The Top 20 World's Best Places to Live 2008 Part 3

Mercer score: 106.2 2007 rank: No. 11

By: Planetware.com

Copenhagen, the capital of the Kingdom of Denmark, lies on the east side of the island of Zealand and on the island of Amager in the Oresund. The conurbation of Copenhagen (Store Kobenhavn) is a municipal agglomeration which came into being through the incorporation

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of a number of places including Frederiksberg. With a total area of 570sq.km/220sq.mi and a population of some 1,700,000, Copenhagen is by far the largest city in Denmark. The seat of government, the Parliament (Folketing) and the residence of the Royal Family are all in the city.

History

Copenhagen is first mentioned as "Havn" in 1043. In 1167 Valdemar I made a present of the fishing and trading settlement to Bishop Absalon, who had the fortress of Slotsholmen built as a protection against Wendish pirates (remains can still be seen beneath Christiansborg). Around the fortress grew the place known as "Kobmandenes Havn" (merchants' port) which soon developed into a thriving trade center and in 1254 received its municipal charter. In 1416 control of Copenhagen passed to King Eric of Pomerania who made it his capital, and the town formed the center of the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which had been united since 1397.

The Reformation came to Denmark in 1536 and the Lutheran doctrine was declared the State religion. From this time onward Copenhagen became the royal seat. The heavily fortified town was provided with some fine buildings during the time of the popular King Christian IV (1588-1648) and successfully resisted attacks by the Swedes in 1658 and 1659 and by the combined English, Dutch and Swedish fleets in 1700. The old town of Copenhagen was largely destroyed by fire in 1728 and again in 1795, and in 1807 suffered considerable damage from bombardment by the British navy.

Under Christian VIII (1839-48) the city was granted a comprehensive statute of self-government. After the absolute monarchy had been changed into a constitutional government Copenhagen became, in 1848, the seat of the new government and the function of the city as the political hub of the country was strengthened. Copenhagen then reached out beyond its defensive walls. In 1867 the fortifications were demolished and several parks were laid out where the ramparts had been. The opening of a free port in 1894 and of Kastrup Airport in 1924 gave a decisive boost to Copenhagen's economy and transport system.

During the First World War many refugees came to Copenhagen, especially after the Russian Revolution in 1917. At the beginning of the Second World War Denmark declared itself neutral, but was occupied by German troops in 1940. Resistance organizations were formed which were especially concerned with helping Danish Jews, living principally in Copenhagen, to escape to Sweden. On the evening of May fourth 1945 the German surrender was announced. The early post-war years were difficult for the city because of the heavy destruction it had suffered, but in 1948 the Marshall Plan brought relief. At the end of the 1950s there was a boom. In 1962 "Stroget", a pedestrian zone measuring 1.8km/2000yds in length, became one of the first traffic-free streets in Europe. In 1987 Kastrup Airport was declared "airport of the year" because of its newly-opened elegant shopping precinct.

Economy

Copenhagen is Denmark's largest commercial and industrial city. There are shipyards, motor works, textile and clothing factories, chemicals, and foodstuffs. The porcelain industry (Royal Porcelain Factory and Bing og Grondahl) grew from the discovery of large china-clay deposits on the island of Bornholm in 1755.

Copenhagen owes its importance as a transshipment port to its position at the entrance to the Baltic. The quays have a length of 44km/26miles. A bridge over the port (Knippelsbro) leads to the island of Amager.

Cultural life

Copenhagen is also the cultural center of Denmark. Of the many theaters the Royal Theater is the most versatile and mounts theatrical, operatic and ballet productions. Although most of the Theatrical performances are in Danish, the Mermaid Theatre at Ny Vestergade 7 puts on all its plays in English.

Every week concerts are performed in the hall of Danish Radio at Julius Thomsens Gade; these are given either by the Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Radio Concert Orchestra or the Radio Big Band. The Zealand Symphony Orchestra gives concerts in the concert hall in Tivoli. In Copenhagen there are also many jazz clubs and bars with music; Danish and foreign jazz musicians take part in an annual jazz festival.

