Why now? Frozen canals, frosted unspoilt medieval architecture, and Christmas shopping on Strøget, the longest pedestrianised shopping street in the world - home to Danish design classics such as Bodum, Bang & Olufsen, Georg Jensen and Holmegaard.

Getting there Original Travel (020-7978 7333, originaltravel.co.uk) has two nights' B&B at 71 Nyhavn, a modern four-star hotel, converted from a 19th-century canal-side warehouse, from £350pp, including SAS flights from Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingham.

Where to eat? Post-shopping, refuel at the Estate Coffee Café (Gammel Kongevej 1, estatecoffee.dk), home to a former barista world champion. For dinner, try North Sea turbot and local celeriac with gnocchi at Kong Hans Kælder (Vingårdsstræde 6, konghans.dk) in the vaulted interior of King Hans's old wine cellar.