denmark/germany

marianne,

this is just a thought/comment and isnt for everyone.

but when i was in the CPH and headed into Germany i did the train > train ferry > train route into Hamburg. I read about it and wanted to see what was involved in driving a train onto a ferry. i enjoyed the somewhat long trip and im happy i did too. After Hamburg i took another train into Koln. I enjoyed Koln more but its a longer trip.

happy trails.

This is a map of Germanys highlights according to Baedeker, Germanys most popular travel guide:
http://i.imgur.com/9BcKenL.jpg

As you can see, there's quite a lot to see in Northern Germanys. The Baltic coast, the region between Lübeck and Usedom, is actually Germanys most popular summer destination. The Baltic coast not only offers great beaches but also posh, beautiful resorts (Binz, Sellin, or the emperor spas on Usedom), several (almost) completely preserved towns (Lübeck, Wismar, Stralsund, Schwerin, Greifswald), a fairytale castle like Neuschwanstein (Schwerin), Brick Gothic (Bad Doberan minster), steam trains (also Bad Doberan), car-free islands (Hiddensee) and much more.

I can second Martin's recommendation for the beautiful beach resort Binz.

Keep in mind I have not been to these places yet, but I really really want to visit Bremen and do the emmigration museum. I also really really really want to visit Luebeck and photograph the amazing architecture there.

Berlin is certainly a highlight. A direct morning train from Copenhagen takes 8 hours, or there's an overnight train that arrives early (4:30 a.m.), so also compare flight options at www.skyscanner.com, e.g. $65 on Easy Jet.

Hamburg.

It's the most beautiful German city, it's a a direct ICE train ride from Copenhagen and it's just the most worthwhile in my eyes. Alternatively, if you want to see something completely different, take a flight on SAS from Copenhagen down to Munich. Flight time is just over an hour and if you book early they are pretty cheap.

I took the-train-on-the-ferry from Copenhagen to Luebeck several years ago. Was really interesting!

And I am also a huge fan of Binz, an awesome beach/spa town. From Binz, a daytrip to Stralsund is also a good option.

The emigration haus in Bremerhaven is very interesting, especially if you have family or friends to look up. I didn't spend enough time there recently because I was still jetlagged. Guess I just have to go back. :)

Another vote for Hamburg - there are so many things to do there and it's a great taste of northern Germany.

"Wondering what of Germany would be better to visit...." First of all, stay up north for the 5 remaining days. As suggested, I would focus on Hamburg, Lübeck, Schwerin. The Holstein area is also worth it such as Eutin (and the famous Schloss) for visiting a small town.

"greatness." Do you mean seeing historical sites or museums? Some very esoteric historical museums in this area too.

When we were in Copenhagen we looked at heading to Hamburg to visit a cousin. We found that rental car, train or ferry were all very expensive and time-consuming options. If you go, I'd suggest catching a cheap airline hop into Germany, then use other options from there. It will save both time and money.

With 5 days, I'd go to Berlin.

Alternatively, get to Hamburg by air, then use the Laender or Schoene Wochende passes to hop on and off regional trains from there. There are tons of great old towns in northern Germany and only the regional trains stop there. I did an exchange with the German Air Force in Schlesswig. It was gorgeous but I hesitate to recommend it because it's a pretty sleepy town. Kiel is much livelier. Lubeck is a great historical town.