No tags yet.
Copenhagen Denmark 101
Earlier this year for wifey’s birthday, we sought to explore a European destination that we had not yet visited. We opted for Copenhagen, Denmark - a country that has been reported as having the happiest citizens in the world. Not a bad motivator to visit.
In hopes of some of that Danish “happy” rubbing off on us, we flew with Norwegian Airlines which offers affordable premium flights to Copenhagen and many other cities around the globe.
Our stay in Copenhagen was 5 days total, inclusive of a day trip to nearby Malmö, Sweden NOTE: Remember to pack your passport if you do this day trip. Even though it’s just 35 minutes, you are crossing country boarders and they will check!
At the end of the trip we felt the 5 days the perfect amount of time for the visit. Below is some info to help guide your jaunt to Copes, which I’ve opted to nickname the happy city. Ha!
(Photo from Manon Le Suites hotel pool)
Sites and Areas to Visit
Nyhavn – probably the most photographed area in Copenhagen and one of the most historic. Take a Netto Boat Tour to explore the region by water. Educational, relaxing and scenic. The one piece of advice I'd give the boat tour companies is that the audio guides needs to recognize the beautiful, black, HUGE "I Am Queen Mary" statue that we passed. The statue is in front of the West Indian warehouse that is connected to Denmark's sugarcane ties to islands such as St. Croix (aka slavery) where Mary Thomas led one of the largest most impactful rebellions. The audio guide seemed to discuss everything else we passed except this beautiful statue, which is the first public monument dedicated to a Black person in Copenhagen.
Christiansborg Palace - the exterior alone is grand but the luxury that awaits inside is worth the entry.
Tivoli Gardens - noted as the oldest amusement park in history, Walt Disney is rumored to have gotten his inspiration from here. Beyond rides though, they also boast elaborate gardens, restaurants and shops. Considering it's an amusement park, of course its seasonal. We happened to arrive on opening day in 2019, April 4th, so we were in for a treat with their fireworks celebration.
Glyptotek Museum - one of the many museums in this area in Copenhagen. This one has a beautiful entry way, and also boasts pieces from around Europe as well as Egypt.
Illum – Shopping Mall - smack in the center of an amazing shopping area n Copenhagen. The mall also has many rooftop bars and restaurants that give you amazing views of the city on a nice day.
Christianshaven - known for its cool cafe culture and canals lined with colorful houseboats. Hotspots include Copenhagen Street Food, for international dining, and Freetown Christiania, an "alternative community" in Copenhagen. No photos or cars allowed and the sale of weed and other substances is somewhat legal or at least largely expected.
Lodging
We spent most of our nights at the Nimb Hotel which is a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World. It has super spacious, luxe suites, overlooks Tivoli Gardens and is across the street from Central train station which takes you around regionally. The hotel is also within a 5 minute walk to the museums and palaces on our site list above, AND boasts an amazing rooftop pool that we took advantage of as we received some warm sunny days on our trip!
Getting Around
We took Uber from the airport which ended up costing around $70 USD. Then walked mostly after that. A lot of the sites are walking distance from each other which is great.
Food & Drink
Unfortunately to be honest we did not have many amazing food experiences that were worth writing about. That's not to say that Copenhagen doesn't have great food. We may just not have eaten at the right places. Here are a few spots worth checking out though!
Union Kitchen – was an amazing breakfast spot with a cool vibe near the Nyhavn area. We filled up before exploring the area and taking the educational boat tour
Meatpacking District – allegedly named after the meatpacking district in NYC, though we did not see the relation whatsoever, this is a cool area to grab some chill bites to eat and a bar or two. We opted for Tommi’s Burger Joint but was also advised to checked out Mother’s Italian, 1656 Nar and Fiskebar also in the area.
For more on Copenhagen, check out Instagram story highlights on @kingronthedon