There is ample provision in Copenhagen for those interested in art. Besides the four main museums - the Ny Carlsberg Glyptothek, the National Museum, the Thorvaldsen Museum and the State Museum of Art - there are a number of private galleries. In the "Latin Quarter" around the university and in Nyhavn there are many antique shops.

Sightseeing in Copenhagen

The busy pedestrian zone of Stroget forms the city center. To the south of this area lie Tivoli and "Castle Island" (an island surrounded by canals). On the far side of the harbor is the Christianshavn district. The northern part of the inner city extends as far as Langelinie at the entrance to the port. On the far side of the lakes which border the inner city on the west lie the districts of Frederiksberg, Norrebro and Bispebjerg.

Mercer score: 105.8 2007 rank: No. 12

Wellington is New Zealand's capital city, and it's also known as our arts and culture capital. A special blend of heritage buildings, museums and galleries, fine food and live entertainment opportunities make this city a great place to visit in any season.

Part of Wellington's charm is its close proximity to nature. The central city is nestled between a beautiful harbour and forested hills. Wildlife sanctuaries, islands, seaside villages, ocean beaches and regional parks provide huge scope for outdoor fun.

Many visitors choose to base themselves in the vibrant inner city, where it's easy to walk to boutique shops, art galleries, trendy cafés and restaurants. Dominating the spectacular waterfront is Te Papa Tongrewa - the interactive, innovative museum that's one of New Zealand's key cultural attractions. At night, the city stays up late to enjoy live theatre, music and dance performances.

Wellingtonians love their city, and we're sure you will too. Allow at least a couple of days here to get an insight into New Zealand's history, contemporary culture and creativity.

Mercer score: 105.7 2007 rank: No. 13

Amsterdam is one of the greatest small cities in the world. From its canals to world-famous museums and historical sights, Amsterdam is one of the most romantic and beautiful cities in Europe.

Amsterdam is also a city of tolerance and diversity. It has all the advantages of a big city: culture, nightlife, international restaurants, good transport - but is quiet, and largely thanks to its canals, has a little road traffic. In Amsterdam your destination is never far away, but get a bike for most authentic experience.

Amsterdam quick facts:

Population: 751,000

Time zone: CET (UTC +1 hour)

Telephone area code: +20

Country: The Netherlands (also known as Holland)

Amsterdam tourist attractions:

Museums are the main tourist attraction in Amsterdam. Everyone knows the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, but there is much more. Amsterdam has over fifty museums which attract millions of visitors each year.

A European capital renowned for its indulgent atmosphere, Amsterdam is more than just a playground of sensual pleasures. Home of Rembrandt, Van Gogh, classic architecture, and, of course, the canals, this "Venice of the North" augments its famed 17th century glory with a thriving, cosmopolitan presence in the 21st century. Nestled in the heart of Western Europe's financial powers, the Dutch capital has parlayed its geographic location, well-educated population, high quality of life, and tolerant attitude into an appealing package that hosts the European headquarters of over 1,800 foreign corporations. The cultural mecca is also home to one of Europe's largest airports, seaports, and stock exchanges. These days, about 45% of Amsterdam's population is of non-Dutch origin, and almost everyone speaks English. The city's transportation system is as impressive as its business statistics, and Amsterdam is a dream to navigate. Compact and safe (unless you're a pedestrian on the bike paths), the city is accessible to locals and visitors alike, who traverse the city via a superb tram system or by cycling down the many bike lanes. Amsterdam, although wet at times, boasts a pleasant climate overall and encourages cyclists and pedestrians. Plus, canals keep automobile traffic to a minimum. Reminders of Amsterdam's rich cultural heritage can be found everywhere. The historic city center contains over 6,000 historic, protected buildings, many of them narrow, ornate mansions along the canals. As expected, the city offers a wealth of excellent museums. When the work day's over, Amsterdam's citizens spend their euros leisurely and late in the city's many restaurants, cafés, and bars. Terrific cuisine from every culture imaginable satisfies hungry appetites, and nightclubs cater to a gamut of preferences. The city, a must for any serious traveler, is a mix of old and new, traditional and modern, athletic and apathetic, serious and bizarre - much like the citizens and visitors who inhabit and frequent it.

