I have read many blog posts and have watched multiple YouTube videos about how amazing Copenhagen is during the holiday season, so I jumped at the chance to visit the city once my exams were over. My friend and I bought our tickets about a month ago for only thirty-four pounds and last Thursday we flew over and spent the following four days in Copenhagen filled with sightseeing, delicious food and lots of walking around. Here is a breakdown of our trip:
Accommodation: We booked our stay at the hostel Sleep in Heaven in Norrebro. We slept in a ten-bed mixed dorm which worked out very well. Each traveler got their own locker with a key card to go with it to get access to the building, the dorm and your own specific locker. The beds each had their own outlet and reading light which is very useful since people go to sleep at different times. The hostel also had a very affordably priced café and bar as well as multiple bulletin boards of suggestions on where to go in the city for the best bar, café, vegan food. . . They seemed to have all bases covered in making sure travelers enjoy their stay in Copenhagen. The hostel itself was about a twenty-minute walk from the city center so it was a fairly convenient location considering the affordability of the hostel.
Weather: It was so very cold! The temperature fluctuated from in the 20s to the 30s Fahrenheit and we experienced rain, hail, wind and even a miniscule amount of snow! If you ever travel to Copenhagen in the winter, definitely come prepared with a waterproof parka, hat, gloves and a scarf. You will thank yourself for it later!
Transportation: We walked everywhere since everything on sightseeing list was not too far away. The farthest we walked to one place was about an hour away and we started there and worked our way back to the city center. Copenhagen is a little small so walking is a good alternative to taking the metro or bus. Biking is also a popular option. I have never seen more bikers in one place than in Copenhagen. The majority of people who live in the city bike every day. There are bike lanes running everywhere parallel to the road since this form of transportation is so common (and environmentally friendly!).
Copenhagen Card: My friend and I decided to buy the Copenhagen Card for one day and visit as many attractions that you have to pay for as possible to get our money’s worth. The twenty-four-hour card was fifty-four euros and the following is what we visited that was covered by the card (If we did not buy the card, the attractions, in total, would have costed around 80 euros):
· Canal Tour: The Canal Tour was one of my favorite things we did on the trip. Since it is winter, the majority of the boat was covered and heated, but my friend and I decided to brave the cold and sit in the outdoor part of the boat to get better photos and I am so happy we did! The entire tour lasted almost two hours and was very comprehensive. We learned some of the history of the city and of its buildings as our tour took us past many landmarks and tourist attractions including the Little Mermaid Statue. Being so close to the water and smelling the salted air was very calming. I am sure the tour is even better in the summer when the entire boat is uncovered, and you can really enjoy the warm weather while on the water!
· Christiansborg Palace (including the Royal Reception Rooms, Ruins Under the Palace, and the Royal Kitchen): The Palace was very beautiful and large and is actually right next door to where the Canal Tour begins/ends. Each attraction had a separate entrance and ticket desk so there wasn’t a heard of people congregating at one place to get entrance into the Palace. The Royal Reception Rooms were stunning and included the Queen’s tapestries which were fairly modern looking and depicted the history of Copenhagen. The Reception Rooms were absolutely worth the visit, but I cannot say the same for the Ruins and the Kitchen. If you are short on time, I would skip those two attractions.
· Amalienborg Palace: Amalienborg actually has their own changing of the guards that wear similar uniforms to the British guards. The rooms in the Palace are set up like how they looked a hundred years ago and show the lavishness and wealth of the royal family back then. Each room has plexi glass separating tourists from exploring into the room to preserve the display. It was very interesting to take a brief glimpse into the life of the royal family. Members of the Danish royal family still live in parts of the Palace.
· Round Tower: This attraction was another favorite of mine on this trip. The interior of the tower is very simple and beautiful and as you keep walking around and around to get to the top, you do not really realize how many flights you have walked until you look at the tower from the outside and count each level of windows going up to the top. Once you reach the top of the Tower, you get fantastic views of the city and can pinpoint other sites, such as Tivoli, from far away.
· Tivoli: Tivoli was like a Christmas wonderland. The Danes really know how to do an amusement park right. There were countless rides and game booths as well as little huts with shopping in them. There is one part of the park that is decorated like you are in China and another with a tree of white lights that looks exactly like the Tree of Souls in Avatar. The park was amazing and also a little overwhelming since there were thousands of people there.
Sightseeing without the Copenhagen Card:
· Stroget shopping street: A pedestrian only shopping street, Stroget was probably the street my friend and I walked the most. We were constantly walking through the lovely decorated streets to get to other attractions. On Stroget you will find countless souvenir shops as well as high end clothing stores that were definitely not in my price range.
