Denmark is a nation that emphasizes the value of leisure time, hence a typical five weeks of paid vacation per year. Its capital takes this to the next level with a bustling nightlife, vibrant music scene, and atmospheric cafes.
Three days in Copenhagen will only serve as an introduction to this wonderful city.
Day 1
Before you even start Day One, you should have already made reservations at one of the many hotels in the city center area. If you are young and plan to stay at a hostel, I suggest you make reservations in advance, to make sure you can secure a place.If you're arriving by airplane, you will quickly notice that the airport looks like you've entered a trendy Scandinavian's living room. The Danish's love of design will hit you as soon as you land in the country, and will stay with you throughout your time there.
Once you get over the shock of how beautiful the airport is you should resist the temptation to take a cab into the city. It will cost an arm and a leg, and there is almost always a wonderfully comfortable express train waiting to take you to Central Station.
From there you should be able to walk to your hotel and if not, take a cab -- it won't cost very much. Once you're settled in, you're ready for your first day in wonderful Copenhagen (as the tourist board calls it).
For Food Lovers:
You might want to consider taking a trip to another nation if you're looking for truly amazing food. Denmark's best fare comes in its open-faced sandwiches, and legendary hot-dogs (seriously). Most restaurants are expensive and generally offer fish and root vegetable menus.
Street Vendors
If you're hungry from the trip, take full advantage of one of the many hot-dog stands that are scattered throughout the city streets. The Fransk Dog (or French Hot Dog) is absolutely delicious and you'll be hooked as soon as you take a bite.
With your new treat in hand, begin walking toward the water, wherever you are. It will take you to one of the many harbors of the city, and the best place to look at the beautiful multi-colored houses that line the waterfront.
Generally, the two most picturesque places are Christianshavn and Nyhavn, the latter probably being the most touristy and overpriced part of town, but still worth a look.
Once the initial thrill of the harbors wears off, stay along the water but progress north toward Amalienborg Palace. This historic building housed the Danish royal family from 1863-1947. It's a truly beautiful piece of architecture that makes you feel as though you're against the backdrop of some spy thriller.
For Architectural Lovers:
Copenhagen contains some of the best 18th century and 19th century architecture in Europe. The waterfront properties with their multicolored facades are some of the most picturesque scenes in all of Europe.
By now you should be extremely hungry and ready to eat dinner. If you're up for the walk, head towards Strget. Ask any local for directions, they'll be happy to help out and direct you, in perfect English. The Danes, being a nation of only five million, expect their citizens to learn a second language so they can succeed outside of Denmark, but they don't expect any foreigners to mangle their tongues by trying to speak the Danish languages.
Up until World War II, German was the second language that the nation was expected to adopt, but following the inevitable bad blood that followed and occupation, the government made a wise decision to drop German in favor of English. So don't be afraid to ask a Dane a question in English, they won't get offended at all, and no, Danish girls don't find it cute when you try to speak their language.
After having a Nordic goddess point the way to Strget, you should take a walk in either direction to find a restaurant to eat. There are few truly great restaurants in Denmark, so grab a bite to eat at the first place that grabs you. Hopefully, you'll get a window so you can watch the traffic of people flood by. It is often said that Strget is nothing more than a catwalk for Danish women, so make sure you get a good seat and enjoy the show.
With your overpriced dinner sitting well in your stomach, you might as well take a walk until you're ready to go out for the night, because almost every store in Denmark closes at 5:00pm, some even earlier -- and the only things open after that hour are restaurants, bars, clubs, and cafes.
copenhagen at night
For your first night, your best bet is to take your overflowing energy and head to Rust -- a hot club in town (Guldbergsgade 8, 2200København N). Be sure to dress to impress, otherwise you'll more than likely get turned away at the door.When you finally get in the club, order yourself a mixed drink since beer is best left to the cafes and bars. No matter how your evening turns out at this club, you'll be glad you came and probably won't get home until the very early hours of the morning.
For Nightlife Lovers:
Copenhagen is a paradise. Bars generally have their last call at 5:00am, and clubs are filled with the most beautiful women in Europe. Generally a short walk around Rådhuspladsen (City Square) and you'll stumble across some form of nightlife to suit your needs.
Day 2
Day One was reserved for walking and trying to experience a little bit of Danish culture and history.
Day Two will make a shallow attempt to continue that tradition before degenerating into Danish debauchery.
To start the day, begin with trips to Copenhagen's best tourist traps and a trip to see the Little Mermaid and Kastellet located in the northeast part of the waterfront. The Little Mermaid is actually nothing more than a little mermaid, yet the tiny statue inexplicably draws thousands of tourists every month to take photographs.
Though it is a defining part of Copenhagen's tourist guides, it is certainly a disappointment to behold. Your disappointment should soon turn to marvel as you come across Kastellet, the fortress built by Frederick III in the 1660s. The five-point moat surrounding the fort looks like a ninja star when photographed from above, and it is truly an amazing testament to engineering of the era. You can walk on the earth walls of the fortress, as well as within the encampment. It's truly worth seeing.
