From the colourful 17th-century houses of Nyhavn (the old port) to the modern Danish design, Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark is a city to fall in love with! In the previous post where I referred to the trips I made and those I would like to make, I told you my high expectations about it. Well, my sixth sense has not betrayed me: the city is pretty! Copenhagen impressed me positively. For us, it was a quite weekend of March in a period not very touristy. The weather was a little bit crazy, constantly changing, so bring with you a small umbrella for emergencies! It remember me the weather in The Netherlands (Here if you want to read more about it).
HOW. In my opinion, you can slowly visit Copenhagen in about 3 days. If you plan to visit many museums and to use public transports, I recommend to buy the Copenhagen Card which includes both in the price (also transports to/from the airport) and in addition it gives you discounts in selected bars and restaurants. Of course we have tried one of them and I let you know about in my Copenhagen Food guide.
You can quickly reach the center of Copenhagen by metro or by train (slightly faster.) There is also the possibility to fly to Malmö (Sweden) and take a Shuttle Bus across the Øresund, the 7km-long bridge and the linked 4 km-long tunnel, connection between Denmark and Sweden. We saw them from the airplane and was impressed!
WHAT. My first stop in Copenhagen could only be the Design Museum Denmark . Danish design is known all over the world for its clean, simple lines, great materials and creations that never go out of of style! The museum tells you how Danish design became an international brand. Danish design has been celebrate globally since the 1950s when legends like Wegner, Juhl, Jacobsen, Henningsen developed new concepts and lines in their craftsmanship. The museum is absolutely to visit! It has no sense a trip in Copenhagen without to visit it!
Copenhagen is the mecca of interior design and home accessory shopping can be very satisfying! I recommend visiting the showrooms of HEY House, Stilleben GUBI, Normann Copenhagen, but if you don’t have much time, go to downtown to the department store Illums Bolighus, for finding a multi-level selection of all the most famous international and Scandinavian design brands of furniture and accessories like Muuto, Marimekko, Ferm Living, Loius Poulsen, Fritz Hansen, Ittala, Mooi, &Tradition, Skagerak …
Another interesting museum is the Denmark’s National Museum It has exhibitions from the Stone Age, the Viking Age, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and Modern Danish History. A nice foyer and Cafe complete the experience.
Of course you can’t not walk along Nyhavn. The old commercial port is now the most famous (and touristy) spot of Copenhagen. The Danish fairy-tales writer Hans Christian Andersen used to live in the houses no.20, no.67 and no.18! Now all colorful houses have been renovated and it’s worth taking a walk along the canal. Most of the houses are converted to bars and restaurants. Moreover from spring to fall you can take a boat from here and go on a water excursion to discover the city along the canals and the harbour.
Amalienborg Palace it is the winter residence of The Royal Family in between the city and the harbor. Everyday at noon you can see the complete change of the guard.
Other things you can’t not visit are Tivoli Gardens the amusement park located just a few minutes’ walk from the city center and Den Blå Planet, the National Aquarium Denmark just one subway station from airport. We visited it before leaving.
STAY. Shortly about where to stay. Copenhagen is a rather expensive city, so expect high average prices for rooms and hotels. We stayed at the Ottilia Hotel in the Vesterbro district, a superior 4-stars hotel in the district of the city’s historical Carlsberg brewery. This new design boutique hotel has a quite varied breakfast in the rooftop and nice (but not original) rooms. The hotel in general, except for the lounge area and the Scandinavian style furniture is pretty similar to the 25Hours Bikini hotel in Berlin (where I have been too. See my Berlin trip here). At the reception they even had the same colorful postcards, changed a little the font but always those were. Should I recommend it? Yes, for the value for money, if compared to others 4-stars hotels in an expensive city like Copenhagen. Rooms here start from DKK 1149.
*Advertising/in cooperation with Visit Copenhagen.
