ANTONI’S WINTER LEAFLET
“Copenhagen in Winter” is a small leaflet from 1961 which was used to lure tourists from all over the world to Copenhagen – not only in summer – but now also in winter. In connection with the exhibition “The Making of Wonderful Copenhagen – The Exhibition on Poster Artist Ib Antoni” at the Copenhagen Museum, we have breathed new life into this beautiful print, which can be seen at the exhibition at a height of 1.65 m. Please, do yourself the favour of taking the time to read through the text of this leaflet. It is written with such whimsy and warmth, and accompanied by Antoni’s motifs.
Copenhagen, naturally!
A fairy-tale city in winter, too.
Some cities lie dormant when summer is over, only reawakening in the spring sunshine. But not Copenhagen.
The good mood here lasts all year round, bubbling and twinkling. The streets smile. Copenhagen is so alive. So much goes on here, all pervaded by a light-heartedness that is contagious.
Stop for a moment in City Hall Square and close your eyes. Listen to the city. Can you hear it? It is saying: Welcome.
What is more, Copenhagen is alive 24 hours a day. There are always doors opening, songs playing, pots simmering, lights shining, happy people talking. You rest here, and yet you see and do so much, for Copenhagen holds so many opportunities and keeps its guests captivated from start to finish. Even so, the atmosphere of the city allows you to relax and make your stay a real holiday.
Copenhagen in winter is the ideal tourist city, and it does not leave the tourist penniless. It is easier to book a hotel room than in the peak summer season – and yet winter in Copenhagen is its own peak season in the best sense of the word.
Join us for a jaunt through bustling, boisterous, bewitching Copenhagen ...
Theatre
The curtain rises, and you are transported to another world – but fortunately you are still in Copenhagen.
The kindness and humanity that characterize everyday life also emanate from the city’s stages.
The theatre season begins on 1 September and lasts until 31 May, as the summer starts.
The two stages at the Royal Theatre are steeped in two centuries of thespian tradition. Graced in turns by operas and plays, these stages are also home to the world-famous Royal Danish Ballet.
The private theatres offer a modern and classic repertoire, and at the small vaudeville theatres the jokes and joviality of Copenhagen sparkle like champagne.
Quite often the city also hosts guest performances from abroad: opera, drama or ballet.
A night at the theatre in Copenhagen is a festive occasion, not only because these Copenhageners are stage magicians, but also because the Danish capital has the world’s best audiences: animated, enthusiastic, and intent on enjoying a night out.
Concerts
Copenhagen is a city that hums.
The air is full of tones.
Copenhageners love music. Indeed, they cannot live without it.
That is why Copenhagen is also the city of concerts, and the world’s great singers and solo musicians love to come here. Received with open arms and met by genuine, unconcealed enthusiasm, they are allowed to perform for a receptive, music-savvy audience.
This is just as true for performers of the classical arts as it is for great names from the jazz scene. They are all welcome and popular guests, and in Copenhagen’s concert halls they feel they are among friends.
The city also has two world-class orchestras of its own: the Royal Orchestra and the national Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The “Thursday Concert” radio broadcasts feature talented Danish orchestra leaders or conductors of international renown, and a concert season in the Danish capital is a veritable cavalcade of excellent performances.
Restaurants – Variety shows
Doesn’t this city ever grow tired? Actually, no, it doesn’t.
It lives and smiles from morning till evening.
And when the night casts her dark cape, the city lights up and lets its hospitality and cheerful disposition shine brightest.
Evenings in Copenhagen are a celebration. The restaurants fill up, and smiling guests take their seats, full of anticipation. There are bouquets everywhere, and the food is simply unsurpassed. The eyes of the gourmet connoisseur feast on a colourful symphony of delectable dishes. Music mixes with happy voices.
As evening turns into night the dancing begins, and world-class artists evoke enthusiastic applause.
Humming, dancing, carefree Copenhagen!
You know how to have a good time without becoming vulgar. You display your hospitality without becoming commercial. You are buoyant yet well-mannered, full of merriment and good old-fashioned funs. You never isolate yourself, and yet you never intrude. Your joy is contagious, and your night is long ...
Conferences
Let’s face it: a conference serves many purposes.
The attendees must discuss the topics, work in committees, and listen to lectures, but they are also here to get to know one another and reach an understanding on which to build their relations for years to come.
Copenhagen is a conference city, not just because Danish efficiency makes events run like clockwork, but also because negotiations take place in a friendly atmosphere fostered by a healthy democratic tradition.
It is almost impossible to disagree in Copenhagen!
The city inspires consensus and ideas.
The cheerful smiles and the positive mindset one encounters everywhere make problems wane. And it is certainly true that any conversation is best in cosy surroundings.
And by the way, in winter it’s easier to fulfil the attendees’ individual requirements for hotel accommodation.
Shopping
What window displays! Is there really any reason to tempt us so?
Show me, if you can, a city whose shops and department stores appeal more to one’s susceptible nature.
Sparkling silver, shining porcelain, all so tasteful and refined. Light reflects, starlike, in polished glasses, and vivid colours jump out at you from delightful fabrics.
Desperately clutching their wallets, the shoppers – alas! – are lost beyond all hope. They try to stare down at the paving stones, but the allure of the shops is unrelenting.
New impressions pour through the window panes: sumptuous furs and charming ceramics, world-famous furniture, and the loveliest antiques …
Hold on: We forgot about the children – but Copenhagen did not.
What a great selection of toys, ingenuity, and good cheer.
At home again, it almost seems like one brought back a bit of Tivoli Gardens.
Museums
Copenhagen’s museums alone are worth the visit.
Wander from one epoch to another, from world-class art to artisanal designs for daily use.
See old Dutch masters at the National Gallery and Egyptian mummies at the Glyptotek; French impressionists at Ordrupgaard and native Greenlanders at the National Museum.
Or visit the Danish monarchs’ collections at Rosenborg Castle, with the crown jewels as the dazzling centrepiece.
And behind the Roman-yellow walls near the quiet canal: the museum of the great Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen; or tucked among the slender tree trunks of Grønningen boulevard: the museum of the Danish fight for liberation in 1940–45.
There’s so much to see. And it hardly feels like being in a museum at all.
One lives in these epochs, immersed in life as it was back then, amazed at the wealth and the beauty, and – hardly perceiving it – seeing, learning, understanding, simply because it is all so exciting, so beautiful, and so intriguing.
Exhibitions
There’s so much to see! Exhibitions here, there, and everywhere, and something for everyone.
For those who prefer art, there are lovely exhibition rooms with beautiful artworks, open from morning till evening.
Charlottenborg sometimes shows two or three art exhibitions at a time – old and new, whatever tickles your fancy – and Den Frie Udstilling, near Østerport station, has modern Danish sculptures and paintings on display.
And then there are all the charming little galleries in the old streets.
Those who wish to experience nature and modern art in splendid harmony can drive to the Louisiana art museum, which also hosts chamber music, lectures and poetry readings …
For applied art and design, there are permanent exhibitions showcasing all the best Danish Design has to offer, and to see the latest results of modern industrial design, Copenhagen is the place to be.
The city’s home décor and lifestyle showrooms are not just interesting, they are treacherously tempting.
Copenhagen never says goodbye
Parting with good friends is always sad.
Packing up and leaving is never fun.
But holidays too must come to an end.
Alas, there is always the relentless reality of a return date on one’s ticket for the plane, train or ship.
It’s time to go.
The visitor, homeward bound and full of colourful impressions and fond memories, enthusiasm and gratitude, turns towards the cheerful city and murmurs a downcast: “Farewell.”
But Copenhagen replies: “Till next time!”
