Great Danes in Copenhagen: the friendly, fun capital of Denmark
Written by Andy Hayes
The Danish people are some of the nicest in Europe, and Copenhagen is one of Europe’s nicest capital cities. Why not make a summer city break? With fantastic weather (sometimes hot by UK standards) and long days/short nights, it’s perfect weekend. Here’s a few of my Copenhagen favourites.
- Start the day with breakfast in Christianshavn. A nice breakfast/brunch choice is Frederiks Bastion, an old gunpowder house. Afterwards, see the sights of this unusual neighbourhood. You can walk off breakfast by heading up the spiral staircase of Vor Frelser Church, then just wander down the streets and see why this area is called ‘Little Amsterdam.’ It used to be an independent city from Copenhagen, and in some ways it is still very different.
- Spend an afternoon strolling along the waterfront. Copenhagen is a sea city and I just love anywhere with a water view. You can walk along the seafront and go see the Little Mermaid (she’s smaller than you’d expect – and plan on a queue to take a photo, it’s a popular place! But there are plenty of fountains, interesting buildings, and other sights to see.
- Get your groove over in Nyhaven (pictured above). You’ll find bar after bar along the water and loads of outdoor tables and music pumping into the streets. This is a slightly touristy area so you’ll need to wander off a few streets to find out where the locals hang, but
Copenhagen is also well known for its jazz scene – the Copenhagen Jazz House being one of the most popular. There’s also great shopping and plenty of historical sights to see – including Tivoli Gardens, an amusement park just across from the main train station.
Have you been to Copenhagen? What was your favourite bit?
Photo by 13bobby.
I was just there. The best thing we did was the boat tour, as the views from the water of the canals and the modern architecture on the harbor were fantastic. And at the equivalent of about 8 EUR for an hour and a half, it’s the ONLY deal in that expensive, expensive city.
CN – thanks for your comment. Copenhagen looks very appealing but the high prices are deterring me from visiting, especially as you’re reprting that the boat tour was the only bargain in town.
Yes but thankfully many things you can wander along the waterfronts and streets and just enjoy the outdoor views. They’re free :-)
The Danish Krona is pegged to the Euro and wasn’t cheap even before the Pound plumetted versus the Euro so for Brits Copenhagen is not a cheap destination. One advantage over Oslo and Stockholm though is the train from airport to city centre isn’t crazy expensive like in those other two Scandinavian capitals. Staying in Malmö can save a few bob because the Swedish crown hasn’t moved so much against the Pound as it’s Danish counterpart.
I visited Stockholm after Copenhagen and really preferred it! The exchange rate (with the Euro) is much better and the city is really beautiful and, according to our luck anyway, much friendlier. I wish I could remember the price of the train to Arlanda airport – it was a little steep, but after Copenhagen everything felt cheap. :)
Copenhagen is a pretty city but it’s hard to just relax and enjoy without feeling kind of ripped off.
Rob and CN – you both seem to be saying that Sweden is much better value for money than Denmark. I can’t really comment as I have never visited Denmark, mainly due to high prices. We did plan to drive north into Denmark when we fly to Lubeck in northern Germany but decided to head east in Germany as Denmark was too pricey. lovely though it may be.
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