Copenhagen
A dynamic, forward thinking and clean city, Copenhagen has it all; plentiful green parks and spaces, beachfront strolls, canalside cafes, cycling and slow life culture, historic and modern architecture, traditional and contemporary food and enough museums, theatres and entertainments to keep you occupied for as long as you are there.
Home to the worlds third oldest theme park Tivoli gardens and residency of Hans Christian Andersen for several years (and to a statue of his Little Mermaid on the waterfront), the Danish capital has plenty of history to discover.
Copenhagen translates as “merchants harbour” which reflects as it’s origin as a centre of commerce on the harbour. Water runs through the city at every opportunity with a network of canals spanning the roads like a giant spiders web.
When to go: Year round. April - October most temperate weather.
Essentials to pack: Big coat/windbreaker, trainers, hat to cover ears
Currency: Danish Krone - £1 = 8.5 kroner
Must see: Tivoli gardens, view from the Round Tower, Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid, Torvehallerne, Meatpackers district, Den Grønne Sti
How to get there: Train from London to Brussels and then connecting train to Copenhagen (www.eurostar.com and www.bahn.de) approx. £250 return, 24 hours travel time each way. Driving London to Copenhagen 15 hours. 1.5 hour flights from London approx. £75 return. Southampton to Copenhagen cruise options available.
Public transport: Fast and efficient busses, trains, ferries and bikes. Public transport is easy to use and runs mostly round the clock. You can download the “Bycyklen” app to rent electric bikes all over the city. Buy tickets for trains prior to getting on at nearby machines - they accept card or cash payments. You can buy ferry and bus tickets once you get on. The ferries are run entirely by electricity.
Where to stay: As the city is so easily traversed by foot due to it’s compactness, staying pretty much anywhere in the city is fine. We wanted to be close to sights we’d read up about and not too far from the central train station ‘København’ where we would be arriving from the airport. We also knew we wouldn’t be spending a long time in the room as we love to explore cities at length, so we wanted something practical, with all home comforts, but a good price. We stayed at Cabinn Copenhagen, right on the waterfront. It was a great base for exploring the city, had good facilities and was only £337 for 4 nights in a double en suite room - a bargain in the pricey capital city.
4 day itinerary:
Day 1:
Start your day off with a stroll around Torvehallerne on the cities’ north-west leafy suburban edge. The market hall is constructed of two separate buildings hosting cafes, bars and eateries, with the open-air space between them used for fresh fruit, vegetables and flower markets. Inside the two buildings are also butchers, fishmongers, cheese, appliance and organic coffee stalls. The atmosphere here early morning is lively and a flat white at Coffee Collective followed with a bowl of hipsterfied porridge at Grød or a Danish pastry made fresh from a market stall will set you up for your day of sightseeing.
Following the roads north-east of the market hall, wander around the extensive Botanic Gardens before heading over to Rosenborg Castle, built in 1606 the palace is home to some of the crown jewels which you can tour at your leisure. The accompanying grounds make for a nice stroll on a dry day; the view of the castle is phenomenal. After a couple of hours learning about the Danish royalties precious treasures, continue walking north-east towards Kastellet.
Kastellet is a 17th century castle built on a star shaped fortress with high ramparts where footpaths provide fantastic views 360 degrees around the city and coastline. The castle is still used today as military barracks and the fortification houses a church and working windmill.
There are benches on the ramparts for you to rest a while and admire the city from up high, before you exit via the north gate and head towards the statue of Den Lille Havfrue or “The Little Mermaid”.
Perched on the rocks stacked coming out of the Baltic Sea, the bronze mermaid statue was made by Edvard Eriksen as a tribute to Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale which was written whilst he resided in Copenhagen and was said to have been inspired by the coastal scenery in the city.
Walk south down the eastern edge of Kastellet back towards the city centre and meander your way to tourist hotspot Nyhavn. Here, brightly coloured 17th and 18th century townhouses line the canal with restaurants and cafes spilling over the cobbled streets between building and canal front. A constantly busy and thriving place, Nyhavn marries the history of Copenhagen’s maritime prominence with modern eateries, buskers and sightseeing boat tours. If you eat here it will be expensive; it’s probably the most visited place in Copenhagen. It’s a great place to grab a canal-side seat, have a drink and people watch. We also sampled the delish Danish delicacy smørrebrød which is an open sandwich with a variety of different toppings.
After a very busy day seeing some of the sights of the city by foot, hire an electric bike for some reprieve for your feet and head over to the Meatpacking District. Sink a few craft beers at the Warpigs Brewpub and then head to upmarket Noho for show-stopping cocktails.
Have dinner at Kødbyens Fiskebar which was awarded a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin guide when they opened in 2009. They serve only fresh local seafood with a focus on sustainability and quality.
Day 2: Start with a walk along the water heading north towards the National Library. They have a great café inside to start your day with a coffee and freshly made breakfast. The library is known as the Black Diamond thanks to its polished black granite exterior with irregular angled construction. It houses several exhibitions and a gift shop but it’s pièce de résistance is the Reading room with dark panelled wooden desks, classic green lamps and light airy surrounds.
Make time to wander the library gardens which is a peaceful haven in the centre of the city. A short stroll away is the magnificent and intimidating Christiansborg palace where you can tour the Royal reception rooms, kitchens, stables, ruins and the palace chapel. There is also a tower here you can pay to go up and see the view. You can wander the exterior and interior courtyards for free.
After this, head to Folketinget Christiansborg, the Danish Parliament where on a Saturday at midday, free guided tours in English are run. About 45 minutes in length, they provide a fascinating insight into the complex history of the politics of Denmark and the coexisting monarchy and government.
