Copenhagen City Guide

Toying with the idea of visiting Copenhagen and keen to read up about this city. Enjoy our Danish Destination Specialist, Alice's guide to spending time in Copenhagen.

What to do in Copenhagen

Denmark is a great place to visit as it offers architecture, gastronomy, family fun & culture and it is easily accessible as the vast majority of larger airlines fly directly to Copenhagen from their main hub.

Shopping in Copenhagen

Copenhagen has wonderful shopping, but not cheap. Strøget, the main pedestrian street is a great place to see a good spread of what is on offer with ease but don’t forget all the back streets filled with unique and design/antique focused shops.

Another option is to visit the two wonderful Flea markets if you are visiting over a Saturday. Nørrebro Flea Market is Denmark's longest and narrowest. It stretches for 333 metres on one half of the sidewalk by the wall of the Assistants Cemetery on Nørrebrogade. Here you may find a Royal Porcelain Christmas Plate or a Chesterfield chair if you are lucky.

The oldest flea market in Copenhagen is on Israels Plads, close to the Nørreport S-Train Station. Here private individuals as well as professional dealers put up for sale all kinds of old stuff, antique furniture, His Masters Voice gramophones, and objects d'art.

Art Galleries and Museums

Entrance to most museums and galleries are free once a week, mainly on Wednesdays. Most galleries and museums are also closed on Mondays. You can always count on the principal attractions to be well signed in English and for these places to be generally geared towards tourists. As Danes are usually fairly fluent in English, you can always try to ask staff if they could give you a brief tour if there are no English descriptions.

There are several large public art galleries in Copenhagen, but it is also fun to make some time to visit the private local galleries which crowd Copenhagen. The Meatpacking District in Vesterbro in Copenhagen has blossomed in recent years with restaurants, nightclubs and art galleries. The art galleries are assembled on Flæsketorvet square and surrounds.

Statens Museum for Kunst (The National Gallery)

Statens Museum for Kunst, the Danish national gallery, is the only place in Denmark, which features 700 years of Western art and cultural history under one roof. Consequently a visit to the museum means an artistic encounter between classical, modern and contemporary art, just as the museum building in itself represents a fusion of new and old. Anna Maria Indrio's white, modernist extension building opened in 1998 and is situated in parallel with Vilhelm Dahlerup's old museum building from 1896. The vastly different buildings are separate entities, yet linked by a glass-roofed Sculpture Street.

The National Museum

At the National Museum children as well as adults can dive into the history of the Danish kingdom and you can expect a vibrant historical depiction through light, sound and sight in the palace, which was originally built for King Frederik V in 1746.

In the permanent exhibition of the National Museum you can move through time during one afternoon - from the pagan mystique of prehistoric times trough medieval centuries and their dim reputation and all the way to contemporary, Danish everyday life. You can take a look at the embalmed body of a young girl, the Egtved girl, whose mere existence tells tales about bygone days. You can follow the first female ruler Queen Margrethe I on her quest to unite the Nordic countries or listen to the speeches of the Danish industrial era tycoon and activist Georg Brandes.

Even though the National Museum is first and foremost about Denmark you will sometimes be able to find temporary exhibitions about the history of foreign and exotic places such as Greenland and Latin America. For those who are short on time, the museum offers a quick do-it-yourself guide, which will give you an overview of the 10.000 artefacts of the museum in only an hour. Children will enjoy the Kid's Museum, where copies of historical objects and clothes can be used for imaginative play. The admission is free and you will find a café as well as a museum shop under the high ceilings of the museum.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is undoubtedly the best attempt at a Danish MOMA you will find. In beautiful surroundings approximately 40 kilometres north of Copenhagen you can experience renowned, international artists, when Louisiana's changing exhibitions bring world class art to the forefront of the Danish art scene.

Louisiana has gained a reputation of being in touch with the zeitgeist of the contemporary art world all the while never neglecting the obvious and established names that draw in the crowds. Thus you can always be sure to take in refreshing and innovative contemporary art as well as modernist classics when you visit Louisiana. Besides the impressive permanent collection with over 3,000 works, the museum has four to six special exhibitions annually. The museum has a kid's area where the little ones can express themselves creatively in a fun and educating manner. You can either enjoy lunch in the magnificent sculpture garden with a view across the sound to Sweden or at the museum café adjacent to the concert hall.

