Copenhagen is in the vanguard of shopping in Europe, and much of the action takes place on Strøget, the pedestrian street in the heart of the capital. Strøget begins as Frederiksberggade, north of Rådhuspladsen, and winds to Østergade, which opens onto Kongens Nytorv. The jam-packed street is lined with stores selling everything from porcelain statues of Youthful Boldness to open-faced sandwiches piled high with Greenland shrimp, pizza slices, all kinds of clothing, and some of the most elegant porcelain in Europe. There are also high-volume franchises of both McDonald's and Burger King.
Between stops, relax with a drink at an outdoor cafe, or just sit on a bench and people-watch.
In two nearby walking areas -- Gråbrødretorv and Fiolstræde -- you can browse through antiques shops and bookshops.
Bredgade, beginning at Kongens Nytorv, is the antiques district, where prices tend to be very high. Læderstræde is another shopping street that competes with Bredgade in antiques.
Best Buys
In a country famed for its designers and craftspeople, the best buys are in stainless steel, porcelain, china, glassware, toys, functionally designed furniture, textiles, and jewelry -- especially silver jewelry set with semiprecious stones.
Shipping it Home & Recovering VAT
Denmark imposes a 25% tax on goods and services, a "value-added tax" known in Denmark as MOMS (pronounced "mumps" and every bit as painful). Tax-free exports are possible. Many stores will mail goods to your home so you can avoid paying the tax. If you want to take your purchases, look for shops displaying Danish tax-free shopping notices. Such shops offer tourists tax refunds for personal export. This refund applies to purchases of over 300DKK ($51/£27) for visitors from the United States and Canada -- spent at the same store, but not necessarily all at once. For answers to tax refund questions, call Global Refund (tel. 32-52-55-66).
Store Hours
In general, shopping hours are 9:30 or 10am to 5:30pm Monday to Thursday, to 7 or 8pm on Friday, and to 2pm on Saturday. Most shops are closed Sunday, except the kiosks and supermarket at the Central Railroad Station. Here you can purchase food until 10pm or midnight. The Central Railroad Station's bakery is open until 9pm, and one kiosk at Rådhuspladsen, which sells papers, film, and souvenirs, is open 24 hours.
Shopping Center
For excellent buys in Scandinavian merchandise, as well as tax-free goods, we recommend the shopping center at the airport. A VAT-refund office is located nearby.