By now it should be mid-afternoon, which normally means lunch, coffee or maybe a soda. You will quickly learn that in Denmark, this is as good a time as any for an "øl," or a beer in English. For those of you lucky enough to visit Denmark in the summer months, duck into the nearest sidewalk caf and order a Tuborg, the nation's favorite beer.
Much to the surprise of most visitors, Carlsberg is often still considered superior to Tuborg. And after enjoying your beer, or beers, you should probably head back to the hotel for a nap because tonight is going to be a long night.
that's not tobaccoSet your alarm for 6:00pm and put on some decent clothes, but not as nice as you wore the night before. Grab the first cab you see and tell him to take you to Christiania. He'll probably smile at you, and if you ask, he'll regale you with the full tale of how this wonderful place came to be.
The short version is that during the 1960s, a group of hippies moved into some old abandoned army barracks and declared themselves a country free of Europe and Denmark. In their country, they would be allowed to grow, sell and smoke marijuana.
Needless to say, Danish authorities were not impressed and tried repeatedly to flush these hippies from their encampment, but each time the hippies just came back and resettled the area. Eventually the government, noticing the spike in tourism in the area, just gave up and allowed the hippies to have the land, where they have lived rent-free with their massive amounts of weed. Today, the by-product of those resilient hippies can be enjoyed by any visitor to Copenhagen.
For Smoke Lovers:
Contained completely within the Copenhagen city limits is a small place called Christiania, where certain narcotics are legally sold (and consumed) in the open.
When you enter Christiania, you may be surprised by some of unsavory looking characters, but don't be frightened, it's not a dangerous area. If you enjoyed Amsterdam, then this part of Denmark will be a most welcome delight.
If you decide to purchase anything, that is totally up to you. Nevertheless, make your way to Lppen, a coffee house located right in the middle of Christiania where you can sit and relax in peace. Needless to say, opening the door to this place is the equivalent of opening the door to Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine -- but it's an experience that must be had.
There are plans for the rest of the day, but most visitors tend to become engaged in some very interesting conversations at Lppen and usually stay until closing. If you can drag yourself away from this little paradise, you should ask your friendly cabbie to take you to Vega (Enghavevej 40, 1674København V). This is another Copenhagen club (along with Rust, they are considered the big two) and is a much more informal affair than its counterpart.
The main room is generally home to live music on the weekends, and when the show ends, the DJs come out and don't go home until closing. This place is usually packed with gorgeous, young, trendy women, and many of Copenhagen's local celebrities. It's a really beautifully designed place, but still comfortable and very relaxing.
Day 3
By now, your brain cells are going to need some feeding to recover from the previous night, so today is devoted to enlightenment and seeing what lies beyond the city. Your first task is to see the Kongelige Bibliotek, or Black Diamond Library as it's known.
This is one of the marvels of modern architecture in the city of Copenhagen, as you can see this large building seemingly being drawn to the water. It's beautiful from the outside and stunning when you enter it. They have a large selection of English newspapers, Internet stations and books in English. Once you feel you've reconnected with your roots, get to Copenhagen Central Station and hop on a train to Humlebæk.
Once you arrive, follow the signposts for the Louisiana art gallery. Home to both Danish and international art, this art gallery is one of the most beautiful in the world. Making your way past the exhibits, you will eventually come out onto an idyllic seaside setting where you can eat lunch or just sit and stare at the ocean.
For Sports Lovers:
The local soccer team FC København has a mild following in the city and tickets are generally easy to get a hold of. If the national team is playing a game in the city, tickets are almost impossible to get. There is also a minor league hockey team in the city, but it's not very good hockey and made up mostly of poor quality Swedish players and expatriate Canadians.
To finish up your time in Copenhagen, you have two options. The first involves luck and timing, namely, if you are lucky enough to be in the city when the Danish National Team is playing a soccer match at Parken, the Danish national stadium. These games are usually watched by the entire nation and a victory celebration is one of the best street parties of the year.
If you can't get tickets or the team isn't playing a home game, then you should take the chance to peek in on how the other half lives -- specifically, how the Swedish live -- and experience one of the locals' favorite day trips.
bridging two nations
Getting there is no problem, all you have to do is get to Central Station and get on the express train to Malmö, Sweden. Don't worry about your passport, entry into one Scandinavian nation counts as entry into all of them.The real purpose of the trip isn't to see the wonders of southern Sweden (of which there are few), but rather to see the beautiful bridge that connects Copenhagen with its neighbor to the North. It's been hailed as one of the new wonders of the world, and when you finally comprehend how long the bridge really is, you will have no choice but to tip your hat to the engineers and construction workers who made it happen.
Walk around Malmö for a bit and enjoy the slightly lower prices on food, but after about an hour, you'll be itching to get back to Copenhagen.
Upon your re-arrival, it's recommended that you take it easy and find yourself a quiet café and enjoy some more of Denmark's greatest assets -- its people and Tuborg.
Before you head out on your Copenhagen adventure, there are a few quick tips that can help make the venture a smooth one.
Quick Tips:
last words
Copenhagen is a city filled with history, fun and beautiful women. Most visitors have trouble understanding why anyone would leave such an idyllic paradise, and judging by recent Danish emigration rates, it seems that most don't.Resources:
Denmark Travel Guide
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