Last weekend I took my first trip outside of London and flew to Copenhagen, Denmark. After a fun (and truly exhausting) three days there, I thought it would be nice to reflect on my personal must do’s for the city. Fair warning, the following list comes in no particular order.
1. Nyhavn
A trip to Copenhagen would be entirely incomplete without seeing the beautiful stretch of colored houses right on the harbor. Along with the ability to capture some great pictures (and an instagram worthy post, of course), there are several great restaurants and shops around there to keep you occupied. Looking at all the ships in the water is also worth spending some time on.
2. Frederik’s Church/Amalienborg
Frederik’s Church opened in 1984 after years and years of construction. Why’d it take so long? The entire thing was made using marble, hence its popular nickname “The Marble Church”, and, among several other reasons, it was a costly endeavor. Near this church which is definitely worth a walk around and in, is Amalienborg. Here you can stand outside and watch the changing of the guard in front of the palace which holds the Danish royal family. In the middle of the courtyard which holds the four identical, classical palaces is the statue of King Frederick V.
3. Tivoli Gardens
Unfortunately, this amusement park (which opened in 1843, pretty cool, huh) was closed when I visited, but walking outside it at night and seeing the lights sparkle was still enough to understand the magic of the place. Don’t miss a walk by at the least, though hopefully you'll be able to do more than that when you go.
4. Copenhagen Street Food on Papirøen
Sadly, I don't have any pictures to share as it was just too dark inside to capture the place or the food I ate, especially considering how much I loved it here. I know I said this list wasn’t numbered in any order as all the things on it are worth doing, but this was actually by far my favorite part of my visit (I love food a lot, ok?). Here you can get delicious street food from pretty much any corner of the Earth. Walking through it is a test in self control. I wish I could go back several times just to try different foods. For you foodies, this is your spot.
5. The Little Mermaid Statue
Have you really gone to Denmark if you haven’t seen The Little Mermaid Statue? The answer is no. Though a slightly underwhelming experience, it’s one you have to do. There are also some other statues and gardens around the area that make it worth the trek.
Though those are my top five Copenhagen recommendations, it definitely isn’t an all-encompassing list. There are plenty more palaces, gardens, and shops to see that I didn’t cover. On top of these five places, taking a walking tour of the city is truly worth doing (there's even a free one... free!). The city is so unbelievably walkable that it’s a great way to not only get your bearings of the place, but also learn about the history. It has a really interesting past (spoiler: it has burnt down a lot).
Hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about what makes Copenhagen great! I certainly had a wonderful time doing it myself.
Annie Lindenberg
<p>Annie Lindenberg spends the majority of her year in Boston, MA where she is studying Writing, Literature and Publishing at Emerson College. Along with her creative writing pursuits, she also writes film and television reviews as a staff writer for Emertainment Monthly. When not writing or exploring, you can find her eating copious amounts of guacamole and starting books she has almost no time to finish.</p>