· Nyhavn: Nyhavn is probably the most photographed part of Copenhagen. Along the canal are brightly colored townhouses that make up Nyhavn. For the holidays, there was a wonderful little Christmas market on the street as well as many restaurants to choose from. We repeatedly returned to Nyhavn to take more photos of the wonderful view of the buildings and waterfront.
· Christmas Markets: Within twenty-four hours of being in Copenhagen, my friend and I came across about five different Christmas markets (including the Hans Christian Anderson Market). There seems to be no limit to what is too much Christmas in Copenhagen which is fantastic. At the markets you will find wonderful food, games, and handmade goods to buy as gifts for Christmas.
· City Hall: Right across from Tivoli is the City Hall square where we took photos of the beautiful City Hall building as well as the gigantic Christmas tree in the center of the square. We passed through City Hall many times to get to the start of Stroget.
· Hans Christian Anderson Statue: Right next to City Hall is the Hans Christian Anderson statue. He is depicted as sitting down, book in hand, with him looking off into the distance, in the direction of Tivoli actually (coincidence or not?).
· Freetown Christiana: This was the farthest attraction we visited, and it was a little hard to find at first. It is a separate commune of people that are actually independent from Denmark. When you leave the area, there is a sign that says you are now entering into the EU which is very cool. Visitors have to be careful though with photographs since there are areas where any recordings are not allowed due to the selling of weed (this part of the neighborhood is called the Green Light District and there are signs up saying photographs are not allowed). The area is very artistic, but the shopping was a little disappointing since a lot of stores were closes when we visited.
· Little Mermaid Statue: We came across this statue twice, by land and by water. On the Canal Tour, you get a view of her back but on land you get to see the front of the statue. It is a major tourist spot so there were a lot of people there taking pictures when we visited. It was very cool to see but also a little disappointing. It is just a statue. Fun fact though: she has been decapitated and had her arm cut off multiple times for reasons including once as a politically motivated act as well as drunken stupidity another time.
· Kastellet: Right next to the Little Mermaid Statue, Kastellet is a star shaped fortress that has a wooden windmill on its grounds, an iconic Danish symbol. We took lots of photos as we strolled through the greenery (Entrance into the grounds is free).
· Our Savior's Church: This church is famous for its spire that has a winding staircase which is climbed everyday by tourists to get extensive views of the city. It is beautiful inside and out. We visited when the staircase exhibit was closing so we did not get to walk up it, but it was not a loss since we did get great views of Copenhagen from the Round Tower.
· Torvehallerne food market: What a wonderful place. This indoor food market houses a diverse range of gastronomic delights. You have to wander around both buildings of the food hall (there are two) before deciding on what to eat. I went back repeatedly to buy the most delicious empanadas I have ever had (this trip was my first-time trying empanadas and now I think they are one of the best foods ever). Over the course of two days I tried various kinds of empanadas including Malbec steak; pumpkin, kale and garlic; spinach and goat cheese; and spicy pulled pork. The pumpkin empanada was my favorite though.
· Rosenborg Castle Gardens: With some time to kill on our last day in the city, we visited the gardens of Rosenborg Castle. The gardens are free to explore and allow you the opportunity to take clear pictures of the fairytale looking castle.
· Botanical Gardens: The Botanical Garden, which are right near Rosenborg, are also free to explore. The paths in the gardens offer a winding, scenic view of the greenery. It amazes me how plants can still grow so beautifully despite the frigid rough weather. Interestingly enough, the Botanical Gardens are run by the nearby University of Copenhagen.
· Natural History Museum: The Natural History Museum, which is connected to the Botanical Gardens, offers extremely interesting exhibits on rocks, dinosaurs and even butterflies! The New Butterfly House was my favorite part of the museum. It detailed the lifecycle of the butterfly as well as provided information on the increasing extinctions of many different butterfly species. In a couple of the exhibits there were areas for kids to color in pictures of dinosaurs and butterflies and I readily took a seat to color my own picture. We had to buy tickets for this attraction but we received a student discount, so a ticket was only 40dkk.
Though the trip to Copenhagen was amazing and we saw so many beautiful attractions, in hindsight I would have booked a shorter trip. Four days is too long of a time to explore the small city of Copenhagen. We could have done a day trip to Sweden actually, but we did not plan this in advance. Another point to make regarding Copenhagen is the cost of food. Copenhagen is a very wealthy city so every meal costs a little more than I am used to. Be prepared to spend more than you planned on for food if you want to go to a restaurant or café every meal you eat. Though it was freezing and wet, I think Copenhagen in December was a perfect time to visit since it became an almost snow globe like village during the holidays.
Wishing you warm drinks and a Happy New Year,
Maria
P.S. Some delicious food I ate in Denmark:
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