Copenhagen, Denmark
We decided to spend 24 hours in Copenhagen as part of a connecting journey to visit family. It goes without saying we crammed as much into our itinerary as we possibly could!
Observations:
Three key things stood out for me about in Copenhagen. Firstly, the prominence of and provision for Cycling, but also Quirkiness and Gastronomy in this city caught my attention:
1 – Cycling
The provision for cycling in Copenhagen is exceptional. I’ve seen superb set-ups in London and Cambridge, but the cycling infrastructure in Copenhagen pips them to the post. The wide cycle lanes are everywhere, equipped with their own traffic light system and parking bays. But it’s not just the provision that’s impressive, the way it’s promoted also gets a thumbs up. Cycling really is the way to venture across this city.
2 – Quirkiness
There’s something about Copenhagen that oozes trendiness. The touches of quirky objects and artefacts dotted across the city contribute to it. A few things caught my gaze and left me with an inner smile, here are just a few…
3 – Gastronomy
One thing I knew before visiting Copenhagen was it’s reputation for first class food. It’s why foodies across the world descend on this city and where the famous NOMA restaurant originates. Much to my disappointment, as I’ve not had chance to visit, NOMA is set to close its doors at the end of 2024! But fear not food-lovers, there appear to be a few top nosh eateries in town – namely the Alchemist, a staggering art-cum-food ‘experience’ restaurant commanding a staggering £600 per person for their set menu. Sadly (or maybe fortunately) they were fully booked during our visit, so we settled for a cosy snack restaurant called Apres instead. The relaxed atmosphere and quality of grub was a perfect combo. Suggestion for tourists, tipping isn’t possible by card so carry a bit of cash if you can do.
Ratings of our stay:
I’ve rated aspects of our stay and places we visited below.
Hotel: 25 Hours
With just 24 hours in Copenhagen, lodging at the 25 Hours hotel felt rather apt! Although we’d never heard of the brand prior to visiting, we’ve discovered an array of their hotels dotted around Europe so will be hunting them down for future travels. The Israeli chain of hotels are aimed at young, vibrant couples – and boast futuristic interior design, quirky features and subliminal signals of dirty weekend stays! Check out the debauchery inspired curtains. 25 Hours reminds me of Malmaison – it isn’t your typical hotel, it’s many steps above that
Hotel:
Hotel Quirkiness:
Room:
(Overall rating 89/100)
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli gardens is a coming together of so many opposing things; 1920s, theme park, mature gardens, modern street food hall and Blackpool illuminations! They all blend together to bring both nature and fun to the heart of the city. We enjoyed our evening walk through the park and stopped off at the street food mall to indulge in some incredibly tasty takeaway food. Highly recommend a visit.
Gardens
Street food
The New Harbour (Nyhavn)
Translated to ‘New Harbour’, Nyhavn is the classic postcard picture that depicts what we all love and recognise about Copenhagen. One of the iconic dwellings is said to have once being the home of Hans Christian Anderson. We walked around the harbour and settles in a bar for 30 minutes to soak up the world renowned views and atmosphere. We didn’t partake in a boat trip but the queues and number of full vessels suggest it’s a worthwhile activity.
National Museum
We spent four or five hours at the National Museum. It wasn’t something we planned to do, but when we saw the promo for the ‘Viking Sorceress’ exhibition, we were too intrigued not to pay a visit. The museum itself is what you’d expect, a collection of pieces that show the past, present and future of this Nordic country.
The Viking Sorceress Exhibition was very good. The curators have gone the extra mile to bring wizardry and magic to their storytelling of sorcery and the role it played in viking life. The proximity headsets were a little temperamental during the second part of the exhibition but otherwise this was an excellent event.
The Viking Sorceress Exhibition
Room:
The Round Tower (Rundetaarn)
The Round Tower is located on the doorstep of our hotel, so it made absolute sense for us to step outside and wander on up. The Round Tower, built in the 1600s, is conjoined to a working christian church. Although we didn’t wander into the church, we had a quick peep through the door and it looked welcoming and holy.
To get to the top of the Round Tower, you need to walk in a circular direction on an incline to cover six floors. The helter-skelter style journey to the top left me in awe of the craftsmanship and architectural excellence required to build such a structure. From the neatly paved floors to the smooth rounded walls – the beauty of these interiors are the sheer simplicity of them. When we arrived at the top we had a glimpse at the terracotta rooftops and copper spires across the city and took one last climb up to the observatory at the highest point before descending back down. The Round Tower was a nice thing to do and left us appreciating the journey more than the destination at the top.
The streets of..
Stand out buildings
Copenhagen has
Other observations:
Miscellaneous experiences or things that caught our attention.
Pride
Having
Summary:
Our r. (Overall Holiday Rating 95/100)
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Date of visit: 12 April to 19 April 2024