Denmark’s Copenhagen and Sweden’s Malmö, Life Partners
Gayworld is abuzz at the thought of an athletic and cultural festival in Vikingland, but long after the upcoming Outgames are finished, Copenhagen will still be luring gaysbian travellers to its shores. With good reason. Copenhagen, one of the most laidback cities in the world, enjoys its summers with gusto. Tivoli is open and the amusements, rides, and entertainment are as much fun as ever before. What other city has an amusement park in its CBD? Tivoli is the third-largest amusement park in Europe, after EuroDisney and Blackpool — neither of which is full of good-looking, effervescent Danes enjoying twilight at 11pm.
In fact, Copenhagen has been a welcoming place for gay visitors for decades. The city’s first gay bar, Centralhjornet, has been open for business for more than eighty years, and the National Association for Gays and Lesbians, founded in 1948, was the first organisation of its kind in the world—and 2009 marks the twentieth anniversary of Denmark’s status as the first country in the world to recognise same-sex partnership.
Unfortunately, not many people think of Copenhagen as a must-see destination, but the city is one of the most quintessentially European cities and deserves inclusion in any European vacation. The local public transport system is first rate, with the recently finished Metro transporting passengers between the airport and city in 20 minutes. The many museums around town are packed with masterpieces of art or simple presentations of daily life, depending on their themes. If the sun is out, so are the Danes, many of them on two wheels. With bicycles accepted as a form of transport for adults and dedicated bikeways along the city’s streets, building up the leg muscles is an easy way to get around. To leave the driving to someone else, pick up a Copenhagen Card for free entry into the city’s top museums and attractions (except Tivoli) and unlimited use of public transport within the city and far beyond to such attractions as the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art on the water in the town of Humlebaek, or the burial chambers of Danish kings and queens in Roskilde Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Copenhagen Card is valid for transport between the airport and the city and can be purchased online or on arrival.
There is a hotel in Copenhagen that embodies the Danish love of style and friendliness and combines it with efficient service and subtle touches of comfort to go with its clever touches of whimsy. Avenue Hotel is managed by the fabulous Mai Kappenberger, one of those vivacious, charming, and completely adept European women who can hold her own in a variety of circumstances, no matter how demanding, managing it all while flowing effortlessly from one language to another. Avenue Hotel is one of the new-generation European hotel properties offering a more homelike atmosphere rather than a purely hotel experience; the cosy lobby is full of plush sofas and chairs, shelves of books, and intriguing decorative items. Rooms vary in size and configuration; junior suites such as Room 417 are virtual studio apartments, decked out in modern/classic decor, with the added bonus of complimentary WiFi and a great breakfast served in the morning.
In a happy display of international cooperation, Copenhagen and Malmö cross-market their attractions as part of the greater Oresund Region, linked across the sound by the engineering marvel known as the Oresund Link. This has proven to be an economic boon on both sides of the water.
Malmö is home to Sweden’s most impressive phallic symbol, the Turning Torso, a Santiago Calatrava-designed twist of a skyscraper that stands erect on the water’s edge in the very hip Western Harbour neighbourhood, currently undergoing a huge revitalisation project. Turning Torso is best seen from the Old World Ribersborgs Kallbadhus (aka Ribban), built on a pier jutting over the water. This historical swimming and bathing pavilion is an old-fashioned pleasure, making the stark contrast with the ultramodern Turning Torso all the more apparent.
Malmö has a handful of appealing attractions ranging from castles to cutting-edge art galleries. The Stora Torget (Main Square) offers the sight of the Renaissance City Hall and its contemporaries such as Apoteket Lejonet (Lion Pharmacy), which has just benefited from a major renovation. Malmö Castle hosts frequent art exhibits, as does the Malmö Konsthall. The indoor swimming complex known as Aq-va-kul is a modern counterpoint to the Kallbadhus and offers a thoroughly modern fitness centre in addition to its aquatic facilities—and don’t the boys and girls know it.
Scandinavian Airlines is the national airline of Denmark and can bring travellers to Copenhagen Airport from via Bangkok, Beijing, or Tokyo—or even via New York if wanting to make a really special trip of it. Information about Copenhagen is available online at Wonderful Copenhagen, the city’s official tourism entity, or in Australia through Scandinavian Tourist Board.
www.copenhagen2009.org
www.visitcopenhagen.com/gay
www.visitscandinavia.com.au
www.flysas.com/gay
www.avenuehotel.dk
***
