Copenhagen Pictures Blog

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2010-04-30T21:13:00.001+02:00

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A Copenhagen Cocktail please!

2009-10-02T15:01:00.003+02:00

This summer Copenhagen has had a cocktail named after it, the Copenhagen Cocktail. At a competition arranged by VisitCopenhagen a number of cocktails were created and tasted, and the winner, with the right to be called the Copenhagen Cocktail, consisting of these ingredients, was chosen:

5 cl. Bols Genever

2 cl. Cherry Heering Liqueur

2 cl. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 cl. sugar syrup (eg Monin)

1 splash of Angostura Bitters

Shaken with ice cubes. Served without ice.
Peel a slice of orange and decorate the cocktail with it, to make the orange flavor float on top of the cocktail.

You can be sure to find the Copenhagen Cocktail at 1105,
Umami and the bar of FIRST Hotel Skt. Petri.

Larger picture sizes in Copenhagen Pictures

2008-07-17T11:26:00.003+02:00

User statistics show that visitors to Copenhagen Pictures have increasingly large screens, and this means that the pictures' size on Copenhagen Pictures can be increased. The number of visitors using dial-up connections is also very low, most people use cable or some other high speed connection now, so pictures' size can also be increased when it comes to kilobytes.

One such new page with larger pictures is the Rosenborg Castle - Rosenborg Slot page which was added to Copenhagen Pictures yesterday. The top or first picture is slightly smaller than the rest to allow space for the ad block next to it, but otherwize the picture width has been increased from 600 pixel to 800 pixel, and the portrait pictures are now 400 pixel wide and 600 pixel high.

This is still something of an experiment and if you have an opinion on how the larger pictures work, please leave a comment here, it'll be read with much interest.

The Little Mermaid Vandalized

2008-06-22T20:25:00.011+02:00

If you visit The Little Mermaid these days you may find that she is more colorful than usual. Vandals have thrown white paint on her, and the photos you get home will be of an unusually decorated mermaid.

Copenhagen Metro elected World's Best

2008-04-02T15:34:00.004+02:00

Today at the Metrorail 2008 Conference, The Copenhagen Metro was given the award as The World's Best Metro, ahead of of Madrid, Singapore and London.

The award was given in recognition of the Copenhagen Metro's high levels of security, stability and passenger satisfaction by transport specialists from around the Globe at their annual industry conference.

Credit card payment costs get lowered

2008-03-31T14:36:00.006+02:00

From July 1 2008, the credit card transaction cost when shopping in Denmark will be lowered. Today the cost of a credit card transaction can be up to 5.75% of the purchase including VAT, after July 1 it will be a maximum of 3.75%. The price for using debet cards wil be a maximum of 0.3% of the purchase or a maximum of DKK 4 per transaction.

Danish shops and businesses have been somewhat reluctant to offer payment by credit cards till now because of the high transaction cost, and today about one in every three shops offers to take credit cards as payment. The lowered price is expected to bring this figure up to every two out of three shops.

Christmas In Copenhagen

2007-11-19T14:40:00.000+01:00

It's Christmas season in Copenhagen. This weekend, Tivoli Gardens opened its doors for the Christmas season with extensive Christmas decorations and 70 stalls offering Christmas items like tree decorations and Christmas presents, and in Nyhavn 25 stalls opened for business along the decorated quay. Next to Nyhavn, on Kongens Nytorv, the d'Angleterre Hotel is decorated and lighted and offers a beautiful view. The people at d'Angleterre really take Christmas and Christmas decorating seriously! The skating rink around the equestrian statue of King Christian V on Kongens Nytorv is currently being built and will add to the things you can do when enjoying the Copenhagen Christmas spirit. The tree on Rådhuspladsen, the Copenhagen Town Hall Square, is in place, lit and decorated according to tradition with the star on top. With a bit of luck we'll have snow as well, but the Copenhagen Christmas spirit is already here and next week the traditional Christmas "lunches" will begin taking place, celebrating the end of the year and the coming of the Christmas and New Year. They begin this early because people usually go to Christmas Lunches several times with family, colleagues from work, friends and association members, and one lunch a weekend is really all you can handle. For tourists this means that there is a lot of people out on town and having a lot of fun each Friday and Saturday night from now till Christmas, making the Copenhagen nightlife even livelier than it usually is. It may be a good idea to reserve tables ahead at restaurants if you want to be sure to get one. If you can, come and take part in the celebrating and get some of your Christmas presents bought too. They'll make a good excuse as to why you go to Copenhagen during one of the biggest party seasons of the year...

