An easy travel day 7/5: We flew from Sibiu, with just a quick layover in Munich on route to Copenhagen. From the airport, the subway system took us quickly and easily to Frederiksborg, where we found our Air BnB, just two blocks from the Metro station. Our proximity to the Metro made it so easy for us to explore Copenhagen. The clean, modern subway took us easily all round this large city, so we never used the buses or car services.
Frederiksberg is a very nice residential area, attractive and clean. Within two blocks we found a pub and two grocery markets. Our Air BnB was a lovely and large apartment, the home of a couple with a new baby. They were elsewhere with family, allowing them to rent out their home.
Jazz at the Bartof Cafe: While waiting for our laundry to dry, we checked out the small bar – the Bartof Cafe – just a block away. There we learned about the big Jazz Festival going on all around Copenhagen. And we learned that the Bartof, just across the street from our apartment, was hosting jazz performances. Lucky again in our timing, we spent the next two nights enjoying very accomplished Danish jazz groups. On 7/6 it was the Esben Just Trio: New Orleans style, and on 7/7 , it was Musikorkestret led by Paul Banks. Both concerts, held in this crowded neighborhood bar, were very lively and entertaining.
Finding our way around town: Iconic images of Copenhagen
Kongens Nytorv (“The King’s New Square”) is a large square now in central Copenhagen, created by Christian V in 1670 as the fortified city was growing. A statue of Christian V, on horseback of course, is at the center of the square.
Nyhavn (The New Harbour) The iconic view of Copenhagen is Nyhavn, a 17th-century city waterfront, with ships, both old and new, lining the canal and colorful buildings from the 18th century now housing cafes, bars, restaurants and townhouses.
Canal Boat Trip: Copenhagen is a major harbor city, so much can be seen from the water. Along the way, we saw the “Little Mermaid” of Hans Christian Anderson and the many folks on shore,
Walking the City: Beyond the boat tour, we spent a lot of time just walking through the areas of the city: City Walk, Nørrebro, Christiania, and of course Frederiksberg.
- Copenhagen City Walk. To learn our way around, we joined this walking tour of central Copenhagen. The guide was great and introduced us to the many historical buildings and sights in central Copenhagen. After the tour we returned to one of our favorites, the wine shop under a major bridge into the Christianshavn neighborhood. We tasted wines, chose our favorites, and sat down with our plastic cups along the river. Good wine in a lovely setting.
- Nørrebro, known as a diverse, multi-cultural area of Copenhagen, is a vibrant part of town. A highlight of this walk was the large, green, and beautifully maintained Assistens Cemetery. First established in 1760, it provided a burial spot for the poor outside the walled city and its already crowded cemeteries. Today it’s the largest green space in Nørrebro, and a popular tourist attraction that features many Danish celebrities such as Soren Kierkegaard, Niels Bohr, and of course Hans Christian Anderson.
- Frederiksberg: Exploring in our own neighborhood, we found the lovely walking paths of the Frederiksberg Gardens, a huge and beautiful green space. It was here that we found the Pacifier Tree. We saw couples rowing along the waterways through the park. And the Gardens bordered on the Copenhagen Zoo, so we could stop along the path and enjoy watching the elephants in their enclosure.
- Walking Tour of Christiania: In 1971 the hippies squatted in this abandoned military base to establish Freetown Christiania, known for its “Pusher Street” where cannabis was openly traded despite Denmark’s laws prohibiting it. The area is supposedly governed by consensus of the inhabitants, beyond the rules of Copenhagen. There has always been tension between Christiania and the city of Copenhagen, police have regularly raided, but the community survives and is now a popular tourist spot. Our walking tour guide was interesting, an aging hippie and an engaging longtime resident.
There is so much to see and do in Copenhagen that even in a week-long stay, you can only scratch the surface. We saw the palaces, but only from the outside: Christianborg Palace, today the seat of the Danish Parliament, Rosenborg Castle, home of the Danish Crown Jewels, and Amalienborg, where the current queen lives. Every first time visitor to Copenhagen should visit Tivoli Gardens, a lovely and historic amusement park right in the city. It was originally opened in 1843. But we skipped Tivoli this time, since we’ve done it before. We also skipped the daytrip to Kronberg Castle, marketed as Elsinore, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
The Round Tower: Built by Christian IV in the 17th century as an observatory for studying astronomy, so it’s tall enough to provide great views over the city. What’s unusual though is the equestrian walkway, a spiral ramp that allowed Christian to ride his horse up to the top. Sara and I just walked it.
Our Danish Friends: While walking the Camino de Santiago through northern Spain in 2019, we met Senne. At the time she was leading a small group of women making their first walk on the medieval pilgrimage. We really enjoyed Senne and spent a good deal of time with her in the final stages of our walk. Sara added Senne to her list of the many travel friends we stay in touch with. So, of course we were in touch with Senne prior to visiting Copenhagen.
Senne was so happy to share her country and home with us. Senne and her husband, Karston met us for dinner in Copenhagen to welcome us. At a restaurant called Puk, we first enjoyed Danish Smørrebrød. It’s a traditional Scandinavian open-faced sandwich on buttered rye bread. Toppings are various, including meat, fish, eggs and cheese. We especially enjoyed the traditional favorite, Smørrebrød with pickled herring. We had a great visit with Senne and Karston.
The Bastard Cafe: Just a few steps away from Puk was this large “cafe” but here it’s not about either coffee or food. It’s about board games, hundreds of them available for visitors to play to their hearts’ content. When we walked through, the place was full of visitors’, all intensely focused on their games. Staff will help you find a new game and even explain the rules and procedures. Game lover that she is, my Sara just loved this idea.
A visit beyond Copenhagen: On another day, Senne invited us to visit their new home, so we took a train south from Copenhagen to the small town of Kuge. Senne and Karston met us at the train station and walked us through the town, with a stop at a local pub, before heading to their newly refurbished home. Karston did the design and most of the work himself, and it really was a lovely home. Senne prepared a great meal which we enjoyed on the open patio behind the house. Later that evening, they walked us on another path through town to the railroad station where we caught the last train north. Thank you, Senne and Karston. What a lovely day!
Always generous to a fault, Senne also gave us The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking of the Happiness Research Institute, Copenhagen (2016). It’s a beautiful little book that tries to explain why the Danish are among the happiest people in the world. For the Danish, the seemingly unpronounceable word Hygge sums up what makes for a good life: good food and drink, comfortable home, and close friends and family to share it with.
The Happiness Museum: We also found this small — and easy to overlook — museum, founded by Meik Wiking and The Happiness Research Institute, — yes, the very source of our Little Book. The museum features plenty of information about what researchers believe contributes to a happy life. With our Little Book to take home, we hope #1 to bring more elements of Hygge into our own lives, and #2 to keep trying to pronounce that word.
