This cosmopolitan city has been the capital of Denmark for 600 years and is also the largest city in Scandinavia, but it hasn't let these high-ranking geopolitical facts go to its head.Canals, lakes and the sea form the backdrop to modern Copenhagen and are a reminder of the city's heritage as a major Baltic port.

This role is also reflected in the citys name, København, a corruption of købmanne hafen or merchant's harbour.