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About Copenhagen
BOZEMAN'S GUIDE TO COPENHAGEN (København)
You may be wondering why this is not "Torben's Guide to Copenhagen." Torben lives in Horsholm. He is a suburban. He rides the train in, goes to work, and then goes home. He can provide excellent advice about lunch places within a 100 meter stroll from his office. Torben is also conservative. If he likes something, he sticks with it. He has lived in the same house for forty years, he has driven a Citroen for forty years, and he has even had the same wife for forty years (!). I take it back. He cannot give good advice about lunch places with 100 meters of his office. He can give you good advice about 40-year-old lunch places.
My bona fides? My chief credential for a "Guide" is that when I come to Copenhagen I actually stay in Copenhagen, even on the weekends. I first came to Copenhagen in 1989 on a Fulbright. My apartment then was by the "Old Fish Monger" statue, near Parliament, right off the Stroget pedestrian street. Great location. Now I go to Copenhagen most years, especially now that I have the honor of being an Honorary Professor at the University of Copenhagen. I even have my honorary Postal hat (it is a long story). The induction ceremony could not have been better, including choir and flowers. Wow! These people really know how to induct.
I suppose I should say a few words about the Danish language. Having spent much time in Copenhagen I have naturally invested in the language. I know several words in Danish. Well, I know one. But it is a good, multipurpose word: Tak. It means "thank you." That is about all you need to know in Copenhagen unless you don't speak English.
Okay, so my linguistic skills do not recommend me as a guide. But my pedometer is another story. During my various trips, I have literally walked to every point in the Copenhagen City limits. This brings me to my first point. 
A Walking City
Every year, various associations in the United States produce a list of the "Top 10 Walking Cities." This does not mean that the cities themselves walk (except for occasional shifts in geological plates). The idea of this list is to identify cities that are good for people who wish to take a walk. Since one of the organizations is the American Heart Association, presumably this list is to stimulate walking as a means of curbing obesity. (Yes, we all know that the strategy has not yet worked). The best walking cities for 2008 include Madison, Wisconsin, Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, California. I have been to all these places. I have even walked in them. None approaches Copenhagen as a walking city. In fact, Americans may be a little intimidated to find that it is actually assumed that people will walk. Large parts of the city are closed to cars. If Danes are in a hurry to get around the city, they ride a bike or (if in a traffic zone) a bus.
Even if you are not customarily a walker, let me commend it to you. It is the best way to see the city and Copenhagen has a larger expanse of pedestrian stroll-ways that any city I have visited. You can walk from your hotel to Nyhavn (the waterfront old town area), across from the new Opera House and then to the statue of the Little Mermaid (which, incidentally, was beheaded by artist Joergen Nash in 1963, and periodically since then by Danish feminists but is in good repair now as far as I know). Then you can loop back and go though the Botanical Garden, visit Torben in his office (right across from the Botanical Garden), head to City Center, the Round Tower (which has excellent weekly concerts that Torben has never attended because it is nearly a half mile from his office), Tivoli and the Glyptotek. And you have just gotten started. You can walk to Christiana in the so-called "free drug" (no drug free) zone and see the sights of aging strung out hippies, you can walk back and go by the Parliament and the Thorvaldsen Museum, and you still have only seen about half of the city. If you want more, head out toward the Copenhagen Business School, then go to Søren Kierkegaard's (b.1813, d. 1855) burial place, and contemplate the meaning of existence.
If I may be so bold, let me suggest not only some of the places you can walk but also the "attitude" and strategies you might employ. First, don't have a fixed object to your walk. Get a little lost and find some things you don't expect. Have a falafel. Ride a water taxi. Sit in one of the squares and watch the endless variety of street entertainers. Some are very good. The rest are mimes. Duck in for a beer (the Danish beer is okay, but not in the league of the Germans or Belgians) and some smörgåsbord (open-faced sandwiches). Don't miss the herring. You probably won't like it but no one will believe you have been to Denmark if you have no herring.
The Danish National Character
I know five Danes fairly well and thus consider myself an expert on the Danish national character. As you walk through the city, find an excuse to talk to Danes. Unlike some nationalities they will not be astonished if you strike up a conversation (but if you just say "hello" and flash a grin as you pass by, then they will likely think you are either insane or an American or both). You will find that all of the Copenhagen Danes know English and most of them speak it better that we do. You will find that the Danes, in aggregate, are diffident, irreverent, helpful, mildly curious, polite, open-minded, and not impressed by visitors of any sort. (Note to Americans: An important part of the Danish national character is that they hate George Bush and they may assume that you, personally, were responsible for his election. But you can get beyond that.)
