København the time of my life

Famous Nyhavn

This was my final stop during my Scandinavian adventure. Copenhagen, Denmark. On Friday, April 17th, Amber and I boarded our plane from Stockholm Arlanda to CPH airport. My time in Copenhagen was going to be short so I was excited to get there and make the most out of the day or so that I had there. We were also meeting one of Amber’s friends from Palma de Mallorca in Copenhagen, Paola. Paola had already been in Copenhagen for a day or so and we were ready to see what new places she would show us when we arrived.

When we arrived we were eager to get to our Airbnb so we could drop off our luggage and head out to the bars to meet up with Paola. However, this didn’t exactly go as planned because we had already arrived a little late and we couldn’t find the correct bus stop at first. We spent about 20 minutes running around the train station trying to find out which one it was. Not to mention it was FREEZING. After finally finding our bus stop and mastering the Copenhagen public transport, we arrived to our Airbnb where we stayed with two college students from Denmark. One guy was gone for the Easter holiday so we only got to meet one of them. His name was Rasmus. Rasmus is very typical Danish–super tall, blonde, and blue eyed. He was very shy and soft-spoken. The Airbnb was clean, nice, and modern; except for the bathroom, haha. I actually didn’t even go see the bathroom until after being there for two hours. When I walked in my mouth just dropped open because it was so different from the rest of the apartment. It was like someone worked really hard to make the rest of apartment beautiful then just gave up when they got to the bathroom. There wasn’t even a shower, it was just a spout built in the wall that was connected to the sink spout with a drain on the floor and a small curtain, which I think was supposed to help contain the water from going all over the bathroom, but it was not too effective and you couldn’t take anything in the bathroom while you were showering because it would get wet. Granted, we were just happy to have a shower, but Amber and I laughed about it for like an hour and we still think it’s hilarious.  It was an experience that’s for sure.

The famous bathroom–Photo credit to Amber

I’m also not sure what Rasmus thought about spending a couple of days with two American girls, but we tried to teach him a little about American culture, introduced our taste in music, and had all over great conversation. He supplied us with some coffee and Danish rap music. If I ever go back to Copenhagen, it will be to visit Rasmus. I think Amber maybe traumatized him a little.  Amber is super wild, which I forgot to mention in my Sweden blog, but she’s a great person to be around. I like traveling with her because she always lightens the mood and is forever doing and saying crazy things. It was great to experience Scandinavia with her because everyone there is very reserved and quiet (much like myself) but Amber came in like a wrecking ball and took everyone by surprise and it was fantastic to watch. Unfortunately, we ended up not going out that night because we were so tired from traveling and sightseeing Stockholm that day up until our flight to Copenhagen.

Amber, Paola, and I at Colors of Nyhavn

The next day we woke up (kinda) early so we could meet up with Paola once and for all at her hostel in the city center. Paola is also a very good person to be around and travel with. She’s so easy going and chill. Which is the best kind of person to travel with, IMHO. After we caught up for awhile on life, we set out to start enjoying Copenhagen! Before you read any further, this trip was short and I honestly was having so much fun with Amber and Paola that I wasn’t too concerned too much about sightseeing; therefore, I don’t have a lot of recommendations on things to do, but I do have some of my favorite moments from the trip.

My Favorite Things about Copenhagen

Culture in Copenhagen

-The ambiance in Copenhagen, for me,  is the most attractive part about it. It’s a very happy place and you just feel good there. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s a very feel great and have fun while doing it kind of city. The culture is young and laid back. It’s a great place to be social, get drinks, have great food, and enjoy the day. It is also very clean and super well taken care of. The buildings are so cute and colorful. There is a big eco-friendly, ride your bike instead type of culture in Copenhagen. The bike lanes in the city are bigger than the roads, which I thought was cool. People travel by bike more than they do by car, which is amazing. The city in general is very walkable and the public transport is great, so using a car isn’t necessary.  It’s full of young people which I think helps give it that lively, hipster environment.

Nyhavn

–Nyhavn is the famous canal and where most tourist photos in Copenhagen are taken. It is a short walk from the city center. This area is filled with the famous, colorful townhouses that were typical there in the 17th century. The streets are filled with shops and restaurants. Different townhouses in the area have a little history to them as well. For example, Hans Christian Andersen (wrote the Little Mermaid) lived in one of them. You can also take a canal tour from here to see all of the main sights in Copenhagen. Which leads me to my next point..

Take a Canal Tour

-I don’t remember how much the tour was.. I think 80DKK ($10 more or less). I was recommended this by another friend and I now I offer the same recommendation. The day we went it was raining a lot so it wasn’t ideal to walk everywhere and paying for the tour was worth every penny–or kroner? Anyways from the tour you get to enjoy some of the famous sites in Copenhagen like the Little Mermaid statue, the opera house, a few famous churches, and the royal palace. ** PRO TIP: You can also take some booze on the cruise! So stop by a 7/11 and grab a bottle of wine or some beers before you board and enjoy the ride.

Freetown Christiania

-Freetown Christiania is an autonomous zone in Copenhagen that used to be an old military base in Denmark until it was taken over by hippies. Since then, it has become a popular place to buy cannabis, grab drinks or coffee, or just walk around the enjoy the street art and bright colors of the buildings. I recommend this area to at least go and experience it, you don’t have to buy anything but it’s a neat experience. The people are friendly and happy; a very typical hippy environment. They are pretty strict with photo taking because of their rocky relationship with the Denmark government so don’t go expecting to get a lot of photos, especially in the Green Light District (the area that begins the endless amount of street market vendors selling weed).  There are also a lot of concerts held in the area. I think there is one very night or every Friday and Saturday at least, if I remember right. There are also people selling clothing and other items in the area. It is a little far from the city center, but the walk isn’t terrible. If you don’t feel walking, you can get there through public transport.

Every Foodie’s Dream

-I’ve become such a foodie since coming to Europe so when I read that Copenhagen is famous for its street food I was super excited. In Copenhagen, there is an indoor street food market across from Nyhavn if you go over the bridge. This place was perfect for going out and having dinner and getting drinks. With the bad weather outside it was the perfect set-up for spending our last night in Copenhagen. In this market, you can literally find any type of food you want-Indian, Chinese, bar food, salads, pasta, pizza, desserts–literally anything. We ended up getting a small tray of fish and chips, which we opted for because the cod in Copenhagen is fantastic. After, we got some beers and proceeded to meet people from all over the world, including locals and other tourists.  The social atmosphere was great here and it made it hard to leave at the end of the night.

Tivoli

-I didn’t make it to Tivoli garden, but I hope to someday. Tivoli is a famous theme park in the Copenhagen city center and people say that’s a huge highlight of their trip to Copenhagen. Obviously, with the weather being bad and with it being off-season it wasn’t open except for just to go in and walk around so we skipped it. Hopefully, I will make it here eventually!

Colors of Nyhavn wall

Filled with great culture, great food, and great people, Copenhagen was a fantastic end to my trip through Scandinavia. I hope that I can go back someday and maybe see some of the sights that I missed with better weather. Like the rest of Scandinavia, it is expensive but it is doable so don’t let that scare you away from this vibrant city!