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Copenhagen

6 days | £2695 per person with flights | 11-16 May 24

Art and Architecture in a northern light

Familiar to fans of Nordic noir and perusers of style bibles, Copenhagen is a compact, welcoming and thoroughly modern capital. Its historic rise from fishing village to outward-looking metropolis mirrors the transformation of Denmark from a feared Viking kingdom to the poster child of Scandinavian social democracy. As you strolling down pedestrianised cobblestone streets and over shimmering canals to dine at some of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, it is easy to suppose that Copenhagen has twenty-first century urban living figured out.

But Copenhagen is more than a hipster paradise of cafes, craft breweries and groundbreaking cuisine. It boasts an array of splendid castles and palaces, and a lovely Neoclassical city centre, rebuilt after Royal Navy bombardment in 1807, including the Thorvaldsen sculpture museum. The Danish National Gallery contains archaeological treasures as well as masterpieces by Rembrandt, Dürer and Picasso, and, just beyond the city limits, the Louisiana is one of northern Europe’s very finest postwar art galleries, set among rolling green hills on the shore of the Øresund Sound.

We will venture further afield too, to visit Frederiksborg, a 17th-century Renaissance palace, the largest in Scandinavia, and its splendid gardens, and the preserved Viking ships and thirteenth-century Cathedral at Roskilde. There will also be enough free time to visit fashion boutiques or award-winning New Nordic restaurants without feeling guilty.

Day to day Itinerary

Day 1

Morning flight from London to Copenhagen. Coach transfer to the city centre, followed by an introductory walk, including Christiansborg, site of the 12th century castle of the city's founder, bishop Absalon of Roskilde, and now seat of the Danish parliament. We take a boat trip through Copenhagen's canals before returning to our hotel for an included dinner.

Dinner included

Day 2

We start the day with a guided walk through Copenhagen, taking in the churches of Vor Frue, Copenhagen's cathedral of Our Lady, Marmokirken, the focal point of Frederiksstaden district, and Amalienborg Slot, the official residence for the Danish royal family. Copenhagen Town Hall is considered as a classic of the National Romantic style and was designed by architect Martin Nyrop, who was inspired by the town halls of Italy. We spend a full afternoon at the Statens Kunst Museum where we will focus on paintings from the era of Romantic Nationalism, the Danish Golden Age.

Day 3

By coach to Hillerød, for a visit to Frederiksborg Castle, built for King Christian IV - the largest Renaissance Castle in Scandinavia, surrounded by a moat and overlooking formal Baroque gardens. A tour through the stately home leads through centuries of Danish history, lavishly illustrated with portraits, history paintings, furniture and decorative arts from the 16th century to the present day. Continue to Roskilde whose long history reaches back to the pre-Christian Viking Age. Its UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral, now housing 39 tombs of Danish monarchs, was completed in 1275. A short walk will take us to the southern end of the Roskilde Fjord, site of the Viking Ship Museum, whose main exhibits are the remains of five Viking vessels dating to the 11th century.

Dinner included

Day 4

We leave the hotel on foot to visit Ny Carlsberg Glyptoteket. Our visit will focus on the museum’s wonderful collection of French Impressionist art. The modern part of the collection contains French sculpture from the 19th century, including a significant collection of works by Auguste Rodin, French painting from 1800-1950 with Impressionism and Paul Gauguin as absolute focal points, as well as a collection of Danish Golden Age art. Then, a coach to Ordrupgaard, where we will visit a fine collection of French Impressionist art and Danish paintings from the Golden Age.

Day 5

Walk to Rosenborg Castle, Christian IV's favourite residence, now home of the Danish crown jewels and starting point of a daily Royal Guard parade which marches down to Amalienborg, winter home of the Royal family. Walk to the Hirschsprung Collection, a unique presentation of Danish art from the 19th and early 20th centuries, spanning the period from the Danish Golden Age to the Skagen painters and the Modern Breakthrough. After an independent lunch, visit the Thorvaldsens Museum, Denmark's first public museum building which opened in 1848 to exhibit the extensive life's work of the Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844).

Dinner included

Day 6

By coach to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, located directly on the shore of the Øresund where painting and sculpture - including major works by artists such as Picasso, Giacometti, Moore and Kiefer - blend beautifully with land and sea. After a group lunch at the museum café, continue to the airport for our return flight to London.

Lunch included

Scandic Palace Hotel

Located in the heart of the city, the elegant 4-star Scandic Palace Hotel offers a perfect blend of historic charm and contemporary comfort, boasting a restaurant serving tasty Danish cuisine, spacious rooms and impeccable service. Renowned for its unique architecture, the Scandic Palace is perfect for travellers wishing to explore the vibrant streets of Copenhagen.

With Flights: £2695

No Flights: £2545

Single Supp: £295

Deposit: £450

Departure Dates:

11-16 May 2024

Duration:

5 nights / 6 days

Your Holiday Includes:

Scheduled return flights (Economy class) with Scandinavian Airlines between London Heathrow and Copenhagen airports
Transfers and excursions by private coach
Five nights’ accommodation in 4* Scandic Palace Hotel
Three dinners and one lunch
Guided visits to the sites and monuments listed in the programme
Services of the tour lecturer and a tour manager
Detailed programme and Study Notes
All entrance fees, taxes, and gratuities for coach drivers and waiters

Tour Lecturer

Dr Kathy McLauchlan

Dr Kathy McLauchlan is Course Director of three year courses at the V&A Museum. After graduating from Oxford Kathy obtained her PhD from the Courtauld Institute with a thesis on the work of students at the French Academy in Rome. Kathy lecturers widely to adult audiences.

Hotel Resort: Copenhagen

Star Rating:

Board Basis: Bed & Breakfast