Mercer score: 105.4 2007 rank: No. 14

Brussels, capital of Belgium and principal seat of the Belgian Royal Family, is situated at the geographical center of the country. It occupies rising ground on the edge of the valley of the Senne, a tributary of the Scheldt, at a

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point where the hills drop away to the plain of Flanders. The city is capital of the province of Brabant, and Greater Brussels ("L'Agglomération de Bruxelles") forms one of the country's three autonomous regions, the others being Flanders and Wallonia. Brussels is part of an archbishopric which also includes Mechelen

Brussels is the capital of the European Union (EU) in practice, not officially, but is considered so due to its history with the various EU institutions. Brussels is also host to the headquarters for NATO, the Western European Union and EUROCONTROL. In addition, there are numerous other international organisations and corporations within the city. The city is also highly regarded as a host of international conferences.

The municipality of Brussels proper comprises only the area formerly enclosed by the old ramparts - long since replaced by the broad boulevards of the so-called "Pentagon". It is made up of the Lower Town, through which flow several branches of the Senne (now canalised underground), and the smaller Upper Town on a ridge to the east. Clustered around the city center and today continuous with it are 18 separately administered suburban districts. Thus Brussels as a whole is an agglomeration of 19 different municipalities, each with its own local government. That this has been an obstacle to the coherent development of the city is all too obvious from the many dilapidated areas and failed or poorly executed building projects.

Nowhere in Belgium do Flemings and Walloons live in quite such close proximity as in Brussels, the linguistic frontier running only a few kilometers south of the city. While Brussels itself is officially bilingual, Francophones in fact predominate (80%) in the central district and Flemish speakers in the suburbs. It is Brussels' fate therefore to be at the mercy of often opposing ethnic group interests, the paralysing effects of which have frequently proved to the city's disadvantage.

Nevertheless, few if any European cities have such an international feel as Brussels. A quarter of the approximately one million inhabitants are foreigners and they could hardly be a more varied mixture. On the one hand there are the army of people employed by the international organizations, and on the other hand guest workers and immigrants from North and sub-Saharan Africa, many of whom live in the country illegally.

Brussels is an entirely modern city, extensive replanning and redevelopment since the early part of the century having profoundly altered the character of the old Brabant capital except in one or two places. Even now several major projects are in progress. Work is almost complete on reshaping the area in front of the Gare Centrale to create a more fitting "entrée" to the historic heart of the city. And an ambitious plan exists to redevelop the area around the headquarters of the European Commission in the Palais Berlaymont - due for demolition because of the asbestos risk. Amid all this redevelopment those with an eye for such things will spot many an architectural disaster, as well as districts still badly in need of revitalisation. At the same time, speculative fever combined with the already mentioned ethnic rivalry and fragmented administrative responsibility threatens to destroy the vernacular character of attractive quarters like Les Marolles.

As Belgium's main cultural and scientific center Brussels is home to the Belgian Royal Academy as well as to a university, a polytechnic, numerous technical colleges and art schools and a variety of other cultural institutions. It is also the country's financial capital (National Bank) and economic hub, lying as it does at the intersection of some of western Europe's primary transport routes. Second only to Antwerp as the largest industrialised area in Belgium light industry predominates, in particular the manufacture of "Brussels lace", woolen, cotton and silk goods, carpets and porcelain. The metal, automobile and chemical industries are also well represented. Even so, the commercial and service sectors outweigh manufacturing in importance to the economy, owing in no small measure to the presence of the big international organizations employing about 100,000 people. The EEC alone has a staff of 14,000. Most of the latter however are nationals of other EEC countries who not only earn considerably more than local people but also pay no tax.

Not surprisingly Brussels is also the country's gastronomic capital, plentifully provided with restaurants of high repute catering for a discriminating clientèle. Brussels chocolates are famous.

