I don't like giving spoilers, but what can I say? I am a fan of Copenhagen! It was my first time in Scandinavia and the only regret I had was why it took me so long to visit! I still don't know why, considering it's just a 55 minute, low cost flight from Berlin! But hey, better late than never! Denmark is the birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen, the man who penned renowned fairytales. It's also the home of The Little Mermaid (you can actually spot her!) and the world's oldest amusement parks, which actually inspired Walt Disney! If that's not impressive enough, Copenhagen is listed as one of the world's greenest and cleanest cities!
The Pros: My Favourite Things About Copenhagen
When I say clean, I mean immaculate! It was difficult to find any litter on the ground (except for when we accidentally spilled our take out food while crossing the street. *Steve Urkel voice* Did I do that?) The train stations I used, looked like technologically advanced spheres where bacteria had become extinct. Oh and the trains, ultra high tech! If George Jetson designed a train system, this would be it! Copenhagen has sliding glass doors before the platforms. Periodically, trains arrived every 2.5 minutes, at which point, both the train and platform doors opened automatically and aligned flawlessly. I had never seen this kind of technology before, except for shuttles at a few American airports. I definitely appreciated that not once did I smell urine, or see someone urinating and graffiti was not the order of the day. How refreshing! What a huge difference from the typical city vibe!
Locals were polite and sometimes, even friendly. As people of color, no one made us feel uncomfortable (oh except for that seemingly drunk man who said "Africa" when I walked past). Customer service was courteous everywhere we went and I felt quite at home.
It's super orderly! This was evident from arrival. Outside the airport I was surprised to see a taxi queue. Not the cars, I mean. There was a designated line for those waiting for a cab, which was manned by personnel who paired you with a taxi. It was ultra efficient too! Our taxi driver, though he didn't speak much English, was Uber friendly (get it?).
The food! Perhaps it's because I am not too exuberant about German food, but my tummy was happy in Copenhagen. It wasn't in a groundbreaking kind of way; the food was simple, homey and comforting. More on that below.
It's marked as being a kid-friendly city. The pace is relaxed and friendly. Buses and trains have reserved spots for strollers and there are specific activities kids will enjoy.
The Cons of Copenhagen
Well, uuuum, it's expensive! Since everything is priced in Danish Krone, I found it hard to do conversions on the spot, especially when ordering food. This meant it was after my trip that I realized I spent more than desired. Everything felt expensive: taxis, accommodation, entertainment, food. Perhaps only public transportation felt modestly priced. So prepare to spend quite a bit. To cut down on costs, get food at 7/11 convenience stores or buy meals at supermarkets like Netto or Lidl.
This is perhaps very personal to me, but I felt like it was somewhat limited in terms of attractions, compared to other European cities. In my opinion, not much marked it as being unique in terms of things to do. Like most cities of it's calibre, there's a river or canal which offers cruises, museums, a palace, a panoramic citadel and yeah, that felt like mostly it.
The Food: What to Eat in Copenhagen
Grød- remember I said the food I had was simple, but comforting? Well this was the poster child of that! Grød is oatmeal. In Denmark, it's often had with toppings. I visited the restaurant Grød and man, was I pleased. I ordered regular Grød with caramel, apples, roasted almonds and plum compote. It was the perfect blend of textures: from the soft, moist porridge to the crunchy nuts and crispy apples. Then came the harmony of flavors: the tangy compote balancing the sweet caramel. Can I have a bowl right now?
2. Smørrebrød - basically an open-faced sandwich, but these are the prettiest I've ever seen! I enjoyed two Danish dishes in one, having a fish cake Smørrebrød. How filling this was with Grød for breakfast!
3. Lobster Roll- a very popular sandwich in Copenhagen. Generous portions of lobster nestled in a buttery brioche. Mine, which I got from Lobster Shack, was quite refined with a green pea puree, lobster chips, fresh greens and bobas. It was a bit too fishy for me, but that was perhaps because I haven't had lobster in years!
4. Danish - well, you can't go to Denmark and not have a Danish, right? Some specific pastries you can try are: Kanelsnegle (Cinnamon Roll) WienerBrød (what is commonly called a Danish) or Danish Butter Cookies. If you're a cake person, you may want to try Brunsviger Cake or Potato Cake.
