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CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
But no place represents the
Christmas spirit better than Tivoli
Gardens. At dusk, when the sky
turns dark blue and the lights be-
gin to shine, the park becomes
a perfect metaphor for Scandi-
navian Christmas: luminous yet
understated, festive yet intimate,
old and modern at once. Whole
families gather to listen to open-
air concerts, taste traditional
sweets or simply stroll among the
illuminated fir trees.
A tradition that renews itself each
year, Tivoli achieves something
difficult: maintaining its essen-
ce while continuing to reinvent
itself. Decorations change, new
shows are added, gastronomic
areas expand, but the soul re-
mains the same. There is no ar-
tifice in its magic: only the emo-
tion of a city that celebrates light
in the heart of winter.
The central lake presided over by a large boat
One of the entrances to Tivoli
Christmas in Copenhagen:
a city wrapped in light
Beyond Tivoli, Christmas in Copenhagen is li-
ved with a serene intensity. The Danes do not
seek excess, but warmth. The streets of the
centre, from Strøget to Nyhavn, fill with soft
lights and garlands hanging between the co-
lourful façades. In the windows, lit candles and
paper stars create a sense of home even when
simply walking past. The cafés smell of carda-
mom and the shop windows display wreaths of
natural fir. Everything seems designed to cele-
brate winter rather than fight it.
The Nyhavn market, with its houses reflected
in the canal, is another of the emblematic set-
tings. There, wooden stalls offer herring, Dani-
sh cheese and mulled wine while the moored
boats glow with garlands. A few steps away, in
City Hall Square, stands a giant fir tree dona-
ted each year by Norway, symbol of the friends-
hip between the Nordic countries.
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