History

The founding of Brussels is usually attributed to St Goorik (or Géry), Bishop of Cambrai, also credited with introducing Christianity into Belgium. He is thought to have established the original settlement here in about 580, on an island in the Senne. In 977 Charles, Duke of Lower Lotharingia, took up residence on the island, thereby attracting craftsmen and tradespeople to it. As a result the name "Bruocsella" (from "broec" = breach or marsh and "sele" = village") appears for the first time in 979 in a document of Otto the Great. Later, in the 12th century, the counts of Louvain, forerunners of the dukes of Brabant, built anew on the more elevated site of the Coudenberg. Standing as it did at an important crossing on the great trade route between Bruges and Cologne, subsequent expansion was rapid, and between 1357 and 1379 new ramparts were built around the much enlarged town. From then on Brussels ceased to be in the shadow of the hitherto more powerful Louvain.

At the end of the 14th century Brussels became the capital of Brabant, consequently falling in 1430 into Burgundian hands. By 1455 the population had reached 43,500 inhabitants. The dukes of Burgundy occasionally held court in Brussels and the French nobility who gathered there and who were already making the French language fashionable among their Netherlands counterparts, were responsible for a first flowering of the arts and sciences. At the same time trades and crafts increasingly flourished, leading to the emergence of a prosperous middle class and a new pride and self-confidence which soon found expression in the building of the splendid guild-houses and town hall on the Grand' Place.

When the country became a Habsburg possession in 1477, and especially following Charles V's accession in 1515 and the elevation of Brussels to capital of the Spanish Netherlands in 1531, a brilliant court life evolved in the city attracting a bevy of artists. It was during this time also that, in 1490, Franz von Taxis organized a permanent postal link between Brussels and Innsbruck. Charles V's abdication in 1555 however presaged the ending of Spanish rule.

The year 1566 saw the first rebellion in the Netherlands against Spanish oppression, culminating in the execution of Counts Egmont and Hoorn on the Grand' Place. For the time being the Spanish hold remained unbroken, but economically the city was weakened by an exodus of its citizens to the free Netherlands. In 1695, during Louis XIV's wars, Marshal DeVilleroy's bombardment set fire to the Lower Town, destroying more than 4000 houses including the magnificent buildings around the Grand' Place. Although with the end of the War of Spanish Succession the Spanish Netherlands and with them Brussels passed to Austria, the struggle of the people of Brussels for their freedom continued. In 1719 Frans Anneessens, leader of the Brussels guilds, was beheaded on the orders of the Austrian-appointed Governor, Prince Eugène.

Under Maria Theresa and her Governor Charles of Lorraine (1744-1780) more peaceful times ensued, the population rising again to reach 74,000. Then came the French Revolution, Brabantine supporters of which led a new revolt against the Austrians. In 1794 the French themselves marched in, Brussels remaining in French hands until 1814. Possession then passed to the Dutch under whom Brussels became the Netherlands' second city. Finally a popular riot in Theater Square on August 25th 1830 was the signal for the start of the revolution out of which Brussels was to emerge as the capital of the newly created Kingdom of the Belgians.

The new capital now developed rapidly. In 1834 the university was founded, and a year later continental Europe's first rail service began operating between Brussels and Mechelen. Subsequently, under King Leopold II and Burgomaster Ansprach, the great boulevards were built. Although occupied in both World Wars the city was fortunately spared the worst destruction. The 1958 World Exhibition brought a new landmark in the form of the Atomium while the arrival of the EEC and EURATOM in 1959 followed by NATO in 1967 marked Brussels' elevation to unofficial "Capital of Europe". The 1980s saw the first steps towards the city's becoming an autonomous region alongside Flanders and Wallonia, a process which should come to fruition in the 1990s. Sadly, in 1985, the Heysel Stadium was brought to the attention of the world when, before the European Cup Final between Liverpool FC and Juventus of Turin, British football hooligans caused panic in the course of which 38 spectators were killed.