5.Burgers- go figure, but Copenhagen is well known for burgers. I was fascinated by the chain Sliders. They serve gourmet style mini burgers. I loved the concept because I could try various options without being too full (or appearing greedy). I also really liked the decor and vibe of the branch we visited. In my order of preference, I had the Triple Truffle Cheese, Ugly Duckling and Crispy Kimchi Chick. ItGasoline Grill is another popular chain and I wish I had the chance to try their crispy chicken burger, because that's my kind of thing!
6. Rum Ball- we got these from Netto supermarket ( a discount chain) but they were tasty 😋 These are basically chocolate truffles with rum.
What to Do in Copenhagen
Amalienborg Palace- learn about the Danish royal family, one of the oldest monarchies in the world. You can also go inside the palace for a behind the scenes experience of life from the royals' perspective. This square of royal buildings reminded me of the Grand Place in Brussels, which was breathtaking. Visit the palace at noon to see the changing of the guards often set to live music. The standout for me was their bearskin hats!
Nyhaven Canal Cruise- this is the signature spot of Copenhagen and the perfect place for a selfie. Here, you will savour an artful array of buildings from the 17th and 18th century, set along a canal that served as a historic port for ships coming from all over the world. It's a great place to take a canal cruise to see the city's highlights by water. The lines for purchasing tickets are very long though, so prepare to invest at least an hour waiting in line. There was so a more expensive tour company with a shorter wait time. It's also worth noting that though many eateries are available in the area, it's very overpriced. To save, follow the locals - buy a snack from a nearby supermarket and enjoy them by the water.
Torvehallerne Food Hall- it's great as a breakfast stop! This is where I tried most of the local food I had. Here you'll find 80 food stalls with everything from Grød to Smørrebrød to French pastries, to fresh fish. Definitely worth a visit if you're a foodie!
Little Mermaid Statue- you'll see her if you take the canal cruise. Otherwise, just like she longed for, you can get there by land, at Langlinie Promenade. Here's a sculpture of the famous fairytale character, created by Hans Christian Andersen - the girl who started it all, wanting to be "part of that world"!
Shop at Strøget- if shopping is your thing, you'll enjoy this lengthy stretch of high-end stores on a car-free street. It's actually one of Europe's longest pedestrian streets and is quite popular with tourists. It felt almost like a mini Milan, almost! If you're looking for Prada, Boss, Mulberry or Louis Vuitton, you'll find them here. But there are also discount chains. As a bonus, the shopping strip is very close to the historical Kongens Nytorv. This is the central square in Copenhagen with various elegant buildings such as the Royal Danish Theatre and the art gallery Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
Swim in the Harbor if it's Warm- remember how clean I said Copenhagen is? Well that's reflected in the harbour too. Join in with locals and take a dip!
The Round Tower- climb the staircase of this 17th century tower and observatory for a bird's eye view of the city.
Visit a Museum- quite a number abound! Some of those popular with visitors are the Museum of Copenhagen, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, National Museum, and the Open Air Museum. The Guinness World Book of Records Museum definitely caught my eye!
Things to Do with Kids in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is often celebrated as a kid-friendly city. So much so, that it is a cultural norm to leave sleeping babies outside restaurants. It's that safe! Aside from safety, there are several things your mini me will enjoy in the city!
Tivoli Gardens- I LOVE this place! It felt like a whole different world. I've never been to Disney World, but it definitely felt like it, at only a fraction of the cost! As a matter of fact, Walt Disney visited this 100 year old park (one of the oldest in the world) and was inspired to create his own version! Marching bands, live shows, fairytale buildings, impressive restaurants, a food hall, rides, a lake, an aquarium, a video game centre, endless booths, arcade games, fireworks at night, you'll find it all here! I recommend dedicating a full day to this attraction, as it's truly a lot to take in!
Lego Flagship Store- Denmark is the home of Lego! Billund, is a whole other Danish town with a full on Lego theme park (great for a day trip if you have the time). If you can't make it there, here's a good (and free) alternative to celebrate being in Lego's homeland. Here you'll find interactive Lego stations, a customizeable Lego Block station, Lego replicas of Copenhagen's main attractions and of course, loads of Lego toys for sale to take home as a souvenir!