Copenhagen Fashion Week - no hotel rooms anywhere

2007-08-07T14:21:00.000+02:00

This weekend, August 8-12, the Copenhagen Fashion Week is held in Copenhagen and the subject is the presentation of the spring and summer collections for 2008. Fashion is Denmark's fourth largest export sector, and the fair is for fashion professionals, not the end consumer.

Because of the fashion fair, all hotel rooms within 30 kilometers or 20 miles of Copenhagen are full. If you consider coming to Copenhagen this weekend, make sure you have booked a room in advance - Copenhagen Pictures recommends Copenhagen Hotel Booking or the booking page on Copenhagen Pictures itself. As this would be a booking within 21 days of the arrival, you might also want to check our last minute booking option.

But don't expect too much even from these options - Copenhagen will be full of visitors, and hotel rooms are scarce. You could consider booking in Malmoe, Sweden and come to Copenhagen by train, or in smaller Danish towns like Helsingør/Elsinore, Ringsted, Køge or Slagelse - most of these hotels are available through the abovementioned booking options. Whatever you choose, Copenhagen Pictures wish you good luck and a great stay.

Denmark one of the World's safest countries

2007-06-19T13:56:00.000+02:00

The Fund for Peace in Washington D.C. has released their Failed States Index, in which they evaluate each country in the World according to its security situation and rank them accordingly.

According to the Failed States Index 2007, Denmark is the World's 8th. safest county.

The Town Hall Clock has stopped

2007-02-07T13:23:00.000+01:00

At 12 noon today the Copenhagen Town Hall Clock stopped working. This is now the second time in a couple of weeks that it has gone on strike. The word from the town hall is that the clock is suffering from the wear and tear of the passage of time. Considering its otherwize flawless function since its activation in 1902, that was to be expected. It would seem a good idea, though, for the town hall people responsible for the maintenance of the clock to consider the concept "preventive maintenance"?

Until it is brought back in activity, the Town Hall Square is unusually silent without the usual bell ringing every 15 minutes and on the hour.

Metropols Of The World table settings at Royal Copenhagen

2006-11-24T12:53:00.000+01:00

Royal Copenhagen at Amagertorv 6 on Strøget have opened their annual table setting display. Every year for 43 years now, Royal Copenhagen has picked a theme and had 6 or 7 artists or notabilities set a table using Royal Copenhagen porcelain and silverware. This year the theme is "Metropols Of The World", and the metropols chosen are New York, Paris, Tokyo, Milan, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow and Copenhagen.

If you are the least interested in how to set a table or in Royal Copenhagen products, then don't miss this display. The imagination of some of these artists in combination with something often seen as a very mundane task is impressive, and just might inspire you to try some of these ideas out yourself.

It is a mystery why this event isn't mentioned on the Royal Copenhagen website, but at least you can find the opening hours on it so you'll know when to go. Enjoy this unique Copenhagen christmas event.

Tivoli opened for Christmas

2006-11-15T12:44:00.000+01:00

Today Tivoli Gardens opens for Christmas, and will stay open until December 30. This is a seasonal must-see in Copenhagen, with a great atmosphere. Many little stalls where you can get "gløgg" (warm spicy red wine with chopped almonds and raisins), christmas cookies and even christmas tree decorations. Be aware that there are usually a lot of copenhageners visiting, with a lot of prams, so you won't exactly have Tivoli to yourself.