Tivoli

Tivoli is a little like Luna Park is to us – somewhere all Scandinavian kids know about and visit in their childhood (even Norwegians). It is right in the middle of town and you can stroll through by paying a small entrance fee (approx AUD$13) and pay for rides separately. Tivoli is one of the oldest amusement parks of the world and the park consequently exudes tradition and history. The garden is used as much by local Copenhageners as by tourists and there are lots of nice eating areas to enjoy. The fairytale garden is to this day a vibrant meeting place, where young concert goers, families with children, business men lunching and elderly couples strolling all gather in the picturesque, elegant and atmospheric garden.

Nyhavn

Nyhavn is a 17th century waterfront, canal and entertainment district, stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbour front just south of the Royal Playhouse. It is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbour", the canal has many historical wooden ships. The northern side of Nyhavn (odd numbers) is lined by brightly coloured townhouses built with wood, bricks, and plaster. The oldest house, at No. 9, dates from 1661. The southern side of Nyhavn (even numbers) has lavish mansions lining the canal, notably Charlottenborg Palace at the corner of Kongens Nytorv.

Along its northern, sunnier side, Nyhavn is lined with bars and restaurants facing the harbor. Even in cooler weather the heartier types sit outdoors with a beer and a blanket over their legs, provided by the restaurant on each seat. Nyhavn serves as a hub of canal tours. It is a great place to be after business hours, when the suits come down and relax.

Canal Tours

A tour on the old canals is one of the biggest tourist attractions and an experience you should not miss. The boats take you through all parts of the old city and pass many of the most famous sights.

Getting around in Copenhagen

Copenhagen has an extensive public transport network, with the trains, buses & metros and it is very easy to find your way. Many of the attractions are also walking distance from each other. The ultimate way to see Copenhagen is by bike. Many of our hotels offer a small daily hire fee for bikes and you can get off around the shopping streets or out to the little Mermaid by bike.

Day tours in Copenhagen

We have a wide variety of day tours on offer in Copenhagen. One of our most popular tours is a food tour where you can sample all the delicacies of the New Nordic cuisine including organic hot dogs and beers from a local brewery. Besides sampling yummy treats, you will also learn about Danish history and see some landmarks along the way. This tour runs Monday to Friday all year round. Private tours can also be organized.

Another thing you shouldn’t miss is the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art - a leading international museum. Louisiana strives to present a balance of landscape and architecture through their unique selection of exhibitions. It is located 25 miles north of Copenhagen and is accessible by train. Lunch at the café is also highly recommended.

Top 4 Free things to do in Copenhagen

The Tower, Christiansborg Palace - With its 106 metres, the Christiansborg Palace tower is the highest tower in Copenhagen, and it offers a magnificent view of the city's rooftops. You can access the tower for free, and if you want to enhance the experience you can choose to dine at the restaurant.

Visit Museums - Free museums in Copenhagen are: The National Museum, National Gallery and Danish Resistance Museum. Others, such as the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the Hirschsprung Collection, are free for one day during the week. Like most of the Nordic capitals, there is plenty of culture to access for free.

Changing of the Guard at Amalienborg Palace – this usually takes place every 2 hours – however the main event is at noon where the entire Guard will change. This happens every day – despite the weather conditions. Traditional soldiers will be marching round to music while receiving orders.

Visit Bakken North of Copenhagen - The 431-year-old amusement park is located in the lush woodlands of Jægersborg Dyrehave, a large green area, where you find yourself surrounded by 400-year-old trees and almost 2,000 free-range deer. With 33 roller coasters, ferris wheels, drop towers and many more exciting and extreme adventures, Bakken offers more rides than any other amusement park in Scandinavia. While the entrance is free – you will need to pay for the rides.

Dining in Copenhagen – an experience in itself

Most would have heard about the New Nordic Movement and how modern Scandinavian cuisine has flourished in recent years.
Among our favourites are:

• Fiskebaren - The Fish Bar located in the Meatpacking district - come here for the freshest fish and shellfish. They pride themselves on fresh, healthy, delicious food and fine wine and a great atmosphere.
• The Royal Smushi Café - serving smushi, a Danish open-faced sandwich presented in sushi size – it is a delightful and fun experience.

Christmas time in Copenhagen

Christmas is a very special time in Denmark and a cosy time to visit Copenhagen, as the whole city is radiant with the most beautiful Christmas decorations. The Tivoli Gardens transforms itself to a winter paradise with markets and many activities to keep everyone entertained, children as well as adults.

There are many more Christmas markets and concerts to see. You can visit the unconventional Christmas market in the free town Christiania, walk past the Nyhavn Christmas market or experience a royal Christmas atmosphere at Hamlet’s home at Kronborg Castle.

Festivals such as the Scandinavian Santa Lucia Day is a floating light show created when hundreds of kayakers float down the canals of Copenhagen.

Image: Daniel Rasmussen