Danish delights: the charms of Copenhagen.

• Author: Rothenberg, Sheila

APAINTER'S PALETTE would be hard-pressed to duplicate the riot of colors that greeted us as we strolled through the gates of Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Fiery reds, sunshine yellows, pristine whites, and bright oranges dominated among the more than 400,000 flowers--tulips, chrysanthemums, daisies, lilaces, and fuschia--that had turned the famed park into a summer splendor, set off to great advantage by well-tended lawns and seemingly dozens of fountains spewing geysers into the air. So much for the myth that Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia are a frozen landscape throughout the year.

Colorful exuberance is not confined to the plant kingdom. "I am blooming like a flower," our luncheon companion joyfully confided on that July afternoon, throwing back her head to soak up the sun's rays. Copenhagen natives, after a long winter and slow-arriving spring, wholeheartedly were welcoming summer like a long-lost friend. With temperatures climbing to the mid 80s, well above the 70[degrees] norm, the entire city seemed to be luxuriating in the balmy weather. Sprawling on park benches or stretching out wherever a patch of grass permitted, men and women were shedding shirts and basking. They invariably see few daylight hours during their long winters, and obviously intended to make the most of such an opportunity.

Now more than 150 years old, Tivoli Gardens is the spiritual heart of Copenhagen, providing myriad delights to citizens and visitors alike. The acres of gardens border meandering paths that lead to indoor and outdoor stages, home to theatrical performances, puppet shows, and jazz, rock, and classical concerts, many of them free; formal restaurants, fast-food establishments ranging from pizza to salads, and kiosks dispensing ice cream, cotton candy, red hots (savory, highly spiced frankfurters), and other treats; a wide variety of shops; and, of particular fascination to adults as well as children, more than two-dozen rides--from roller coaster and Ferris wheel to motor boats and a soaring gondola. Cross Disneyland with Coney Island, add a century and a half of tradition, and you have Tivoli Gardens.

Arriving at Kastrup International Airport just before eight that morning, we were pleased to find that it was a mere 15-minute taxi ride to the Hotel Phoenix, chosen for its proximity to most of the city's major points of interest. Taking only moments to drop off our bags and not even bothering to unpack, we made a beeline for Tivoli. Popping onto a bus, we whipped out our Copenhagen Cards and were waved to our seats. We had been told the card was indispensable, and it quickly proved to be true. A one-, two-, or three-day pass--running from approximately $25 to $50--covers fares on buses, trains, and ferries as well as virtually all museums and other attractions, in some cases fully, others at a discount, paying for itself many times over in savings.

Tivoli's lake is the scene of ice-skating during the colder months, but winter thoughts dissolved as we lunched on the deck of the Sct. Georg III, a frigate that had been hoisted over the park's walls and moored in the lagoon as a floating restaurant. Encouraged by the waiter, who, like practically every Dane we encountered, spoke perfect, idiomatic English (the language is introduced in schools in the lowest grades and taught throughout the primary and secondary curriculum), we opted for a sampling of local dishes. The Danes love potatoes and can't wait for the first ones to be plucked from the ground in early summer. Accordingly, they delight in what they oddly label a potato sandwich--actually, sliced boiled potatoes garnished with chopped onions and bits of bacon, with a thin silver of bread buried beneath the pile. Another summer delicacy is an open-faced sandwich of tiny shrimp piled high and designed to be eaten with knife and fork. No Danish luncheon is complete without marinated herring, tender and not the least bit briny, set off by minced red onions.

From our vantage point on the top deck overlooking the park, we could see the thousands of tiny lights strung through the trees. When turned on at dusk, they transform the gardens into a magic kingdom rivaling Disney's finest efforts. Fireworks extravaganzas every Wednesday and Saturday night and the 112-boy Tivoli Guard Drum Corps marching through the park each Thursday evening are high points for concertgoers, diners, or those merely strolling through or sitting in the park after dark.

Tivoli Gardens' place in Danish hearts was clearly recognized by the Germans when they occupied the country during World War II. In retribution for sabotage efforts by the Resistance, they dynamited the park, destroying more than half the buildings. Within two weeks, the Danes had cleared away the rubble, erected tents to house concerts and other performances, and continued to use the gardens as an oasis during those troubled times.

Our Copenhagen Cards provided admission to the gardens as well as the two museums at the park's entrance. Louis Tussaud's Wax Museum, while not in the same class as his more illustrious ancestor's London exhibit, still is diverting with remarkably lifelike mannequins depicting the famous and infamous and a properly ghastly Chamber of Horrors. The Tivoli Museum recounts the history of the park and gardens through posters, archival photos, and costumes, mementos, and artifacts from its storied past. Antique arcade games still function and serve as a magnet for any stray change in visitors' pockets.

Denmark is a relatively small country, and Copenhagen, the capital, is compact, making it exceedingly walkable. Strolling is a leisurely way to get around, and nowhere is it more de rigueur than along Stroget, the shopping street that cuts east-west through the city and is reputed to be the longest pedestrian mall in the world. Vehicular traffic is prohibited, though you often have to step lively to avoid the omnipresent bicycles that provide most Danes with their prime means of inner-city transportation.

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