The Black Diamond on Copenhagen Pictures

2006-11-13T22:54:00.000+01:00

Today the thread Downtown Copenhagen has seen a change. A picture from the inside of the Danish Parliament was removed and a picture of the new part of The Royal Library, Den Sorte Diamant or The Black Diamond, was added instead. It makes sense to include The Black Diamond in the thread on the Town Hall area as it is part of the significant changes that are taking place in the inner harbor in Copenhagen. The inner harbor is more and more a focal point of creative and impressive new architecture, and The Black Diamond is an important part of this development.

The new Copenhagen Opera was added to the Holmen thread previously for the same reason. The New Opera is an amazing building on several levels, and is part of the juvenation of the Copenhagen waterfront with its striking architecture.

Manchester United-fans in town

2006-11-01T12:27:00.000+01:00

There are currently some 4000 Manchester United-fans in Copenhagen, for the Manchester United - FC København Champions League game tonight in "Parken". It is not in any way neccessary to tell them to have a lot of fun - they are obviously having a great time! :-)

Tropical Islands in Denmark

2006-07-12T11:27:00.000+02:00

The Danish Meteorological Institute today reports that two Danish islands between Denmark and Sweden, North of Zealand, lived up to the definition of tropical islands yesterday: The temperature didn’t drop below 20 degrees celsius (68 fahrenheit) all day and night. Most of the coastal towns are not far away from this kind of heat either.

The beaches are of course packed, as most Danes are on their Summer vacation, and the incoming tourists are not slow in following the trend. And forget about getting a table in Nyhavn – even standing room is scarce at the moment.

The good news is that this weather is continuing as far ahead as the weather people dare look, but a word of caution: Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids and put on sunscreen. The UV index published by the Meteorological Institute is close to the level where you need to wear a hat and light clothes as well to be reasonably protected when staying in the coastal regions.

Spirit of the Wild photo exhibition on Kongens Nytorv

2006-05-12T15:41:00.000+02:00

On May 16th. until August 15th., Kongens Nytorv will have one more attraction - a photo exhibition by Steve Bloom called "Spirit Of The Wild". 100 photos in poster size, taken by Steve Bloom in the last 15 years of wild animals from all over the World. The photos will be available outdoor on the square, and will be lit when it's dark. As the photos are on the square itself, seeing them is free and available to everyone.

This exhibition is the continuation of a similar exhibition on Kongens Nytorv last year, when the French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand's amazing photos of the diversity of the Earth were on display, and were seen by an estimated 700,000 visitors.

Denmark is now a creditor nation

2006-03-31T12:32:00.000+02:00

This just in - The Danish National Bank has just released a press statement saying that Denmark is now a creditor nation. Denmark now owes less money to other countries than other countries owe Denmrk. This is the first time since World War II. Economically this puts Denmark in a class of countries like Norway and Switzerland.

This is great news for Danes - since the eighties we have been working on getting rid of the foreign dept through a tight economy. It will probably take a few more years before we have consolidated our position, but this is an important milestone in Danish history.

Summertime and new thread ideas?

2006-03-26T16:49:00.000+02:00

Today, Denmark - along with all of the European Union - changed to Summertime, moving the time one hour ahead, so we're now at UTC+2 (CEST) rather than UTC+1 (CET).

Looking out the window it seems a bit far fetched, but spring and summer is coming! A link to the list of what ships visit the cruise harbor Langelinje (unfortunately only available in Danish) has been added to the bottom of the Langelinje thread, and I've begun considering the Summer's additions to Copenhagen Pictures. One thing whih will be added is a thread about shopping in Copenhagen and Denmark - I see a lot of requests for this, so sure thing, it's coming.

What content do you think should be added to Copenhagen Pictures? Let us know - click on "Comments" and tell us!

Copenhagen Airport Facilities

2006-01-23T15:37:00.000+01:00

Copenhagen Airport Facilities

The Copenhagen Pictures staff is not fanatical about Copenhagen – every now and again trips are made to other destinations to see what they do right. The upside of this is the reaffirmation that Copenhagen is indeed as great as you are being told on Copenhagen Pictures.