After the tour, head towards the canal and stop for a drink and light bite at Ved Stranden 10, a great little waterfront wine bar.
Walking northwards again, head in the direction of the Rundetaarn (Round Tower), stopping on the way in the thriving shopping district crisscrossing around Købmagergade and Strøget.
Built in 1642, you will know when you’ve arrived at the striking Round Tower. Tickets are approx £5pp to enter, and you will be dizzy by the time you arrive at the top. Instead of stairs there is a curved spiral walkway at quite a steep gradient. The views from the very top of the tower are sublime in every direction and you could spend hours pointing out landmarks you can now identify in the city. There is also a planetarium and observatory.
Hungry? Head to Café Halvvejen. Just a few minutes’ walk from the Round Tower, located in the Latin Quarter and the best place in Copenhagen to try traditional food and drink at reasonable prices. A plate of pickled herring washed down with a glass of Akvavit; a heady spirit produced from potatoes or grain and a much loved tipple in Scandinavia will have you feeling like a local. The café is also one of the quirkiest places to eat in Copenhagen, with an interior so small you’ll have to squeeze past tables, people and furniture to get to the loo!
If you’ve still got room for a sweet treat, wind your way through the streets towards Conditori La Glace, a Danish cake institution that’s been whipping up desserts since 1870 and has only increased in popularity; expect queues.
Day 3: Begin your day with a trip to the National Museum of Denmark. With changing exhibitions seasonally, you could be treated to pretty much any display of Danish culture and heritage in this lofty museum. Previous exhibitions have included Danish middle ages, Danish prehistory, Vikings, Royal collections, and stories of Denmark up to present day. You could easily spend a few hours here learning about the vast topics that span Denmark’s history. There is a great onsite café for breakfast and a gift shop too.
Catch the Harbour “Bus” or ferry from the nearest stop; outside the National Library and ride 3 stops to the Opera House. The ferry is a fantastic way to get around as it’s efficient, powered by electricity and cheap. A free sightseeing tour in it’s own right if you ride the full loop of stops.
Copenhagen’s opera house is a feat of modern engineering, the building is iconic and it’s waterfront location brings the Sydney Opera House to mind. Take in a matinee performance of whatever is showing in whatever language it’s showing in. You can buy standing tickets for performances for around £20.
If all that Italian singing has given you an appetite, head to nearby Broens Gadekøkken, an open-air dining complex made from shipping containers and providing cuisine from around the world. The greek gyros is some of the best I’ve ever eaten. You can get beers, wines and cocktails here too. It’s another waterfront location and great for watching people cycling past.
Next it’s time for a delve into the mishmash of streets that makeup Freetown Christiania. Set right in the heart of the Danish capital, this suburb which is currently home to approximately 1000 people was established by hippies and societal dropouts on the site of a former military barracks in 1971. The famous Pusher Street which runs through the centre of the area is famous for the selling of drugs, predominantly cannabis, which is illegal in Denmark. Due to this it is nicknamed the “Green Light District”.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of Freetown, head back along the water and cross over to have some evening drinks and a pizza at the Green Island floating bar. The entire bar floats on the water surface but if you want something even more exclusive they hire out green rafts, mini private boat-come-bar’s which you can navigate along the water whilst eating and drinking.
Day 4: Today is all about moving around on two wheels like most of the people in the city. Go hire an electric bike using the Bycyklen app - it’s such an easy and pleasant way to get around and you can go reasonably fast on them.
Den Grønne Sti or The Green Path is a route which heads across Copenhagen city, stretching from Valby and Frederiksberg in the west to Nørrebro and Lyngbyvejen in the north, ending at Ryvangens Naturpark, it is just under 10km in length and takes in the suburbs of this green city. The cycle route allows you to peak behind the curtain that usually separates tourists and locals, showing you parts of the city you wouldn’t usually see. Image of the route is below or follow this Garmin link: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/128981401
After you’ve cycled the Green path in it’s entirety, go back on yourself slightly through Nørrebro and then cycle down Fredensgade which runs directly all the way back to Nyhavn. Direct your bike south-west from here and drop your bike off near to the National Museum of Denmark.
Pop into Kanal-Caféen for an assortment of Danish foods; fillet of plaice, Danish meatballs, herring, pork and cheese. A traditional meal set here amongst the backdrop of the canal in the historic and quaint building will have you feeling as though you’ve stepped back to an 18th century Copenhagen.
For the finale of your trip, spend the evening at Tivoli Gardens. The third oldest amusement park in the world, said to have inspired Walt Disney and Hans Christian Andersen, Tivoli is a playground for all ages. Go at night - the thousands of strung lights create a magical atmosphere which is hard to shake. Walking around with your heads up in wonder at the old-school nostalgic rides such as the classical carousel, the star flyer and the swing carousel, you will also see modern rollercoasters, drop towers and rides that send you upside down mid-air. The Alley is a run of game stalls based on an old Danish market town and the extensive gardens at Tivoli offer great walking and views.
If you’re lucky enough to visit on a Friday night, check out the Friday Rock performance in the main square gardens. It’s a bit more pricey to enter on a Friday evening and you have to buy a specific ticket but with big acts performing most weeks, you can’t go wrong - it’s entertainment at it’s best. There’s no better atmosphere for soaking up some Danish music talent. As you wander around Tivoli taking in it’s historical and cultural importance, consider how Copenhagen has managed to navigate itself into being a city which steadfastly preserves its history whilst trailblazing into the future with new and improved green and sustainable technologies and spaces. If you take away anything from this city, let it be a green leaf out of Copenhagen’s book and try to be more eco-friendly when you return home.