The Danish capital may well be the cleanest city I’ve ever been in. The streets practically shine. The architecture is stunning, and there’s many things to see.
At a glance…
- Days To Spend: 4-5
- Get Around: Metro or bus. Make sure to use the app!
- Get In and Out: By train or flight
- Pay: Danish Krone is the currency, and card is definitely preferred, but you should be able to pay by cash in most places
- Speak: English is the easiest, everyone speaks it
- See: Botanical Gardens, Tivoli Garden, Rosenborg Palace
- Should you go?: Definitely, it’s one of my favourite cities
General Impressions
The thing that struck me the most about the Danish capital is just how well presented the city is. There’s no rubbish on the streets, nor are there homeless people. Everyone seems generally quite happy, and there is a generally pleasant atmosphere. Few cities have ever felt quite so welcoming as Copenhagen.
Public Transport
Getting Around
There is a good, if somewhat confusing network of buses and metro, which we used to get around everywhere. Copenhagen is not quite as compact as many other European cities, so it is often useful to make short hops on public transit. Fares operate on a confusing zone system. We found it easiest to download the DOT Tickets app, and just use the journey planner to buy the correct tickets.
Getting In and Out
Copenhagen has connections to neighbouring Germany and Sweden via rail. The trains are relatively fast and very comfortable. Additionally, Copenhagen has an airport that’s connected by rail and metro to the city centre.
Money
The currency in Denmark is the Danish Kroner. In general, there seems to be a preference for card payments, and that’s how we paid for the majority of our trip. However, we never had problems using cash on occasion.
You can also purchase a Copenhagen Card, which gives you free entry into a number of different sites, as well as free public transport. We worked out that the card more than paid for itself with the attractions we wanted to do. It’s definitely worth considering, and if you want to do the same attractions we did, it will likely work out in your favour.
Language
Danish is a difficult language to listen to and pronounce, and basically everyone speaks English and will relish the chance to practice their English with you. I would stick to speaking English in general.
Time
There’s a lot to do in Copenhagen, and many nice day trips you can make from the city. I’d say 4 days is a bare minimum, but you can always add a few more days for day trips.
My Favourite Spots
Botanical Garden
A large botanical garden stands in the centre of Copenhagen. It’s free to enter the garden itself, and you can explore the variety of plant life being grown here. You can also pay to enter the Palm House and the Butterfly House. The former showcases a number of different tropical plants, whereas the latter is home to a stunning variety of different butterflies.
Tivoli Garden
It’s rare to find a theme park right in the centre of a city, but Tivoli Garden is exactly that. It’s a fairly nice theme park, though it lacks any extreme roller coasters. It’s great to spend a day here to enjoy it’s various attractions.
Rosenborg Palace
There’s many different palaces in Copenhagen, and Rosenborg is, by far, the nicest one. The building itself is stunning, and the interiors are beautiful. If you time your visit well, you can also watch the start of the changing of the guard ceremony across the moat in the Life Guard barracks.
Spots That Might Be Good
Canal Tour
This tour takes you around Copenhagen’s many canals, and out into the harbour. The tour is interesting and the guide is funny. I’m not sure if I would do this tour if I had to pay for it (though it’s worth considering), but it is included in the Copenhagen Card, in which case I would whole heartedly recommend it.
Christianborg Palace
Another royal palace, this one is not quite as impressive as Rosenborg. There’s a number of different sections, such as the Royal, the Stables, and the Ruins Under. It’s definitely worth seeing if you have the Copenhagen Card, but if you don’t it may well be worth investing your time and money into other attractions.
Freetown Christiania
Freetown Christiania is an independent commune right in the heart of Copenhagen. It was established by squatters post-WW2 who occupied some disused army barracks. Now it’s an interesting view into an anarchist life style. You can purchase various homemade goods, and a lot of marijuana in the Freetown. It’s a fascinating thing to see, but may not be for everyone.
Places I’d Avoid
The Little Mermaid Statue
This is an infamous attraction in Copenhagen, as many people go out of their way to see it, and leave disappointed. We saw it from our Canal Tour, and it is just that – a small statue. It’s definitely not worth the trek to go see it, as it’s quite far from other Copenhagen attractions.
Conclusion
Copenhagen is easily one of my favourite cities, and one I can’t wait to return to.
We May Roam 