Only one night? Is that even worth it? I was asking the question to myself before booking the flights 😉 In the end, it worked out like that due to flight and hotel prices and I also thought: If I can manage to see the highlights of Rome in 2,5 days, Copenhagen in 1,5 days should be doable, right!? In hindsight, I can now confirm my own suspicion. Even in one day, you could see the main sights.
I landed on Saturday in the late morning and arrived in the city center of Copenhagen after a short 15 min ride on the train. Since I was travelling only with a small backpack, I decided to go to the hotel only later on and get off in Østerport to first visit the Little Mermaid. There’s a lot of talk about this little statue about being… well, little… and rather insignificant. Same as with the Mona Lisa in Paris and the Manneken Pis in Brussels. True. But still, these landmarks for me are part of the deal when you’re visiting a new city and are therefore a must see! Afterwards, I walked through the little Kastellet (castle) just next to the mermaid which is actually quite beautiful. Not sure why it’s not even really mentioned in a guide book?
Since there is a lot of talk about Danish design, I decided to visit the Design Museum afterwards. Just to see something different for once! And it was quite fun walking around between all the different chair designs and haute couture creations – but after a couple of rooms I had seen it. Unfortunately I have to mention also that in comparison to what my guide book said, entrance fees had steeply risen since (even though it was already expensive before), and some entrances that used to be free are not free at all anymore.
I walked further to Frederiks Kirke (church) which is also really beautiful and impressive with its big dome. Again, no idea why it didn’t get a special mention in my guide book. Definitely worth to see! In comparison to Frederiks Kirke, the Amalienborg castle nearby was rather uninteresting – at least from the outside…
Then I followed the canal / inner harbour which is really quite pretty. Some steps can be used for sun bathing and snacking – everything is very modern and harmonious. Across the canal, I already spotted my destination for noon: The old paper factory which has been converted into a big food market. I briefly passed by Nyhavn and then had to cross multiple bridges to get to the market. After a short look around, I decided to get a Smørrebrød – after all this is supposed to be something like a national dish of Denmark. It was definitely tasty, but I had a hard time ignoring the steep price I paid for it. So long for the appetite… 😉
Afterwards I decided to check into my hotel and get a bit of a rest. Unfortunately I was caught by a sudden downpour where my little umbrella was not of much help, so I reached Hotel Maritime soaking wet. A small, simple but clean room (do not ask for the price!). At least breakfast was included and it is very centrally located.
After drying off and resting a bit the sun was shining again, so I went for another walk to explore the southwestern part of the inner city. I passed by the bourse and through the passageway of Christiansborg castle, but again passed on visiting the castle from the inside. I’ve just seen so many castles at this point of my life that I don’t need to see any more (unless they are super special).
I ended up really liking the city hall and the square in front of it. Oh well, actually I liked all buildings so far in Copenhagen! 🙂 At the square in front of the city hall there was a lot going on – artists playing music etc., so I spent some time listening and relaxing in the sun. I also walked by Tivoli however was shocked by the entrance fees once again. If you’re with a group and want to get on a few rides – fine. But if you’re by yourself and more just want to walk around between the rides to take some pretty pictures – not really worth it, at least not for me. Too bad, in Vienna you can visit the Prater without paying anything – you only pay for the rides – and soak up the atmosphere while walking around, something that I usually quite enjoy especially in older fun parks.
I followed some nice little streets with lots of pretty little squares back to the hotel. On the way I stumbled across the best street musicians I have ever heard!! Later on I found out that they are actually quite well known already. Have a look at The Wishing Well and listen to some stuff. But I must say they were even better live and in the evening atmosphere! 🙂 What a great coincidence to run into them.
For dinner I went to Tony’s just around the corner of the hotel. I got this restaurant recommended by a Danish colleague and it was actually really good. You pay 200 DKK for 3 courses which you can choose, which for Copenhagen is super cheap especially if you have not eaten much the whole day like myself 😉
Next day I took my time in the morning, enjoyed the breakfast buffet of the hotel and then started walking towards Christiania. On the way, I passed by Frelsers Kirke (church) which has a beautiful round tower which you can climb. Unfortunately there was a long line of people which reached all the way to the top of the tower so I decided on skipping it. A couple of meters further I already found some graffiti and the entrance to Christiania. I’m not really sure what I was expecting,… but I really did not end up liking Christiania except for some cool graffiti here and there. The houses look really run-down, the whole area has a sleazy feel and some strange characters, especially on Pusher Street where joints are being sold openly. I felt the atmosphere was a bit aggressive rather than the peaceful hippy-feeling that I was probably looking for. Even though it was Sunday 11 am, I did not feel comfortable walking around by myself, so I cut my tour short after taking some pictures of the graffiti.
The part which followed was more to my taste again: I walked along different canals and across many bridges to Nyhavn where this time I took lots of time to admire the colourful buildings from all sides and take pictures. Really pretty, even though of course quite touristy!
Since it was a really beautiful and sunny day, I continued my walk to Rosenborg castle which is located in a nice park. Out of all the castles I visited during my stay in Copenhagen, I ended up liking Rosenborg castle best! 🙂 I sat on a sunny bench, watched the people pass by and planned the rest of my day. Next stop was going to be the botanical gardens, just next to the castle. There’s an architecturally impressive palm tree house and the gardens themselves are nicely set up as well.
I was getting a little hungry by then so decided to visit another food market. The Torvehallerne is smaller than than market in the old paper factory, but still quite nice. However, there are more other things for sale as well and not so many warm meals.
After refueling, I continued my walk around the pretty center of Copenhagen and ended up finding another tower to climb – the Rundetaarn. It’s quite a fun way up on a „road“ in the tower where even a car could drive up, so completely without stairs for the most part! An easy one if you’re with a kinderwagen. From the top there was of course a beautiful view in all directions!
In the end, I had seen everything however could have spent some more time in Copenhagen. There’s something happening everywhere, little cafes, a jazz festival, boats on the canals,… The city seems to radiate a zest for life! 🙂 I had a great time in Copenhagen and can definitely recommend a weekend trip to this city. Here are some more pictures in case you want to see more: Copenhagen Pictures
Just Booked A Trip 
Sehr schöne Bilder. Ich muss da auch unbedingt mal hin! Und Dänemark ohne einmal richtig nass zu werden …. geht ja gar nicht 😉☔️👍
Hihi, da hast du wohl Recht! 😉 Ja – also wie gesagt: Ich kann jedem Kopenhagen nur ans Herz legen, ist eine sehr schöne Stadt 🙂