Copenhagen's Comfort Zone

A little farther north, Kronborg Slot soars into view near the town of Elsinore, immortalized by Shakespeare and his Danish king Hamlet. The town is also near where Jews smuggled out of Copenhagen were brought to board fishing boats in a short but treacherous journey past Nazi guards and into Sweden. The operators of the tourism office at 65 Nyhavn hope by summer to have a tour that traces the journey.

If you have hurried, you might have just enough time to take in the Royal Palace at Fredensborg, built in 1740 to celebrate a peace agreement with Sweden, a historic enemy.

My day north of the city ended back in suburban Copenhagen, in the home of Leif and Freya Waeber. My "Meet the Danes" night happened coincidentally to fall on Morten's Evening. My host said everyone celebrates Morten's Evening, but almost no one knows why. He'd looked it up so he could tell me the folksy little tale behind it, but no need to know more about it than the Danes do. In practice, it's a night when friends and family join to eat traditional Danish foods. The main dish is supposed to be goose, but people like duck better, so like many Danes that night, we had duck.

We drank, and laughed, and exchanged views on politics and religion -- the two topics people are supposed to avoid unless they are trusted friends. But after a night of hygge, I think that's just what we'd become.

Details: Copenhagen

GETTING THERE: Scandinavian Airlines and United offer nonstop service from Washington and are quoting fares of $500 to $600 round trip, which are considered bargains. However, last week connecting flights for as low as $324 were spotted on the Internet.

PACKAGES: Go-Today.com has a stellar package that includes nonstop service on Scandinavian Airlines, three nights' hotel, daily breakfast, and taxes and service charges for $429. Depart Thursdays. Details: 800-234-5245, www.go-today.com.

WHERE TO STAY: The trendiest hotel in Copenhagen is 71 Nyhavn (telephone 011-45-33-43-62-00 ), named for its address in a lively neighborhood along the water. Doubles run about $200. The Hotel d'Angleterre (34 Kongens Nytorv, 011-45-33-37-01-00, www.remmen.dk/hda.htm), the grande dame of hotels, oozes with Old World charm. Rates begin at $275. (Ask for a room away from the street.)

The Ascot Hotel (61 Studiestraede, 011-45-3312-6000, www.ascothotel.dk) is near Town Hall Square, with rates beginning at $140, breakfast included. For a real budget option, the Bellahoj Vandrerhjem (8 Herbergvejen, Bronshoj, 011-45-3828-9715) is a clean and pleasant hostel that accommodates singles and families for $9 per person; rooms for four also available. The tourism bureau's Web site (see below) also lists rental homes and information on house-swapping.

TIPS: To arrange dinner with a Danish family -- or reserve hotel rooms, tours and other services -- visit www.meetthedanes.dk, or call 011-45-3346-4646 . . . Through the holidays, the Meet the Danes tourist office at 65 Nyhavn is hosting free Christmas parties, including readings by an actor who has made a career of playing Hans Christian Andersen . . . Denmark celebrates Christmas big time, including decorations, a parade, special holiday fare and a Christmas circus. Contact the tourism office (see below) for details.

INFORMATION: Danish Tourism Bureau, 212-885-9700, www.denmark.dt.dk. --