Copenhagen has enough parks, pools, and Michelin-starred restaurants to fill a month's worth of midsummer nights. Adam Sachs surveys the scene

Copenhagen is small enough to explore on foot but big enough that you're unlikely to get bored, with wonderful parks, public pools, and rehabilitated older neighborhoods, as well as great biking.

The country code for Denmark is 45. Prices quoted are for June 2006.

Lodging
The 268-room Hotel Skt. Petri aims for stylish but, like many modern hotels, ends up bland. Still, it's perfectly located for a stroll to the shopping streets of the Strøget or for catching a train to just about anywhere in the city (3345-9800; hotelsktpetri.com; doubles, $240–$380). The Hotel Fox is basically a massive art-school project come to life: Artists and designers were let loose on the place, each commissioned to create a unique, preferably loony, room. The resultant hotel has a slapped-together, let's-put-on-a-show feel—probably not suited to anyone who thinks graffiti artists should be stopped at the door instead of invited to design interiors (3313-3000; hotelfox.dk; doubles, $150–$215). The well-located Hotel Alexandra is the real design deal (albeit a tad threadbare), with period furniture from Danish-modern masters Arne Jacobsen and Ole Wanscher and lighting by Poul Henningsen (3374-4444; hotel-alexandra.dk; doubles, $220–$330).

Dining
Copenhagen has more Michelin-starred restaurants than Finland, Norway, and Sweden combined. Noma is somehow austere and sumptuous at the same time, and Rene Redzepi's interpretive Nordic food is every bit as satisfying as the decor (93 Strandgade; 3296-3297; prix fixes, $85–$100). Cheek by jowl with the hot dog vendors of Tivoli gardens, The Paul is a pearl among swine. Intelligent pairings include the roasted monkfish with chorizo and trout roe (3 Vesterbrogade; 3375-0775; prix fixe, $112).

To satisfy cravings for both herring and high design, take a trip to Restaurant Jacobsen, in the northern suburb of Klampenborg. Part of Arne Jacobsen's Bellavista complex, it has been nicely restored and has original furniture and a terrace overlooking Øresund Bay (449 Strandvejen; 3963-4322; entrées, $14–$31). If you find yourself wandering around the parks or beaches of Klampenborg, stay for dinner at Den Gule Cottage, an improbably romantic restaurant in a 19th-century thatched-roof waterside cottage. Although the place is extremely small, waiters try gamely not to crowd guests, and the chefs turn out elegant modern food (506 Strandvejen; 3964-0691; prix fixes, $52–$68).

"Do you have a reservation?" the gruff woman at the door of Ida Davidsen inquired. I nodded meekly. "Good for you!" Since this little lunch spot is the place to go for smørrebrød, the traditional Danish open-faced sandwich, she turns away a lot of people. Your Danish friends will scoff, and you certainly won't feel like you're blazing any culinary trails, but it's fun to pick through the 177 sandwich combinations. The H. C. Andersen is a fairy-tale mix of bacon, liverwurst, consommé aspic, butter, and horseradish. A shot of aquavit is mandatory (70 Store Kongensgade; 3391-3655; sandwiches, $6–$26).

Paustian is a massive showroom for modern Danish and international furniture and design. But since dragging an Alvar Aalto armchair through customs isn't a fun thought, consider window shopping and spending the bulk of your time at the shop's restaurant of the same name. It's a pleasant place for a placid lunch, although the menu tries too hard to be as interesting as the art on the walls: The buttermilk bun dusted with black licorice is light and surprising, while the cod with tomato and saffron is cloying and sweet (2 Kalkbrænderiløbskaj; 3918-5501; entrées, $20–$43). Another design mecca with a good dining option is the Black Diamond, an annex of the Royal Library that has a café (80 Njalsgade; 3347-4747; prix fixes, $52–$63). Ponder existentialism and enjoy the view at Søren K (1 Søren Kierkegaards Plads; 3347-4950; prix fixes, $58–$71). In Christianhavn, stop at Cafe Wilder for a drink or an oversized sandwich. Locals hang out here reading newspapers and drinking beer (56 Wildersgade; 3254-7183; entrées, $17–$28). Not far away is the Lagkagehuset Bakery. Look for the logo—a crowned pretzel—and for people waiting in line for twisted cinnamony frosted treats with names like Tryksnegl, Kanelkrans, and Snegl (45 Torve-gade; 3257-3607).

Copenhagen has its own coffee shop chains, but you'll find the tastiest brews in tiny independent places all over town. Two of the best are Risteriet (36 Studiestraede) and Ricco (119 Istegade). The latter, a tiny butik and kaffebar, sells handmade coffee mugs and is a welcome break from the Vesterbro shopping district.

Activities
Danes are rightfully proud of their mid-century design icons, but the new Danish Design Centre provides an education in today's designers (3369-3369; ddc.dk). Shop for classic and updated furniture at Illums Bolighus, on the Strøget (3314-1941; royalscandinavia.com). For Danish fashion, hit one of Bruuns Bazaar's many men's and women's boutiques (3377-0077; bruunsbazaar.dk).

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, in Humlebæk, has a varied and interesting collection of modern works. This waterfront museum is worth a stop just to walk the grounds (4919-0719; louisiana.dk). Architecture-minded folks will want to visit the Zaha Hadid–designed extension recently added to the Ordrupgaard modern art museum, north of town (3964-1183; ordrupgaard.dk). Guided tours of the controversial new Operaen (opera house) are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays (3369-6978; operahus.dk; tours, $32).

Reading
Rough Guide's Copenhagen is useful and readable ($16). Time Out's Copenhagen was updated last year and is also good ($16). For an official Web site, denmark.dk makes for pretty good reading—plus you can keep up with such headlines as "Country Cracks Litterbug Ring" and "You Will Find No Corners in the Round Churches of Bornholm." For updated advice, check out the Destination Guide for Copenhagen at concierge.com.