If you mated a German and an Australian, you would likely produce a Dane. Of course, no Dane would agree. But here is my evidence: cinematic theory. Denmark is know as one of the innovators in cinema, having been chiefly responsible for the Dogme95 film movement (it involves something about natural light, but no one understands it, so it must be innovative). Denmark has produced great film directors such as Carl Theodor Dreyer, Gabriel Axel, and Lars von Trier. The Danish film audience is receptive to new ideas, controversial themes and approaches. So Danes are like Australians- they like innovation and strange stuff. But, Danes are also like Germans, they like order. Get this: if you buy a ticket in a Danish theater, you get an assigned seat! Worse, they usually start filling up in the back. So that means that if the theater is half full you still are crowded in the back with everyone else. Worse yet the Danes actually stay in their assigned seats! I should note, parenthetically, that I have never once remained in my assigned seat and no one has complained and when I have moved to a better seat (i.e. Australian). However, my action sometimes disrupts the entire theater when several Danes join the seating rebellion (i.e. German).
Speaking of mating Germans and Australians (a daunting thought, that one), you may yourself be a Dane, at least in part. The Vikings did not just pillage, they also impregnated women all over the world, including in the places we now think of as Ireland, France, England, and Russia. Maybe most of us, at least those of European descent, have a little Viking in our soul.
History of Denmark (short)
Old cold people (Gorm the Old, Harold Blue Tooth), Vikings, King Christian IV, Sweden, not Sweden, Peace of Roskilde, Hamlet, University of Copenhagen (founded 1479), various corrupt and heroic politicians, H.C. Andersen, Lutherans, Niels Bohr, not so many Lutherans, Operation Weserübung and German occupation, Karen Blixen, Bang and Olufson, Legoland, Greenland home rule, communitarian paradise with low crime rate. That should get you started.
Seriously, Denmark has a long and interesting recorded history and your trip will be more fun if you read a little about it. A stroll around Copenhagen is more enjoyable with a little historical context.
Restaurant Advice
The best strategy is to avoid most restaurants specializing in some other nation's cuisine. Focus on Danish food. Danish food is unremarkable but of high quality and fresh. I have never been to a bad Danish restaurant. The food is hearty, lots of meats and fish. Not too many vegetables. A typically good Danish restaurant: Peder Oxe's Restaurant (Gråbrødretorv 11). Another to try is Godt (Gothersgade, 38), which is smaller and more intimate but very high quality and excellent wine list. If you are on a budget (as everyone is who is not packing Euros) then you might try Riz Raz. It is informal, cheap and varied.
There is one problem focusing only on Danish food. In Denmark, most people think chicken is a vegetable. After I am in Denmark for more than one week, I usually get a vegetable fix at Govinda, the Hari Krisha place north of the Botanical Garden. It is cheap and all vegetables. Unfortunately, the Govinda option is temporarily unavailable. There was a fire in December and they have yet to finish rebuilding. In honor of the Govinda, and due to its closing, I will reconcile myself to chanting, "chicken is a vegetable, chicken is a vegetable." Or maybe I will just bring along in my baggage some freeze dried asparagus. If you do not like bringing your own vegetables, you might wish to try Den Grønne Kælder (direct translated "The Green Basement"), Pilestræde 48, 1112 København. I have not been there myself but Ditte-Lene assures me that the place is just fine and that they serve peas. It is probably more expensive than Govinda since the good Hari Krishnas just ask us to leave what we wish.
If you decide you want to have something other than Danish food then I have two quite reliable alternatives- Italian and Middle Eastern. Italian food comes at every brow (low, medium and high) and is all good. The Middle Eastern food is usually cheap, not fancy, but also good. Indian is hit or miss. Chinese- I have found nothing up to standard. Mexican- interesting but not Mexican. Seafood houses are generally very good but remarkably expensive.
Most of my efforts to find good Asian food have failed utterly, but I did find one place that was quite good: Khun Juk (Store Kongensgade 9). If you want something fancy and expensive, a nice place to try is the French-style restaurant, the Kommandanten (Ny Adelgade 7), but if you are an American, you might want to wait until the dollar surges.
At some point, perhaps lunch, you should visit one of the restaurants in Nyhavn (a scenic area where many boats are docked). The restaurants are more expensive than you would like, but the views are great, the ambiance is "let's party!" and the food tend is reliably good. Most Nyhavn restaurants are oriented to Danish cuisine or seafood. If you want to soak up some Danishness and not drop a lot of money, just go there for a beer.
Bulletin, this just in: There was some concern on the part of the Copenhagen Chamber of Commerce (CCC) that my review was a bit harsh and that all of you would, as a result of it, be packing granola bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, thereby crippling the tourist economy. Moreover, Torben and Ditte-Lene inform me that Copenhagen has been doing well with the French (who are less particular than I am) and that the most recent Michelin guide includes and three restaurants that have gained a star, including a Thai restaurant Kiin-Kiin. Noma is also notable inasmuch as it has two stars. However, neither serves herring.
Things to do while in Copenhagen
I assume that if you are not able stay beyond the conference dates that you will not need much advice on ‘things to do' and that if you are staying for several days you will have a standard tour guide. So my emphasis is on things to do if you have only a day or so. If you want many choices under many categories, go to the tour book. The focus here is on assorted things I enjoy. If your tastes are identical to mine, these recommendations will be perfect! Everything I recommend below is within a brisk 20 minute walk from the university and central Copenhagen.
