Hotel D'Angleterre by Matthew Barker

Grand Dame overlooking King’s Square and the Royal Theatre in the centre of Copenhagen. High-ceilinged rooms offer varying degrees of plush comfort in warm hues with flowery trimmings. One of the world’s oldest hotels - the wide corridors were designed to allow room for ladies’ billowing crinolines. 105 rooms (19 suites). Member of The Leading Hotels of the World.

Hotel Attractions:Spa and fitness centre with swimming pool, jacuzzi, Turkish baths, sauna, sun beds and well-stocked gym. Restaurant D’Angleterre offers a seven-course classical French menu. In-house hair-stylist.

Local Attractions:Charlottenborg Art Gallery is just across the square, elsewhere the Statens Museum for Kunst houses works by Picasso, Matisse, Braque, El Greco and Titian. The cheapest of the notoriously pricey Scandinavian countries: Stroget, the main shopping precinct, is just to the south of the hotel and includes the interior design shop Illums Bolighus; over on Stradet are a number of antique shops. Be sure to visit Chrisitiania, a hippie settlement dating from the early 70s and self-styled ‘free city’ that out-freaks Amsterdam. Danish cuisine is quite a mixed bag, try a smorrebrod (open sandwich) at the Kobenhavner Cafeen, Kanal Kafeen or Café Sorgenfri.