Lego land
The Danish are known for happiness and hygge, and we found plenty of both in their capital city. Here are the 10 things you must see and do while you’re in Copenhagen.
Full disclosure:
Copenhagen is not a budget destination. The Danish kroner is currently at 1DKK to R2, so working out prices is easy: just double the amount you see to get the rand value. It sounds great, compared to the ‘more complicated’ math required to work out the euro, for instance, but don’t let that fool you. It’s not going to be cheap.
Having said that, you can get by on a bit less if you do your grocery shopping at local supermarkets: Netto is a well-priced one, and there are branches all over. I’d also recommend grabbing lunch from one of the food carts dotted across the city, or popping into one of the many food markets for a quintessentially Danish meal.
We went in May (which all the travel sites recommend doing), and it was chilly but bright. July is the hottest month, with an average high of 17°C and the most hours of sunshine, and the coldest is January, at 0°C. The wettest month is June.
After a lot of hemming and hawing, I narrowed down my must-do list to these 10 things:
Pose with a statue
The Little Mermaid (aka Den Lille
Havfrue) might be Copenhagen’s most popular attraction, but she’s had a rough time in her 104 years of sitting on that rock. (That’s besides the 5 million photos she poses for every year.) Since the bronze statue by DanishIcelandic sculptor Edvard Eriksen was unveiled in 1913, she’s been decapitated three times, lost an arm in 1984, was covered in paint six times (most recently, earlier this year) and knocked off her perch with explosives.
While you’re in the area, take a stroll along the harbour front to the Gefion Fountain, the largest monument in the city. It depicts the legend of how the island of Zealand was created: the Swedish king Gylfe offered the goddess Gefion as much land as she was capable of ploughing within one day and one night. So she transformed her four sons into oxen to help her. They ploughed so deeply they raised the land and pulled it into the ocean.
The other statue you have to take a selfie with is that of Hans Christian Andersen, which is near the City Hall.
Get on the bus
It’s a cliché, but you really should take a red bus tour. It’s the quickest way to suss out what’s worth seeing, plus you get a feel for the city. We bought tickets (250DKK each) for the Red Buses, which are valid for three days, have three routes and include a free walking tour. The Red Route takes you past the main tourist spots, while the
Blue Route goes via Freetown Christiania (the self-governed hippie section of the city), then ventures into places you wouldn’t ordinarily go. It was fascinating to learn that locals often spend the summer on the outskirts of the city in their kolonihaver (colonial garden), which is essentially a summer cottage with a garden.
We also went past the nearest beach (which was nothing to write home about) and the Blue Planet Aquarium, which houses more than 450 species of marine animals, including hammerhead sharks and poisonous frogs. Take in a gallery You’ve probably never heard of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, but it has a truly impressive collection, including the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of France, 47 paintings by Gauguin as well as works by Cézanne, Degas, Van Gogh, Monet and Renoir. Entrance is 95DKK to 110DKK, but on a Tuesday it’s free.
Go for a dip
This one depends on your definition of ‘swimming weather’, but if it’s a sunny day, head out to Islands Brygge for a unique experience: a dip in one of the harbour baths. (Officials check the water purity every day, if that helps). There’s a 75m swimming pool, a diving pool, a children’s pool and a paddling pool, or you could just sunbathe on the lawns or wander around and take in the atmosphere.
Stroll & shop
On the hunt for a gift or a Scandi souvenir? Strøget is one of Europe’s longest and oldest pedestrian shopping streets, whether you’re looking for toys (did you know Lego was a Danish brand?), homeware (Illums Bolighus is a treasure trove of Danish design), knick-knacks (Hans Christian Andersen features prominently, as do books on hygge) and fashion brands ranging from Prada and Mulberry to high-street brands H&M, Zara, Only and Vero Moda. Normal (that’s what the shop is called, no joke) is good for toiletries, and Copenhagen-born retailer Flying Tiger has affordable gifts, accessories, homeware, stationery and toys. Apparently the Danish word for tiger, tier, is also used to describe the 10 kroner coin. And you really can buy stuff inside for 10DKK – which is rare in Copenhagen!
