Wonderful, wonderful Copehagen - the song pretty much says it all!

You'd be hard-pressed to find a more relaxed, open-minded or charming European capital. Whether you're looking for sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, or museums, fairground rides and manicured gardens, Copenhagen has it - all within a short bicycle ride. 

The best way to explore Denmark's low-rise capital is with two wheels. Bicycle is the main mode of transport for nearly half of Copenhaganers and most roads have separate bike lanes, making it quick and easy to whiz between the ocean, harbourfront and canals. There's no need to go to the trouble of hiring a bike. Every hundred metres or so stand rows of free, brightly-painted public city bikes. Pop in a 20DKK coin and the bike is yours for the peddling within the city centre. When you want to return the bike, just hook it up to a stand and 20DKK will drop right out again. Genius. All bikes come with a city map marked with landmarks, which helps with orientation and also outlines the geographical boundaries for using the bikes.

Now that you've got your transport sorted, where to go first? Well, for Danish cultural offerings, check out the Viking, Inuit and Egyptian loot in the National Museum, eye off the crown jewels at the Rosenborg Slot royal castle or head slightly further afield to see the art collection at the seaside Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

For some green space and oceanfront visas, head to the Kastellet, a 17th century citadel with impressive fortifications. Within spitting distance is the iconic Little Mermaid statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale about a lovesick mermaid doomed to wait 300 years to become human. The bronze statue sits on an oceanside rock, staring forlornly out to sea.

On a sunny day, make a beeline for the colourful Nyhavn canal, lined with gabled townhouses (Hans Christian Andersen once lived at number 67) as well as trendy bars and cafes that spill out onto the sidewalk.

At night, the 150-year-old Tivoli Garden fun park is the place to head for some kitsch and family-friendly entertainment - from sedate roller coasters and ferris wheel rides to live music and folk dancing performances.

For more edgy fun, delve into Copenhagen's liberal underbelly in the Freetown of Christiania, located just beyond the city centre in the northern part of Christianshavn. Magic mushrooms and marijuana are sold openly on Pusher Street (the main drag) of this 85-acre 'free city' which has come to epitomise Scandinavia's progressive social values. During the day, guided tours are offered of this self-governing area, and the bars, restaurants, theatres and galleries in Christiania are among the best in the city.