Brussels was the birthplace of, among others, the painters Bernard van Orley, Pieter Bruegel the Elder and René Magritte, the Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta and the cabaret singer Jacques Brel.

In Brussels as in all major cities visitors are well advised to dispense with their own cars. The city's extensive and dependable public transport system brings everything of interest within easy reach.

Mercer score: 105.3 2007 rank: No. 15

Toronto (Indian for "meeting place"), capital of the Canadian province of Ontario and the country's leading industrial metropolis, stands on the north-west shore of Lake Ontario. For quite some time now the city has found itself being swept along by a tidal wave of dynamic development, evidenced by the construction of not only numerous hyper

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-modern skyscrapers but also the highest television tower in the world and the huge sports arena known as the Rogers Centre. In the last two decades the already highly industrialized conurbation has expanded deeper and deeper into what was once its hinterland. The original relatively small city center is today ringed by a succession of interconnecting fast roads and highways, and one after another new communities spring up along the big main roads leading from the town.

History

In 1793 the then Governor of Ontario John Graves Simcoe selected the north side of Toronto Bay for the site of a new settlement, to be laid out on the model of a European city. Christened York and made the capital of Upper Canada, the town was subjected to military attack on a number of occasions in the decades which followed.

One such occasion was in the spring of 1813 when a fleet belonging to the now independent United States of America bombarded the town. A number of important buildings were destroyed by fire. In retaliation the British burned down part of the U.S. federal capital Washington.

By 1834 the population had risen to almost 10,000 and the burgeoning community on the shores of Lake Ontario was granted civic status. At the same time its name was changed from the English "York" to the Indian "Toronto".

The combination of a good road system and its status as provincial capital soon led to a further rapid increase in the city's population and, in particular, economic growth. The harbor was enlarged and numerous industries established. A second wave of industrialization starting at the end of the 19th c. gave a particularly strong boost to the economy. By the turn of the century the population had passed the 200,000 mark.

The two World Wars were a further stimulus to Toronto's prosperity. Statistics from the end of the 1950s show as many as 3000 companies with in excess of 120,000 employees. By then the port was handling more than 3500 ships annually, with freight totaling 4 million tonnes/tons.

This present century has also seen Toronto develop into a major cultural center. The city has two universities, some excellent colleges and a number of leading theatre companies and orchestras. It is justifiably proud of its fine museums and galleries.

Economy

Toronto's continuing development has already transformed it economically speaking into by far the most important city in Canada, wielding immense financial influence through its concentration of banks and insurance companies and its stock exchange (the fourth largest in North America). Modern industrial plants and factory units representing a wide range of industries (construction, machine and vehicle manufacture, electronics, chemicals, food processing, textiles, paper manufacture and printing) can be seen all over the city, but especially around the harbor and the airport. The Toronto trade fairs attracts several million visitors every year.

Both Toronto's airport and its seaport are of major economic significance, the latter benefiting from its position on the St Lawrence Seaway, the former from being located at an important junction of routes.

Cityscape

The old city center, relatively small and rectangular in shape, is laid out on a "grid-iron" pattern. Now known as the "Central Business District" it is bounded by Yonge St. or Church St. (east), Spadina St. (west), Front St. (south) and Bloor St. (north). Two large thoroughfares - Yonge St. and University Ave. (beneath which the city's subway runs) - bisect the CBD from north to south. These are crossed at right angles by several streets and lead to Toronto's main railway station and the harbor. With street by street redevelopment being carried out apace, very few old buildings now remain. The original two-story stone and timber houses, dating from the settlement's earliest days, have almost entirely disappeared. Even the first generation of skyscrapers are today being replaced by taller, more up-to-date blocks. The only old buildings to have survived this apparently insatiable urge for modernization are some of the larger, more splendid and historic edifices such as the railway station, the old City Hall, parts of the old University, one or two venerable buildings housing the provincial government, and a few palatial dynastic family mansions. Many of these lovely old buildings are of course almost submerged in the sea of glass and reinforced concrete, as are numerous aging churches the survival of which is becoming a major cause for concern.