Any list must start with Tivoli. Founded in 1843, Tivoli is one of the world's oldest amusement parks, which means, of course, that it does not have the latest amusement rides and virtual reality technology. Who cares? Skip the rides. There aren't many and they are definitely not the main attraction. Here is surprising advice- leave the kids at home. Your kids will love Tivoli, but they have their own amusement parks, ones with people dressed in bear or chicken costumes. They will like those better. Children like Tivoli, but the park caters to adults. Beautiful garden settings, excellent concerts of every sort (but with focus on classical music), good restaurants that serve slow food, and you know you are not in Disneyworld when you order your scotch, gin or aquavit. If you have hours to spend at Tivoli, they are hours well spent. You will not be bored.
The Glyptotek art museum is just 5 minutes from Tivoli. It is world-renowned for sculpture collection, more than 10,000 pieces. The sculpture is boring. After a while, it all looks alike. How many perfectly posed marble Athenians does one need to see in one's life time? The Glypototek is less well known for the fact that it has some magnificent early Paul Gauguin, mostly pre-Tahiti. While you are there ask someone what "Glyptotek" means in your language. It seems a strange word. My bet: it means "boring sculpture but worthwhile anyway."
The Round Tower is not to be missed. It is a 36 meter high tower (for Americans: half a football field high; for Europeans, half the width of a soccer field).
The tower was built in 1637 by King Christian IV. It is in the heart of Copenhagen, very close to the university. There are two non-historical attractions. First, there is a spiral stairway to the top, wide enough and tall enough for you to ride your horse and perhaps to pull your carriage (but you can walk if left your horse at home). When you get to the top, there is a great view of the city. Since the tower is, as they say, round, it gives you a 360 degree perspective on Copenhagen. You miss nothing. Copenhagen is flat, has few tall buildings, nothing in the way of your view. The other reason to go to the round tower is that they have weekly concerts that are intimate and first rate. Most of the music is classical, string quartets, visiting opera divas and such. When you go, you will enjoy the fact that you are more Danish than the Danes. (For example, Torben has never been to a concert there. The Round Tower 200 meters from his office, which is to say 100 meters beyond his territorial perimeter.
The Botanical Garden is near the university and the Norrebro train station. Torben has been to the Botanical Garden many times. He cannot avoid it. It is the route from the train station to his office (his office is on the perimeter of the garden). But it is worth visiting even if it is not in the direct route between your train station and your office. If you have been to a large botanical garden in Europe, the one in Copenhagen offers little that you have not seen. However, it is remarkably relaxing and a good place to just sit and enjoy the (we hope) temperate May climate. On sunny days you will be able to spot napping Danes is rather large number. There is also an ample supply of ducks and swans, many nesting.
Hang out at the canals. You will not otherwise confuse Copenhagen with Amsterdam, but the two do have in common a latticework of functioning canals and colorful boats all along them. Danes like the canals as much as we do and, thus, you will find many of the restaurants and bars located along canals. I've already briefly mentioned Nyhavn and you should go there even if it will make you feel just a little bit like a tourist (which we are!). But in Nyhavn, as well as other places less easy to find, you can catch the water taxi (for practical transport) or the tour boats. Both are worthwhile. You should make sure that your water tour takes you by the new Opera House, which just opened in 2005. The Opera House is on an island, across from Amalienborg Castle, perhaps the most beautiful of all Danish Castles. The structure itself is not so controversial (though it is quite innovative), but its mode of financing offended some Danes. It was a private donation by the Moller Foundation and was fully tax deductible. Danes are not nearly as happy with corporate welfare as other nations seem to be. If you are not an opera fan, go anyway. The setting is beautiful and they serve lunch.
Do not let the name Royal Museum of Fine Art scare you. This is a gem of a museum. It is actually smaller than the name suggests and, fortunately, it is a little less "fine" than one would expect. They do have an obligatory section of Scandinavian art, lots of bleak landscapes and more than a few portraits of various monarchs. But the museum rocks. I saw one of the weirdest avant guard exhibits there I have yet seen. One noteworthy piece combined the best of Herbie Hancock's old "Rockit" music video, a faux pin ball machine, and a hint of Diego Rivera at his socialist mural best. And it included a tape loop of the artist saying "whatever...whatever...whatever." I was stunned. As you can guess, the Royal Museum of Fine Art is rarely crowded, even on the free admission days.
You can recover from the Fine Art museum by going down the block to the Geological Museum. This is perhaps the worst museum I have ever visited. It seems more like an extended high school exhibit that is updated according to glacial time. It is an anti-museum and, thus, quite interesting for its own sake. It is the garage band of museums. Most important, if you tell Danes that you have visited the Geological Museum you will have tons of Danish street cred. Since no one ever visits the Geological Museum, they will assume that you have visited every site in every corner of Denmark.
And, of course, this concludes my tour guide. Once one has discussed the Geological Museum nothing is left to discuss.