Things To Do In Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital as well as the largest city of Denmark. Situated on the Zealand and Amager Islands, it stands separated from CopenhagenMalmö, Sweden by the Øresund. One of the leading cities in the world today, Copenhagen was rated as second in the ‘Top 20 Most Livable Cities Chart’, prepared by ‘Monocle’ magazine, in 2007. Apart from that, it has also been named as the GaWC Cultural World City. The city has been featuring on the list of the top tourist destinations of the world, since quite sometime. The tourists coming here love to explore its 17th century canals and spectacular modernist architecture. In case you want to learn about the things to do in Copenhagen, make use of the information given below.

Places to See in Copenhagen
Museums and Galleries
For those interested in art and history, the galleries and museums of Copenhagen serve as the perfect tourist attractions. The National Museum, situated in an 18th century building, is the largest museum in the city and serves as a repository of its rich past. The Viking Ship Museum houses five Viking ships, rescued in the year 1962. You can also see a number of other Nordic boats here. The art lover should move to ‘The National Gallery’, featuring 700 years of Western art and cultural history. Another muse-see is ‘Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum’, with a diverse compilation of unusual artifacts, from across the world.

Monuments
Copenhagen promises to show its visitors lots of architectural beauty. While ‘The Little Mermaid’ statue attracts children and adults alike, Amalienborg Palace is a stunning piece of Rococo architecture. If an aerial view of the entire city is what thrills you, proceed to Round Tower. It also comprises of an astronomical observatory, a student's church and a university library. Want to see the fairy tales come alive? Check out the Kronborg Castle, situated on the sea in Elsinore (Helsingør). The sea forts of Copenhagen, comprising of Middelgrundsfortet, Flakfortet and Trekroner, are also worth a visit.

Canal Tours and Natural Beauty
If you are planning to visit Copenhagen, make sure to go on its canal tours. It usually takes around 60 minutes for a complete tour and you are brought forth all parts of the old city and also pass many of the most famous sights of the city. If you want to commune with nature, visit Christiana, known as the ‘Freetown’. As you get tired of strolling along the channels, enjoy a cup of coffee at the cafes along the waterfront. At Dyrehaven, one of the most splendid natural areas in Denmark, get close to deer and visit Bakken, the world's oldest amusement park. The artificial lakes of the city are best for those looking for some peace & quite.

Shopping
Shoppers will not go back from Copenhagen disappointed. Strøget, the most popular shopping area in the city, has been based on Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street. Right from designer clothes to accessories to reasonably-priced shoes, you can get anything and everything here. If your shopping bout has still not come to an end, Nørrebro is the place where you should head. Apart from housing some of the best shops, the places also boasts of many cafés, restaurants and places to hang out at.

Entertainment
Copenhagen has everything to keep you entertained, right from amusement parks and restaurants to cafes and bars. Vesterbro, the former red light district, has been completely revamped and today, it houses numerous cafes, restaurants, cocktail bars and nightclubs. Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park found in 1843, is a must for people looking for some fun. Apart from rides, it has a wealth of high-class restaurants and stages for music & theatre. Copenhagen Opera House, opened in 2005, is for those who have a penchant for performing arts. The house also provides amazing views of the Amalienborg Palace.

Facts About Iceland

Located in the Mid-Atlantic ridge, Iceland is considered to be the second largest island in Europe. It is a hot spot for volcanic and other geothermal activity and measures around 103,000 sq. kilometers, which is larger than Scotland or Ireland by one-thirds. It has many glaciers and mountains and other natural formations like natural hot water springs and rivers. Almost 30 post-glacial volcanoes have erupted in the past two centuries and the geography of this place is still being formed. Check out some interesting and fun facts about Iceland.

Fun Facts About Iceland

* The capital of Iceland is known as Reykjavik, which means ‘Smoky Bay’. This place has a population of approximately 108,000 people.
* Apt to its name, almost 7,250 sq. kilometers of Iceland is covered with ice and glaciers. Out of the total area, land measures around 100,250 sq. kilometers and water is spread over an area of 2,750 sq. kilometers.
* Iceland boasts of an impressive healthcare system and the life expectancy in this place is one of the highest in the world; 81.3 years for women and 76.4 for men.
* The literacy rate of Iceland is 99.9%. This is attributed to the fact that education is compulsory for children aged between 7-16 years. The literacy rate of Iceland is the highest in the world.
* Iceland’s deepest lake is Oskjuvatn, situated near Viti and the deepest point goes down to around 220 meters. The highest peak of Iceland is Hvannadalshnjukur and goes to a height of 2,119 meters.
* In Iceland, only 1% land is considered arable and cultivation is possible only on that area. Only a quarter of the country is covered with vegetation and just about 1% in that is covered with trees!
* Iceland is home to a variety of flora and fauna and has some really exotic species of birds and animals. The wild animals include arctic fox, mink, mice, rats, rabbits, polar bears, whales and reindeer. The bird population basically comprises of a variety of sea birds.
* Iceland is considered as the 4th most productive country in the world on the basis of nominal Gross Domestic Product per capita, which is US$54,858 and the 5th most productive on the basis of GDP at purchasing power parity, which is US$40,112.

