31 countries will receive more visitors this year than Denmark. That’s crazy, but also an advantage for you. While hordes of tourists descend on other places, we give you 8 reasons to visit Copenhagen. Some people avoid this city because they think it could be too expensive, but it really is perfect for the upscale on a budget traveler.
Do you like friendly people, living in arguably the happiest country in the world? Do you like a compact and clean environment, with a wealth of canals, parks, museums? How about a democracy that works (along with a king and queen)? We’re just getting started. And you can enjoy all this on a summer day averaging 18 hours of daylight.
1. Unique walking tour of compact central city
A great way to get your bearings and decide what you want to explore deeper is a city walking tour. Copenhagen has some of the best for several reasons. The city is flat, pedestrian-friendly, and many of the major attractions are within walking distance.
We choose Copenhagen Free Walking Tours. The excellent “Grand Tour of Copenhagen” is about 3 hours long. It covers much of the central city from both a historic and modern perspective. Our guide, Matt, is originally from Toronto, giving him a unique viewpoint on his adopted city.
Starting from City Hall, highlights include Christiansborg Palace (Parliament and Supreme Court), some interesting back streets and canals, Kongens Nytorv Square, Nyhavn harbor, and Amalienborg Palace. We learn how the city burned down (twice) and was reborn.
Of course, while these tours are technically free, the guides work for tips. And it’s a good idea to book in advance. We had about 50 people on a weekday morning, split among 3 guides.
2. Intimate Rosenborg Castle with crown jewels
If you have visited a typical European royal palace, such as Vienna’s Schoenbrunn, you can get both overwhelmed and exhausted trying to take it all in. By contrast, Rosenborg Castle, a Renaissance palace and gardens from the 1600s, is easy to navigate in an hour or two.
The castle served as a royal residence for about a century. The King’s Garden is lovely, the palace rooms are splendid, and the basement houses the crown jewels. From the throne room to a writing desk room, this place speaks volumes of history presented like a short story. It is not to be missed.
3. Amalienborg and the Marble Church
We’ve seen where kings and queens used to live. Now let’s check out the beautiful current residence. Amalienborg comes complete with a changing of the guard each day at noon. Unlike Buckingham Palace, this ceremony is witnessed by only a few hundred people.
Just steps away (and next to our apartment) is the impressive domed Marble Church, aka Frederik’s Church. Originally to be made of marble, it is actually constructed with limestone. The interior dome, as well as views from the outside, are extraordinary.
4. Go back to 1971 in Christiania
There is a sign in Christiania that reads: “Warning. Hippies have been spotted in this area. Peace, love and understanding could break out at any moment.” Those of us who remember the Woodstock/anti-Vietnam war era in the U.S. also remember short-term attempts at building peaceful communes. Christiania is a remarkable experiment still going strong after more than a half century.
It has had its share of ups and downs over the years, including drugs and crime. But a visit to this freetown enclave, smack in the middle of upscale Christianshaven, is fascinating. We take another free walking tour of the neighborhood, but can only be dropped at the entrance to Christiania. Inside we find that the independent community has decided to clean out drug “Pusher” Street, and is replacing it with a children’s playground. A surprisingly large area for only about 800 residents, Christiania is worth an hour or two.
5. Go back to 1843 in Tivoli Gardens
The story goes that Walt Disney visited this theme park and realized nothing like it existed in the U.S., which only had amusement parks featuring rides. Tivoli Gardens was the inspiration for Disneyland, and the rest is history. Speaking of history, this is one of the oldest such parks in the world, and a visit here is still magical.
Outside we watch pantomime on a large stage, then listen to a terrific jazz band play to only a handful of customers. We stroll through beautiful flower gardens, surrounding historic architecture, with restaurants tucked away in the scenery. General admission gets us all that. For an additional price you can head to the ample selection of amusement park rides. All of this is in the center of Copenhagen!
6. Go back to 1673 in Nyhavn
If you ever see just one photo featuring Copenhagen (or even Denmark), it is probably a picture of Nyhavn. This colorful harbor dates back to the 17th century, but is today the city’s heart of bars, cafes, and restaurants. And with that, lots of tourists. Still, how can you not stop for a Carlsberg and a selfie? We find twilight to be the prettiest time.
7. Best “Danish” pastries and other good food
We have been talking about places to see so far in our 8 reasons to visit Copenhagen. Now let’s focus on other aspects of life here. There’s a reason the finest pastries in the U.S. are simply called “Danish.” The bakers in Denmark are fanatical about their pastry, and it shows. We are repeat visitors several stores, including Holm and Hart, but are told you really can’t go wrong.
What surprises us are some other meals during a week here. We have outstanding pizza and pasta at a rooftop restaurant called Rossopomodoro. And I brave the 20-minute line for maybe the best burger and fries I have ever eaten at Gasoline Grill.
8. Outstanding metro and accommodations
I love a city with a good metro, and Copenhagen has one of the best. The trains are clean and arrive every few minutes to take me anywhere. I buy a City Pass for less than $10 a day that gives me unlimited use of the system in the main areas of the city, including transportation to and from the airport! And Copenhagen has a beautiful, efficient airport that is only a 20-minute ride from the city center.
Our 6-room apartment, next to the Marble Church, is also next to a metro stop. The accommodations, from ApartmentInCopenhagen (via booking.com), are a spacious 1,600sf (150sm) of pure luxury for less than the price of a hotel room.
We have only scratched the surface…
There are a lot more than 8 reasons to visit Copenhagen. Did you know there are more bicycles than residents? Even the Prime Minister sometimes rides a bike to work! There are plenty of interesting museums and churches to see, though we only mention two here. It is a beautiful city, dotted with canals, parks, and gardens. No skyscrapers. No giant chain hotels. Even the pier for our cruise to Norway is understated. Come in the summer, and you will leave this land of fairy tales enchanted.
Do you have any questions or suggestions to help others? Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post.
What’s upscale?
Copenhagen can be an expensive city if you are not careful.
What’s budget?
From walking tours to the metro, everything in this article is budget-friendly.
Thank you for sharing, Stephen! I’ve heard that Copenhagen is a hidden gem in Europe, so glad to read that you enjoyed it. These Danish pastries make a good reason to go visit! I remember during my only visit to Danemark, they were serving fresh and smoked Salmon for breakfast. I loved it!
Any local dishes that pleasantly surprised you?
Hi Claire! When you, Rosemary, and I were dodging typhoons in the Philippines we managed to eat like locals. I still remember the empanadas in Batac. I wasn’t as thrilled with local dishes in Denmark. People eat smorrebrod for lunch, dense bread piled high with stuff like pickled herring, onion, and numerous garnishes. Many variations, none to my liking. They also have famous hot dog stands, which I avoid. Breakfast? Strong French press coffee and Danish pastries in our apartment. Heaven on Earth.