Travel Bucket List: Copenhagen 

One of the cleanest cities in the world, Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is linked to Malmo in southern Sweden by the Öresund Bridge. The Danes pride themselves quite justifiably on their sleek design and it is all too visible in the Danish capital--from hotels to restaurants, boutiques and shops.

You could take a canal tour, a biking tour or a walking tour, apart from the universally popular hop-on, hop-off option to see this beautiful city in Scandinavia. Free of crowds and congestion, Copenhagen allows you to breathe easy. Like other cities in Scandinavia, it is a tad expensive.High on the boxes you need to tick will be the Queen's winter residence or Amalienborg Palace, which consists of four identical classical palace facades. And then there is the Renaissance-era Rosenborg Castle, surrounded by gardens. Incidentally, it's also where the crown jewels are preserved. The Tivoli Gardens first opened in 1843 and is now one of the most visited theme parks in Europe, featuring an assortment of restaurants, theaters and dance halls.

Head downtown to one of the longest pedestrian streets in Europe, Strøget, which has a host of boutiques and cafes. If you want to shop till you drop, you might want to go there because it has a large shopping area. Not far from there, for those interested in museums is the famous National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet). And of course, Danish poet and author Hans Christian Anderson has been immortalized not merely through his works, but also the celebrated Little Mermaid statue, based on one of his fairy tales. For many visitors, the Mermaid is a major disappointment, so that is something one must keep in mind before feeling let down at the the sight of it.

Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, with a host of good restaurants.It is the busiest and most touristy part of the Danish capital. Enjoy a ferry ride or take a walk along the canal. If you fancy getting away from the city, explore the Danish countryside. There are 400 islands around Denmark, all equally picturesque. For instance, about an hour and a half away is the island of Funen,which is where Hans Christian Andersen spent his childhood. Don't miss the spectacular Egeskov castle in southern Funen. The cobbled streets of Odense or Faaborg offer a very special charm and will cast a spell on you.

Weather: June marks the beginning of summer, a good time to be there, as are the next three months, especially if you're a tourist.

Food and places to eat:

The food market on the Paper Island (Papirøen) by Copenhagen's harbour water front gives you food from virtually everywhere in the world. On a good sunny day, enjoy Mexican, Chinese, Italian or French food, not to speak of local cuisine, sitting on the deck chairs there, or go indoors into the large halls. The food trucks there serve amazing street food. The city has several other options of fine dining, as well as different kinds of cuisine to suit pockets of all sizes.

- Y Satyanarayana