A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine suggested we go to Copenhagen to celebrate her 30th birthday. Having never been and with cheap flights in sight, I decided to go for it. And what a great idea it turned out to be!
Sometimes living in the centre of Europe can be difficult, there are so many possibilities for weekend city breaks that you don’t know where to go. #firstworldproblems – I hear ya! But every now and then, it’s good to discover some place new.
I’ve always been interested in going to Scandinavia and after finally making it to Copenhagen I can say it’s a great place to visit and I can’t wait to go back!
Where to start? I suppose the fact that Copenhagen is on the sea/surrounded by water makes for a unique location. I always find that large quantities of water create a different atmosphere, scenery and view. That may sound obvious, but for me it just gives places a different kind of quality to them.
We were incredibly lucky because on our first day the weather was stunning, which was perfect for our boat tour through Copenhagen’s canals.
I highly recommend going on the tour as from the beginning it will allow you not only to see the lovely sights of Copenhagen from the water, but it will also help you get your bearings of the city.
Here are few key highlights of my trip to Copenhagen:
Coffee: As a bit of a coffee aficionado, I was so pleased that Copenhagen has cute little coffee shops everywhere! And when I say coffee I mean real coffee – not Starbucks! (sorry). So it’s great to see that you can get served tasty coffee practically all over town, a great way to warm up too.
Torvehallerne: a great food market divided into several halls in the neighbourhood of Norrebro. Super tasty, lots of things to see do and eat and of course, more coffee! Don’t forget to try the traditional Smorrebrod; Danish speciality.
“The cemetery”: yes this seems vague, and it wasn’t helpful that everyone had recommended we go there without naming it. In the end we went to the Assistens cemetery. It may seem weird to wander around inside, but it’s an extremely peaceful place which feels more like a park than a cemetery. Plenty of people were enjoying their afternoon stroll, and we even saw a couple taking their wedding pictures in there. That was definitely weird…
Bicycles: there are bikes everywhere! I love that about a city, not just because I love cycling and use it as my main method of transport, but also 
because it just adds to a city’s vibe and helps make it feel more accessible – a bit nicer than tons of traffic jams and congestion. Copenhagen is the perfect city to explore by bike, you will get around faster and get some exercise.
The layer cake house/Danish pastries: Famous Danish bakery which makes delicious pastries including a Danish speciality which involves lots of cinnamon goodness. I think there’s no need to say more than that.
Christiania: Hard to describe this community, but they are basically an independent self sufficient community which do not belong to Copenhagen and live on their own. It’s sort of a huge squat, in which people make a living through arts and crafts (amongst other things)…
You can walk around in the community (though apparently they don’t enjoy it too much so best not to linger) and get a feeling for what its like. Interestingly, houses range from everything to most tiny and dishevelled to the relatively large and well kept. Odd yet interesting – gives you a good feeling for the city.
Overall what I liked about Copenhagen is perhaps what is embodied by Christiania. It felt like such a laid back, welcoming city. No pressure, no one seems too stressed or to take things too seriously. It’s just a cool city where you can enjoy yourself with your friends from all different kinds of backgrounds. You may want to buy weed in Christiania, you may want to eat high end food in the top gastronomic restaurant Noma, there is something for everyone.
What did you think of Copenhagen? Let me know.
Emma Brooks 