Copenhagen Zoo - 4000 animals from the around globe, food stops and fabulous architecture await you and your little ones at one of Europe's oldest zoos. Enjoy swimming polar bears, pandas, giraffes and so much more!
National Aquarium of Denmark- since we are in The Little Mermaid's homeland, why not stay in sync with that "Under Da Sea" theme? I'm pretty shore (see what I there 😉) you and your little ones will enjoy Northern Europe's largest aquarium boasting 48 tanks and over 7 million litres of water!
Children's Museum - found in the National Museum of Denmark, here's a museum where kids aren't told "do not touch". Quite the opposite actually. In this fun, interactive playground, children are treated to a hands-on experience of Danish history. From sailing in Viking vessels to defending castles from attack, to making snacks in the kitchen, there's much to do. Equipped with a "Boredom Button" just in case, little visitors can use this tool for an immediate thrill: talking paintings, hidden treasure revealed and more!
Getting Around in Copenhagen
Biking is very common in Copenhagen. There are even designed rooms to park bikes at the train stations. Copenhagen has perhaps the most efficient, reliable, spotless and pleasant public transportation system I have ever experienced. Some trains lines arrive every 2.5 minutes (yes they actually display that 1/2 a minute). I haven't yet understood why locals need a car. You won't need to present a ticket to board, but you can be randomly spot checked and will need to pay a fine if you don't have a valid ticket. There's also an app to buy digital tickets. I wouldn't recommend this as our attempt led to delayed processing. We ended up buying a ticket at the kiosk. Sometime later, the app finally decided to process our transaction and we needed up with two sets of full day tickets that would expire at the same time. Thankfully, we were refunded after a long telephone call with customer service. We'd also seen that while being checked for tickets, some passengers seemed to have a problem logging into the app to display their ticket. Basically, just use the good ole' machine.
Accomodation in Copenhagen
For the first time, we stayed in an Air Bnb. I'm usually a hotel kinda gal! Guys the bathroom! It was a 3 in 1: toilet, sink, shower all in one! I can understand minimalism, but this was a hassle! Let's create a scenario. Imagine someone just showered, you are about to head out, say for your return flight (shoes on) and you need to pee! The entire bathroom floor is now wet. You really need to do a cost/benefit analysis to figure out if that pee is really worth it! This may or may not be a true story. The space is also narrow and uncomfortable to use. Otherwise our stay was okay and our accomodation was cozy and quiet. I still prefer a hotel though. I like daily cleaning, not worrying about breaking anything and not feeling obligated to leaving someone's home squeaky clean. Here are some quality hotel suggestions: Hotel Kong Arthur, Tivoli Hotel (great for kids), Copenhagen Island. These are all moderately priced based on Copenhagen's standard. Beware! Often, cheap accomodations in Copenhagen that appear to be hotels are actually hostels, which mean sharing a room and bathroom with strangers.
Quick Facts to Improve Your Stay in Copenhagen
-it's quite easy and much cheaper to take the train from the airport to the city centre. Taking a taxi doesn't reduce the time significantly, but costs a whole lot more.
-it feels like a huge city! I wouldn't advise soley walking around to see attractions, so definitely invest in a full day transportation ticket for when your feet get tired.
-if you're staying for several days, it's worth getting a Copenhagen Card which covers transportation and reduced entry to main attractions.
-If you can convert cash to local currency, I'd recommend it. That way you can be more mindful of how much you're spending and stay within budget.
-Take the elevator if you can at train stations, especially if you're travelling with kids. Sometimes there are endless flights of escalator steps...like tonnes of levels!
-The Tivoli basic tickets only gives you access to about 7 rather bland rides. I recommend the Turbo pass.
Overall, Copenhagen is a resounding yes for me - especially for family! Perhaps it wasn't on your travel radar before, but if you'd appreciate a destination that's chic, clean, friendly, laid-back and welcoming, with sprinkles of kid-friendly fun, then start planning your trip!