Oslo Attractions

The largest city and also the capital of Norway, Oslo is a municipality and has a county of its own. Due to the numerous tourist attractions here, Oslo is a popular place to visit. It is the 4th largest Scandinavian city preceded by Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki and also forms the 4th largest urban area in that region after these three places. A major fire destroyed most parts of this city in early 17th century and this place was relocated to the Akershus Fortress. This place was renamed Christiana after the King Christian IV of Denmark. In the contemporary times, Oslo has one of the highest living standards in the world.

Places to See in Oslo

Mystical Museums
Oslo is home to plenty of museums. Each museum has something special to offer to tourists. Among the must visits are Viking Ships Museum, Norsk Folkemuseum, Ski Museum, Contemporary Art Museum, Historic Museum, etc. One must visit the Viking Ship museum to check out how the Vikings discovered the world. This museum has a fascinating ship of the Vikings that has been preserved since the 9th century. Also do visit the Norsk Folkemuseum, which has a beautiful open air museum and also houses one of the oldest buildings on Norway, the Gol Stave Church that was built in the 13th century.

Picturesque Parks
Oslo has a number of parks that are worth visiting. On a warm summer afternoon, just visit one of the famous parks of Oslo and relax in the naturally wonderful landscape. One of the most famous and popular parks of Oslo is the Vigeland Sculpture Park. This park has a number of intricately carved sculptures that are worth clicking with your camera. Don’t skip the park located around Akershus Castle, which is a wonderful place to take a stroll. It has got an old world charm about it that simply mesmerizes visitors. You can click some lovely photographs of the fjord caused by the movement of glaciers centuries ago.

Fantastic Food
Oslo will not let your taste buds down and has some very good restaurants to cater to your need. Check out Apotheket, which is a reasonably priced café bar located at St Olavs Pass. The food is pretty good and the ambience is marked by high ceilings and antique furniture. Have a chilled beer here after a tiring day of sightseeing. If you have a sweet tooth and crave for scrumptious cakes, check out Kaffenbrennerjet. The coffee and cakes here are simply delicious. Looking for something a bit upscale? Try Det Norske Hus where you can have the local cuisine of Oslo, which tastes excellent. If you want to visit clubs for dancing and gulping down a drink or two, try out places like So What, Bla, Last Train, etc.

Interesting Facts About Holland Tourist Place

Holland was a potent economic power in the 17th century and now houses two major Dutch provinces, namely North Holland and South Holland. Holland is made up of various regions, which for various reasons have their own identities. The main cities in Holland are Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. The International Court of Justice sits at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Holland is a major cultural hub and houses many museums. The Rotterdam Port located here is the most important port of Europe. To learn some more interesting and fun facts about Holland, read on.

Interesting and fun facts about Holland

* There are around 16 million bicycles in Holland, which supposedly means one for every inhabitant.
* The highest point in Holland is called the ‘mountain’, which 323 meters high.
* Hollanders usually have a bunch of flowers in their living rooms.
* Holland has the highest museum density in the world, with almost 1000 museums.
* The first World Press Photo Exhibition was held in Holland.
* The lowest point in Holland is a polder near Rotterdam, which is about seven meters below sea level.
* A consistent drainage is necessary to save Holland from flooding.
* Holland roughly makes 13 percent of Netherlands.
* The landscape of Holland is dotted with windmills, which have become its hallmark.
* Holland has over 4,400 km of navigable rivers, canals and lakes.
* Holland is 6.7 meters below sea level at its lowest point.
* Holland was one of the six founding members of the European Community.
* Holland is quite often termed as a ‘land of compromise’ as it always has a coalition government.
* The Van Gogh Museum and the Kröller-Müller Museum houses the largest Van Gogh collections in the world.
* Holland is the third largest exporter of agricultural produce, after US and France, even though only 3% of the Dutch population is employed in agriculture sector.