Danish designer holiday in Copenhagen

Scandinavian designers are famous across the world for their stylish creations, and if you are a design fan then a trip to Copenhagen and nearby Malmo is an ideal combination.

Both cities are in what is known as the Oresund region, and are linked by a long suspension bridge, making a visit to both Sweden and Denmark very easy.

One of the top names in Copenhagen design is the jewellery and silverware designer Georg Jensen.

You can shop for the latest Georg Jensen designs at the designer's flagship store, located on the city's main shopping street Stroget, which is also home to Copenhagen's specialist design department store, Illums.

Another far less exclusive Copenhagen design brand, popular for its innovative homeware is Bodum, which also has its flagship store on Stroget.

As well as the familiar brands, Copenhagen also has plenty of shops selling trademark Danish design items such as chairs, tables, lamps, glassware, cutlery and more.

Other top design sights in the city are the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel across the street from Tivoli Gardens, which opened as the world's first design hotel in 1958, leading the 60s hotel design scene.

More modern is the Hotel Fox, which is designed by 21 young designers who have created 61 eccentrically different rooms, from forest and tent-themed styles to psychedelic 60s-inspired rooms.

If you are on a budget, you can still stay in one of the city's designer buildings. The Danhostel Copenhagen City, which opened in 2005, is Europe’s first design youth hostel.

Located close to City Hall Square and Tivoli Gardens, the furniture is made by the same company that furnished the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

A half hour trip across the Oresund Bridge will take you to Malmo, where you will find lots of cutting-edge Swedish style.

The Form Design Centre exhibits the best and most current design in Sweden and Scandinavia.

Located in a 19th century warehouse just off one of Malmo’s picturesque squares, Lilla Torg, it features architecture, design, arts and crafts.

As in Copenhagen, hitting the shops is a good way of seeing the work of Malmo's designers, from chairs and tables, to coffee pots, candle holders and textiles.

However, if you like seeing design that is more large scale and spectacular, then Santiago Calatrava's new Turning Torso apartment building in the Western Harbour area of Malmo is the building of the moment.

Currently the tallest building in Sweden, the sculpture-inspired 54 storey structure consists of nine cubes stacked on top of each other, turning 90 degrees from top to bottom.

To explore the Oresund Region, visitors can buy an 'Around the Sound' ticket at Copenhagen Airport, Copenhagen Central Station, or Malmo Central Station.

The ticket costs 249 DKK (around £25) for 48 hours and allows access to trains in the region, Oresund bridge crossing, and discounts on attractions.

For more information see www.visitoresund.info, www.visitcopenhagen.com, www.malmo.se and www.visitdenmark.com

The airline SAS has daily connections to Copenhagen from London Heathrow and City Airport, Manchester, Birmingham, Aberdeen and Newcastle. For more information see www.flysas.com