Once Upon a Time

Host a fabled business event in wonderful Copenhagen.

- BECCA HENSLEY

I imagine that when writer Hans Christian Andersen mused, “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale,” he was standing at the edge of Copenhagen’s historic Tivoli Gardens, one of his favorite haunts, enlivened by the swirl of human happiness that surrounded him: children laughing; carousels spinning; games of chance played for prizes; lovers holding hands; hungry people whispering over sweets, hot drinks, beer and towering, open-faced smørrebrød, Denmark’s quintessential sandwich. That fairy tale lives on today at the second-oldest amusement park in the world, a spectacle of folly architecture, bakeries, gardens, rides, restaurants, puppet shows and joy … and which also happens to be one of the city’s most storied places to convene for business.

Copenhagen itself reigns as an utterly modern city on the sea. With Viking history and a royal family, it’s known for world-class gastronomy, ingenious design, and hygge, that state of cozy contentment and conviviality that fuels the Danes. Set on a captivating harbor and boat-brimming waterways; composed of timbered houses bright with flower-profuse window boxes along cobbled streets; home to castles, museums, contrasting modern architecture and its smaller-than-expected mermaid statue, the city pleases visitors instantly.