Ride a bike
While you’re in Flying Tiger, you may notice a wide variety of bicycle accessories: seat covers, phone stands, bells and even bicycle vases. The Danish are
really big on biking: Copenhagen has been voted the ‘best city for cyclists’ and it’s not hard to see why.
There are more than 390 kilometres of designated bike lanes; 1,2 million kilometres is covered daily by cyclists; and 55% of locals commute by bike. It’s not uncommon to see businessmen in suits and women in heels heading to work on their bicycles, or parents carting their kids in seats mounted on the back of a bike or even little carts on the front. Locals just leave their bikes propped up against the walls of the buildings. (No locks – clearly bicycle theft isn’t an issue.) I strongly recommend exploring the city by bicycle; there are rental shops all over.
Eat like a local
According to our Airbnb host, the national dish is stegt flaesk med
persillesovs – fried pork belly with potatoes to you and me. You can have it at Klubben in Vesterbro (which is ‘not fancy at all, but very hyggeligt [cosy]’) for just 139 DKK. Believe it or not, porridge is a big deal in Copenhagen. (Remember, Goldilocks is a Hans Christian Andersen tale.) And it’s not just a breakfast food either. There’s even a porridge bar chain called GRØD, which serves nothing but porridge-based dishes. This is not your average porridge, mind – they do several different kinds, such as øllebrød, made with rye bread, beer and whipped cream; risengrød, a traditional Christmas porridge made with rice; and the restaurant’s signature oat porridge, havregrød. They’re typically served with nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruit and Danish skyr (an Icelandic cultured dairy product with the texture of a runny yoghurt).
Other must-try local dishes include smørrebrød – an open sandwich with all kinds of delicious toppings – or a Danish hotdog. You’ll find all these things – as well as fresh produce, artisanal marshmallows and nougat, craft gin, truffles and spices – at Torvehallerne, a chic food market in Frederiksborggade.
Go on a ride in Tivoli Gardens
Yes, it’s tourist central, but this amusement park in the middle of the city is a must-visit, even if you just walk around the lush gardens.Tivoli opened in 1843, inspiring Hans Christian Andersen to write the fairy tale The Nightingale, and giving Walt Disney ideas – he visited many times in the years before opening Disneyland. The rides range from tame and kiddiefriendly to hair-raising (literally – on the Vertigo ride, you hang upside down for most of the ride). The Demon rollercoaster wasn’t that scary, strangely enough, but for a few extra kroner you get a pair of virtual reality goggles to up the ante.
Don’t miss the wooden rollercoaster (one of the oldest in the world), which still has a man on board operating the brakes. There are also free summer concerts every Friday and a light show on the lake at night.
Glimpse palace life
The Danish monarchy is more than 1000 years old, and is the oldest monarchy in Europe to still exist. There are three palaces to visit (four, if you count Frederiksborg, outside the city, which is apparently also amazing), but pick one or two, as you tend to get ‘palaced out’ after a while.
Amalienborg is the official city residence of Queen Margrethe II and the Danish Royal Family, so you’re allowed only into certain areas. The best time to visit is at noon, when you can see the bearskin helmet-clad Changing of the Guard.
The interior at Rosenborg palace is completely OTT. You’ll come across things like three silver lions guarding the thrones and a dedicated Skatkammer (treasury) where you can have a peek at the Crown Jewels. These may be worn only by the queen and only within the country’s borders. Rosenborg also has beautifully landscaped gardens (called the King’s Gardens) where you can have a picnic.
Christiansborg dates back to only 1928, due to the fact that it burnt to the ground more than once, but it’s well worth a walk through, even though you have to wear plastic covers over your shoes (presumably so you don’t dirty the floors with your peasant feet). And check out the royal stables, where there are beautiful carriages dating back through the ages, as well as the Queen’s Tapestries: 11 massive, brightly coloured artworks recounting the history of Denmark and the world – everything from the Middle Ages and World War 2, to the present and the imagined future.