Copenhagen was my first experience in one of the scandinavian countries, and i guess it was the right city to visit first. Copenhagen isn't too big, it's the perfect city-size for a weekend trip. Do it like the danes ... grab a bike and explore the city!
Below you'll find a map with my favorite spots in the city:
{YELLOW} Nyhavn
{GREEN} Christiania
{BLUE} Tivoli
{RED} Orsteds Park, Botanical Garden, Peblinge lake
I gotta be honest, I wasn't well prepared, and didn't know anything about Copenhagen. All I knew was, that they served great food, own an impressive music scene, and got lots of beautiful danes. We decided to hit Copenhagen by car and the ferry, that we took on the german shore. Seven hours of driving, 1 hour on the ferry, and another 90 minutes to reach Copenhagen.
We booked a double room at the WAKE-UP hotel, for an unbelievable cheap rate. The good thing about the hotel, was its central location, and the indoor-parking lot just below the hotel. The lobby and check-in desk, were just a few steps away from our car.
The Tivoli amusement park was in the same neighbour-hood. Amusement park sounds more like a playground for kids, but that wasn't the case. The vintage touch of Tivoli, the green areas in the center of the park, sunbeds, restaurants and bars, ... all this made me appreciate the park as well. It's a nice place to relax with your girlfriend or kids after a vivid sightseeing day.
Christiania probably was the most eye-opening part of our trip. It's considered as a free-state right in the heart of Copenhagen. Taking photos behind the walls, which surround Christiania, is not allowed. As soon as you try to get one single photo of the location, there's already someone shouting at you, or tapping on your shoulder. The main reason would be, that you're allowed to buy just any kind of drugs. To avoid that the "dealers" could be recognized on tourists' photos, the use of cameras is not allowed. Besides the drugs, it still looks like the common danish neighbourhood. Plenty of wooden houses, a big lake, diy (do-it-yourself) markets and shops, a beer-garden, ... and no cars. That same night, after we had visited Christiania, i read a couple of articles, about the riots and shootings, when the governement tried to take over that part of the city. As far as I could experience Christiania it felt like a very peaceful place.
I just loved Nyhavn. The lovely harbor alley, where a narrow canal leads to the big sea. The alley is packed with restaurants, bars, and some tattoo parlours. Enjoy some delicious sea food, watch the hipsters sitting next to the canal, and the danes docking their boats. It's a very busy and crowded place. At the end of the alley, you will notice the NOMA restaurant, just across the river. NOMA has been considered for a couple of years, as being the best restaurant in the world. In Nyhavn you can buy a ticket for a boat-tour. Usually i'm not a big fan of guided bus tours, but the boat tour, will bring you to areas, which are only accessible by boat. Totally worth it!
I discovered the northern part of the city center on a quiet sunday morning. I was looking for the tattoo parlour of a very famous danish tattoo artist. I planned to check out all the single parks which were on my path to the studio. I walked through Orsteds Park, the Botanical Garden with its castle to cross the bridges of the Peblinge lake. Well they weren't the most prettiest parks I've been at so far, but it felt like the right spot to visit on a sunday morning, if you're just fed up with crowded streets, and the millions of bicycles passing by. Yes I said millions... if you think you've seen loads of cycles in Amsterdam, well, you haven't visited Copenhagen yet!
For early bookers, Copenhagen can be a bargain if you're on a budget. Food and alcohol isn't as expensive as in Sweden, or Norway. I barely couldn't notice a difference in prices compared to our capital in Luxembourg. I'm definitely going back pretty soon. There's still so much left undiscovered, and next time I'll do my homework, and visit the city better prepared.