If you haven’t heard the word Hygge this year, you must have been living under a rock. Scandinavian trends have exploded in the past few years, and Copenhagen is booming with British visitors thanks to it. So there’s no better time to grab your best mate and see the sights for yourself.
Welcome to Copenhagen, Denmark!
Where to stay
We stayed in the hip and happening neighbourhood of Vesterbro, in the reasonably priced Annex. This bright, colourful and down right fun Hostel was clean, tidy and located a mere 3 minute walk from Copenhagen central station. Given that you can get from Copenhagen airport to central station in 15 minutes, it’s the perfect spot to catch an after work flight on Friday and be back to work Monday morning, without too much fuss.
Everything you wish to see is in walking distance- from the iconic Tivoli Gardens, vibrant Meatpacking district and Pinterest favourite Nyhavn.
What to see
Let’s take a moment to talk about walking tours… they may seem to be designed for gap year students, or those who love the outdoor pursuits, but I promise you they are downright brilliant!
It’s a great way to see the important bits of any city, meet fellow ‘travellers’ (oh how I wish my occupation was simply a traveller!) and discover the hidden gems of a city we can so often miss.
Our guide, Canadian Gillian from New Copenhagen Tours, introduced us to sights such as the Amalienborg Palace Square , Rosenborg Castle and the colourful harbour Nyhavn , alongside discussing the history of Denmark, Copenhagen and their most famed figure Hans Christian Anderson. (he wrote the Little Mermaid in case you didn’t know!)
From here, we headed off, map in hand to explore and find the famous Little Mermaid sculpture. Which, is a hell of a lot smaller than you’d expect! There is some gorgeous sights around this area, especially the traditional windmills and rich green grasses of Churchill Park.
On day two, its worth taking a leisurely walk to Free Town Christiania. Around 20 minute’s from the centre of Copenhagen, the area has a full on 70’s hippy feel, and considering its reputation for recent crime, was surprisingly friendly. Phones and photography are banned at Christiania, so unfortunately I can’t share any sneak peeks with you- but then that’s even more of an excuse to see it for yourself! Whilst we were here, I picked up the most beautiful gold and emerald bangle from a lady who had made it herself. It cost me around £5 and is one of my favourite ever possessions, so many clients have commented on it, and it’s extra special to think it was made by hand.
So, if you are planning a Danish jaunt I’d highly suggest paying this town a visit to see it for yourself. Plus, the stage and bar area are a great place to spend a chilled Sunday, and you can buy and smoke weed legally in the Green Light District, if that takes your fancy!
The perfect way yo end your trip is with a visit to Rundetaarn, the famous round tower, with spectacular views across the city! Located in the centre of the city, it is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe, and is complete with a 209 metre round walk to get to the top!
Where to eat
All this walking calls for a drink…. And Copenhagen was rather pricey for their drinks! Don’t let that this stopped you mind, just make sure you pack some extra Krone!
If you have some spare cash and a penchant for a good, strong gin, I would highly recommend The Bird and The Church Key and Cocks and Cows, which are a couple doors away from each other. They are also a few minutes walk from the Equestrian statue of Absalon and St Nicholas Church Tower, which is now the Nikolaj Contemporary Art Centre, which is well worth a picture stop.
The Bird and The Church Key serves 102 types of gin and 57 kinds of beer. Now my usual gin of choice is Boodles or a little Gordon’s sloe, but here their variety of Gin and Tonic’s was huge, so it would be rude not to try something a little more refreshing!! I plumped for Girls, which featured Bloom Gin, 1724 Tonic, completed with sweet strawberries. Absolutely delish, and definitely worth the 95KR (round about £11.50) due to its size.
At Cocks and Cows, my first rudely named cocktail Passion for Cocks, was a full on fruity bourbon mix, which I accompanied with a scrumptious Thai chicken burger. We finished off dinner with The Cock’s Espresso, so the bill was perhaps little steep at but hey I’m on holiday!
You’ll also find lots of little coffee shops, pastry sellers and street food vendors to keep your stomach grumbles at bay throughout the day!
Off the beaten track
With everything we’d hope to see ticked off, it was time to experience the fabulous jazz being played throughout the city. Luckily for us, we had arrived slap bang in the centre of their Summer jazz festival! There is no better feeling than relaxing in the cool sunshine, Danish Elder-flower cider in hand, listening to the young jazz musicians sing the line ‘The sun is high, and so am I’.
After a lovely weekend exploring the Danish capital, I certainly are high on life, that’s for sure.
A Weekend Escape 
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