wheel rotates at a snail’s pace for a bird’s-eye view. Step through the main gate and a fantasyland of stalls selling glogg and roasted almonds opens up, the whole park smelling of mulling spices and powdered sugar, while almost 900 Christmas trees, 3,000 yards of spruce garlands, 18,000 hyacinths, and glowing red hearts transform the grounds after dark." - Tamara Shopsin Tamara Shopsin Tamara Shopsin is an illustrator, graphic designer, writer, part-time cook, and co-owner of the New York City eatery Shopsin’s. Her work has been published in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Verge, Travel + Leisure, Vulture, and more. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines