About: The Danish have a way of life called hygge. It’s the idea of appreciating the small things and making people feel at home and comfortable. It is one of the Scandinavian countries and is just a quick boat ride over to Sweden. It is a very colorful city, that is easily explored by foot or on a bike. They do have their own money called the Krone which you can withdraw at an ATM easily.
My Adventure: My daughter who was living in Germany at the time met at the airport and quickly got money and a cab. Our driver was so helpful and gave us a quick run down on food and must see. We the winter so we had to dress accordingly temperatures range of an average high of 2.8°C (37°F) and an average low of -1.9°C (28.6°F). The hotel provided us with a tourist map, and we set out to explore, grab some food and get the Copenhagen card. This card gives you free or discounted access to over 80 attractions and museums as a bonus you get free travel on all public transportation. We then headed back to the hotel for our first full day of exploring the city.
I am a huge Hans Christian Anderson fan and Brianna is a history buff so our priorities were the Danish Holocaust Museum, the Amalienborg Palace and seeing the Little Mermaid. Of course first breakfast, we headed to Bowl Market Bowl Market – Acai bowl in Copenhagen (bowl-market.com) to warm up and fuel up for our big day. What happened however is we started to fall into hygge and just sat chatted, watching the people walk by. It was freezing Rain so we decided to cab by the Little Mermaid Statue and head to the Holocaust Museum. So we got there and I must tell you we were stumped because there was a steel wall, but it looked like no way to get in. I rang a buzzer about five times and finally a guard came on and said they do not open until 11 am. Please see picture – the wall slides back to expose a glass door entrance.
The Danish Jewish Museum -presents 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark. It really took my breath away. Denmark became occupied by the Nazi’s in 1940, but did not impose any labeling with the yellow star or exclusions from society. A German Nazi Jurist Werner Best was sent to Denmark to supervise Civilian affairs. In August of 1943 he proposed deporting the Jewish people of Denmark to Concentration camps, the people of Denmark found out and helped over 4,000 People to escape to Sweden. Unfortunately 472 people were captured and sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp, but when the war ended most had lived and were able to return home.
Off to Amalien Borg Palace: you can walk around outside and watch the changing of the guards. This is the official residence of the current royalty. Made a walk by Fredrick’s Church, striking Rococo-style church with a large copper green dome. It is the largest dome church in Scandinavia.
Food time Torvehallerne torvehallernekbh.dk it is. This is a open food market with types of offerings for all tastes. We separated and picked what we liked then met to eat together. When we finished we went to the tourist center to look at if we would have enough time to take the boat over to Sweden. Then the weather changed and we went back to our room to watch a movie shower and go out to dinner that night.
The Next day we walked by the have to sees and visited Ripley’s Believe It or Not for the Hans Christian Anderson experience. There was a fair in town, so we popped in there as it was in the Tivoli Gardens then we went around to see sites and wander the Nyhavn area. It is truly a place not to be missed.
https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/planning/nyhavn-gdk474735
Quickly went by Rosenbog Slot I must go back and explore more next time then back to our hotel as we had an early flight the next day.
Tours, Clubs and Museums I Recommend:
NIGHT LIFE:
Denmark has a crazy club scene offering something for all types of people. Most Clubs are open until the sun comes up. I di not get a chance to partake in the dancing, but here are list of ones you may want to check out.
Culture box: One of the country’s most know nightclubs featuring electronic music. Expect to wait in line on the weekends with many people from around the world. culture-box.com
Jolene Bar: A LBGBTQI+ great place to dance and meet new people. jolene.dk
La Fontaine: This place looks my vibe. It’s a jazz bar and comes with the highest of reviews. lafontaine.dk
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Copenhagen: A great way to get to different places and learn about local little know facts. I try to do one of these in every city as you get to find places you may not have ever heard of. https://city-sightseeing.com/en/16/copenhagen/25/hop-on-hop-off-copenhagen
The Art of Making Danish Pastry: What more needs to be said. This isa five star experience with treats to take home. Books out way in advance so plan ahead. terrible.dk
MUSEUMS:
- The Statens Museum for Kunst: If you are an art buff head straight here. It has works dating back to the 14th century.
- Nationslmuseet: The biggest museum in Denmark allows visitors to explore Danish history from the prehistoric era to the present. The Trundholm Sun Chariot, a magnificent Bronze Age artifact discovered by a farmer in 1902, and the so-called Egtved Girl’s grave, which contains the bog-preserved corpse of a woman buried almost 3,500 years ago, are among the prehistoric highlights. The Inuit and Viking exhibitions are also compelling. Unmissable is a display on Denmark’s imperial past in the Caribbean, India, West Africa, and Greenland.
- Designmuseum Danmark: Discover what makes Danish design unique at this impressive museum in a city center 18th-century Rococo structure, from furniture and clothing to posters and pottery. As well as consistently fascinating temporary exhibitions, highlights include a permanent exhibition of Danish chairs — showcasing influential designs by the likes of Hans Wegner and Arne Jacobsen — and a look at contemporary Danish design, which explores the country’s influence on product design, graphic design and design for public spaces
Lodging:
Copenhagen Marriot Hotel – Where we stayed its along the water and not too far of a walk to everything. https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/cphdk-copenhagen-marriott-hotel/overview/?scid=f2ae0541-1279-4f24-b197-a979c79310b0
Nobis Hotel Copenhagen: Beautiful luxury hotel with all the amenities. Can be a bit pricey. https://www.nobishotel.dk/
71 Nyhavn Hotel: This hotel is right in the middle of everything, has great reviews and is fairly priced. Definitely worth a look at. https://www.71nyhavnhotel.dk/
Dining:
NOMA – one of the best restaurants in the world, if you want to eat here plan years in advance to get a reservation. https://noma.dk/
Price : Hold your breath expensive
Harry’s Place- The Danes love their hot dogs as a go to snack. Very popular lunch spot. harrysplace.dk
Price: Budget
Allouette- Chefs Nick Curtin and Andrew Valenzuela from the United States make seasonal dishes with international influences. Alouette, which is housed in a former factory in the post-industrial neighborhood of Islands Brygge, is reached via a service lift that is covered in graffiti, which stands in stark contrast to the restaurant’s opulent interior design and cozy ambiance. Make reservations in advance. restaurantalouette.dk
Price: $$$$
Møntergade – Perhaps the best spot to go these days for a Danish lunch of smrrebrd is Mntergade. Despite being more accurate than the versions you’ll find at the traditional restaurants, the offerings are rooted in custom. Keep an eye out for the evening service, when open-faced sandwiches are replaced by dishes like fried turbot with vadouvan-glazed carrots and a beef tenderloin drenched in sauce choron. (a variation of Bearnaise that incorporates tomato). montergade.dk/en/
Price: Reasonable
Tips for Visiting Copenhagen:
- Bring an umbrella
- Get the Copenhagen Card https://copenhagencard.com/
- Check all opening and closing times of attractions.
- Get the local money as Euros and USD are not accepted most places.
- Coffee culture is HUGE here