This is coming to you from the transit area of Copenhagen Airport, as you find Wireless LAN or WiFI available all over the airport. Unfortunately you are charged DKK 60 an hour for access, and you have the choice between an hour or an hour. In this area The Vienna Airport is leading the way with free WiFi access – hats off to the service mindedness of Vienna.

But the facilities at Copenhagen Airport in general are fantastic – no wonder that the airport is continuously being rated Europe’s best or the World’s best by different media and traveller organizations. Today I noticed a few changes. One is for the transit traveller that never gets to leave the airport. At the entrance to Finger B you now find a somewhat smaller scale model of The Little Mermaid, so you won’t miss her entirely. There were actually people with cameras around it when I passed, so it is being appreciated.

I never get the travel books in time for the trips, and often have to spend time at the destination looking for it. Today I found that the magazine and book store next to Finger B has a large travel literature section – pretty much the entire Lonely Planet Series covering the World for one thing. I’m not as amazed by the collection of English/American language books, but the titles I spotted cover something of interest for most people. I went with the latest John Irving novel.

There are no announcements over loudspeakers at Copenhagen Airport, so you have to look for the large signs showing flights, gates and status every now and then. But the loudspeaker announcements have more or less been replaced by sms or text messages. Next to the flight on the website you find a mobile phone symbol. Click on it and enter your phone number, and answer the confirmation sms with the word “FLY”, and you will receive an sms when changes to the flight status occur – go to gate, boarding and eventual delays come right to your mobile. Way to go, CPH!

Free entrance to state museums beginning in 2006

2006-01-02T10:17:00.000+01:00

A very positive development for tourists visiting Copenhagen is that as of 2006, entrance to state owned museums is free of charge to their regular collections.

In the Copenhagen area this includes the National Museum and the State Museum of Contemporary Art, Statens Museum for Kunst.

Unfortunately this coincides with the temporary closing of the most popular permanent exhibition at the National Museum, Danish Prehistory, for three years while it is being recreated in a more contemporary style. Today the Danish Prehistory exhibition seems very old-fashioned after being "in production" for more than 30 years. The good news is that the most important and popular pieces from the collection will be back on a temporary display already from May 2006, so you can still get some glimpses of viking age in Denmark while the exhibition is being redesigned.

At the moment, also Statens Museum for Kunst is closing part of its space. The museum is in the process of fireproofing the old building, keeping all activities in the new white marble building. This does not mean that the museum stops its activities - a Rembrandt exhibition will be available from 4 February - 14 May 2006. But as this is not a permanent exhibition, you will be charged an entrance fee.

Welcome to a more easily accessible cultural Copenhagen!

Tivoli Gardens Overcrowded

2005-12-19T20:10:00.000+01:00

Tivoli Gardens are now asking visitors who have the choice, to please come visit the Tivoli Gardens on weekdays, not during the weekend. There are so many visitors Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday that it may have unfortunate influences on visitors' positive experience.

Tivoli Gardens are winter open until and including December 30th.

What do you think?

2005-12-03T12:54:00.000+01:00

One very important reason for this blog to be added to Copenhagen Pictures is to get feedback from you - what do you like about Copenhagen Pictures? What did you possibly look for but not find? Do you think there should be more information about a specific subject?

I'm looking at what people search for when they find their way to Copenhagen Pictures, but that doesn't tell me what searches that might have brought people here, but didn't because I haven't thought about that perspective around Copenhagen, and consequently have no material on it available.

So what do you think? At the bottom right of this entry there is a link, with the text "nn comments" - click on it and share!

Site feed for Copenhagen Pictures Blog

2005-12-02T14:41:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Copenhagen Pictures Blog, the official blog of the Copenhagen pictures website. Here you can read about the thoughts and processes that keep Copenhagen Pictures going and the continuous development of the content.

If you use a rss-reader, bloglines or some such service to follow rss streams, then you are in luck - Copenhagen Pictures Blog also has a feed, which can be found here:

http://www.copenhagenpictures.dk/blog/atom.xml

The entries in the blog are open for comments, and your comments are welcome!