Are you too old for fairy tales? If you think so, Copenhagen is sure to change your mind.

    See the city first from the water. In the harbor sits Denmark s best-known landmark: the Little Mermaid. Remember her? She left the world of the Sea People in search of a human soul in one of Hans Christian Andersen s beloved fantasies. From the harbor you can get a feel for the attractive "city of green spires." At twilight or in cloudy weather, the copper-covered spires of old castles and churches lend the city a dream-like atmosphere. You ll think you ve stepped into a watercolor painting.

    Copenhagen is a city on a human scale. You don t have to hurry to walk the city s center in less than an hour. Exploring it will take much longer. But that s easy. Copenhagen was the first city to declare a street for pedestrians only. The city has less traffic noise and pollution than any other European capital.

    Stroll away from the harbor along the riverbanks, you ll see the modest Amalienborg Palace first. Completed in the mid-18th century, it still houses the royal family. The Danish Royal Guard is on duty. At noon, you ll watch the changing of the guard. The guards are not just for show, however. Danes will always remember their heroism on April 9, 1940. When the Nazis invaded Denmark, the guards aimed their guns and fired. Soldiers fell on both sides. The guards would all have been killed if the king hadn t ordered them to surrender.

    Churches and castles are almost all that remain of the original city. Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in 1445. During the late 16th century, trade grew, and so did the city. But fires in 1728 and 1795 destroyed the old wooden structures. Much of what we see today dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

    See one of the spires up close—really close—at the 17th-century Church of Our Savior. Brave souls may climb the 150 stairs winding outside the spire to its top. If you re afraid of heights, or if it s a windy day, you can forget the climb. But then you ll miss the magnificent view. 

    Once the earth is under your feet again (you ll enjoy the feeling), cross the nearest bridge to Castle Island. The curious yet majestic-looking spire ahead tops the oldest stock exchange in Europe, built in 1619. Its spire is formed from the entwined tails of three dragons. They represent Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

    Keep going, to the Christiansborg Palace. The town of Copenhagen began here. Stop and visit the medieval castle. Parliament and the Royal Reception Chambers are open, too. Then continue to Nyhavn, a narrow waterway dug by soldiers in 1673. You ll understand why Hans Christian Andersen made this charming waterway his home. A specially-built mirror outside his apartment window allowed him to peek unseen at the world outside.

    Nyhavn is peaceful, an ideal place for lingering and people-watching. You ll usually see them dressed casually, though they are among Europe s rich people. Danes are taught not to stand out in a crowd. But they do know how to party, especially during holidays.

    To see them having fun, and to have some fun yourself, cross Andersens Boulevard and enter Tivoli Gardens. You won t be alone. More than five million people a year come here. They come to dance, dine, take in outdoor and indoor concerts, see ballets and laugh at the comedy. One tip: Bring a lot of money. About 20 restaurants are among the city s most expensive. Even without money, you can still enjoy the proud old trees, the colored night lights and the beautiful gardens. You might feel as if you are in a fairy tale.  

    你是否已經老得不想聽童話了？如果你是這么認為的話，哥本哈根一定能夠改變你的想法。

    要看這座城市，先從水看起。丹麥最有名的標志性建筑——小小美人魚就坐落在港口處。記得她嗎？在安徒生的一個童話里，她離開了海底世界，想變成一個真正的人。安徒生的許多幻想故事都很受歡迎哩。從這個港口你可以領略到這座迷人的“綠色塔尖之城”的魅力。黎明時分或天氣陰霾的時候，舊堡壘和教堂的鍍銅塔尖給這個城市蒙上了夢一般的氣氛。你會以為自己步入了一幅水彩畫中。 

    哥本哈根是一個很人性化的城市。你不需要在一小時內匆匆地將市中心走完。考察這個城市要花上更長的時間。但那也是件很輕松的事。哥本哈根是第一個劃出步行街的城市。比起歐洲其他國家的首都，這個城市的交通噪音和污染少了許多。 

    自港口沿著河岸漫步，最先映入眼簾的是風格樸實的阿瑪利安堡皇宮。阿瑪利安堡皇宮于18世紀中期完工，皇室家族至今居住于此。皇家衛隊仍在這里執行任務。中午可以觀賞衛兵換崗的儀式。但是，這些衛兵絕不僅僅是裝裝樣子而已。丹麥人永遠記得他們在1940年4月9日的英勇事跡。當時納粹分子入侵丹麥，這些衛兵舉槍瞄準并且開火。雙方都有士兵陣亡。如果國王不叫他們投降的話，這些衛兵可能全都戰死沙場了。 

    教堂與古堡大概是古城遺留下來的惟一的東西。哥本哈根于1445年成為丹麥的首都。16世紀末，貿易發展帶動了城市的發展。但是，城中的舊式木建筑在1728年和1795年的兩場大火中毀于一旦。今天我們所看到的大部分建筑都是在19世紀和20世紀初建造的。 

    仔細看其中一個塔尖——真正靠近地看——這座建于17世紀的“我們的救世主”教堂。勇敢的人可能會爬上那在尖塔外蜿蜒而上直通塔頂的150層階梯。如果你有恐高癥，或者當天風很大，那就免了吧。不過，你會因此錯過那壯觀的景色。 

    當你再次穩穩地踏在土地上(你會喜歡這種感覺的)，你可以通過最近的橋到城堡島。前方有個1619年建造的歐洲最古老的證券交易中心，上面的塔尖奇特而又宏偉。塔尖由三只龍尾纏繞而成，分別代表丹麥、瑞典和挪威。 

    繼續往前，走到基斯汀堡。哥本哈根源自此處。停下來游覽這個中世紀的古堡。議院和皇家接待室也同樣開放，然后繼續往尼哈芬走去，它是1673年由士兵挖成的狹窄水道。你會明白為什么漢斯?克里斯蒂安?安徒生把這個迷人的水道當成自己的家。通過公寓窗外的一面特制的鏡子，他能夠看到外面的世界而又不被人發現。 

    尼哈芬是個寧靜的地方，它也是個逗留和觀看行人的理想處所。雖然他們是歐洲最有錢的人，但是你通常都會看到他們穿得很隨意。丹麥人所受的教育是在人群中不要顯得鶴立雞群。但是他們卻很喜愛聚會，特別是在假日的時候。 

    要看丹麥人嬉樂，要想自己找到樂趣，你可以走過安徒生大道，進入提弗利花園，在這兒你是不會寂寞的。每年有超過500萬的人來此旅游。他們來這里跳舞、就餐、欣賞戶外和室內音樂會，看芭蕾舞表演，觀看喜劇開懷大笑。給你一個建議：多帶錢。20家左右的餐廳是本城里最昂貴的。即使沒有錢，你仍可以欣賞那些傲人的老樹、五光十色的彩燈，以及美麗的花園。你可能會以為自己置身于童話故事當中呢。