This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Leeds chapter.
7 reasons why you must visit Copenhagen right now
Copenhagen. The capital of Denmark, happiness, good-looking cyclists and lip-smacking food. This summer I spontaneously booked flights to the upcoming city that I had dreamt about visiting for too long and I am going to share 7 alluring experiences with you. How hyggelig of me…
- First stop was to try the celebrated smørrebrød. This consisted of a variety of toppings placed on rye bread and known as an open sandwich to the more British amongst us. As we were new to this delicacy, we stuck to potatoes, onions and beef, yet the Danish switch between pickled herrings and egg yolk, washed down with Carlsberg and Schnapps… hats off to them. As we gathered our bearings, we came across Restaurant Schønnenmann, hidden down some steps off a street. Inside had an old English pub feel and was lit up by candles exuding coziness that Danes thrive upon. The waiters were extremely helpful as we pondered over whether to play it safe on the menu and the most reassuring element was the amount of Danes around us enjoying their lunch.
- With our Airbnb hosts we discussed Britain’s favourite topic of conversation; the weather. We had packed raincoats and warm layers as the weather was predicted to rain, yet the weather gods heard our prayers, and we were blessed with sunny spells. We thought we would celebrate this miracle by going to Rosenborg Castle Gardens which is home to a number of statues and monuments, such as the Hans Christian Andersen statue. We were even greeted with a free concert and live music as we entered into the idyllic garden whilst Danes sprawled out, with Calsberg in hands, sunning themselves on the grass.
- My favourite place in Copenhagen was Nyhavn. This was originally a busy commercial port packed with sailors and pubs and home to Hans Christian Andersen for 18 years. Nowadays it is a classy version of Balamory with vibrant and fancy restaurants huddled around the water. This is a central hot spot for tourists as the bridges hold hundreds of lovelocks with the view of boats entering and leaving the harbor.
- A contrast to the rest of Copenhagen is Freetown Christiania. This was an intriguing but slightly terrifying find. Freetown Christiania is a car-free neighbourhood established in 1971 by a group of hippies who came up with their own set of rules for society. You cannot buy a house in Christiania, instead, you have to apply for it and if this is successful then it is given to you. It was like walking into a rainbow as every building had a touch of Picasso’s artwork doodled all over. The area is also filled with restaurants stocked with locally grown vegetables and are great places to watch their vibrant world pass by. Sadly, Pusher Street explains why photographs are mainly banned… I’ll let you Google that for yourself.
- Crossing over from Nyhavn is a beautiful walk over a large bridge overlooking a serene view of modern flats edging the water. We felt like we were crossing into another deserted country but suddenly we were surprised by human voices and a cocktail of smells, from burning wood, to Mexican food. We had arrived in ‘Paper Island’. The name itself sounds good enough to eat. Copenhagen’s most popular street food market stood before us in a warehouse building packed with small, embellished food trucks offering food from Italy to India. After walking around the seductive markets for a good 30 minutes, we decided to grab a hot dog slathered with green tangy pesto and crispy, roast potatoes cooked with herbs. This was finished off with several cups of Aperol spritz as we sat outside on deck chairs and enjoyed the open fires and lively atmosphere.
- When leaving Paper Island we discovered a collection of trees growing handwritten wishes and dreams. This was an installation called Wish Tree Garden by the artist Yoko Ono. On a slip of paper called a ‘wish tag’ anyone could write their thoughts and hang them on the branches of the trees. Eventually these wishes will be collected and returned to Yoko Ono. This was a truly magical and poignant moment as we stood reading all different languages and wishes from all around the world.
- When walking through the city I could not help but admire how attractive everyone was and how well dressed they were. Leeds came into play in Copenhagen as everyone was wearing trainers so they could hop on their bike without the hassle of changing shoes. The everyday, Copenhagen uniform was minimalistic and smart but comfortable; terms which describe the city itself. Streetwear shops held buckets of free iced Calsberg to sip on as we browsed through iconic brands.
We have come to the end of my guide and list of experiences from beautiful Copenhagen. If you do not get the chance to visit then just purchase a ‘Hoptimist’ and place this little happy toy on your desk to bring a smile to your face. These cheerful toys might be the secret ingredient as to why Denmark is the happiest country in the world… I’ll take it.