Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital, with a laid-back atmosphere, colourful buildings and friendly locals, there’s no doubt you will fall in love with the city. Roughly a two-hour flight from the UK, Copenhagen is the perfect place to spend a long weekend and here are my suggestions on things to do while you are there.
Table of Contents
Round Tower (Rundetaarn)
One of the best things to do in Copenhagen is to climb to the top of the Round Tower. I love being able to see a city from above because you can always guarantee the views will be great, and not to mention this tower doesn’t have any steps to walk up, but instead, there is a spiral ramp all the way to the top. The tower was in fact built as an observatory and is now the oldest working observatory in Europe. The tower is centrally located in the city and not too far from Rosenberg Castle.
Entry price: Adults 40 DKK (around £4.60)
Rosenborg Castle
Copenhagen has many beautiful buildings to explore! We visited the 17th-century Rosenborg Castle, and it was incredible. Originally built by King Christian IV, the castleis filled with treasures and crown jewels that will truly sweep you away. There are lovely gardens to wander around too, so you could easily spend a couple of hours here exploring.
If you have more time and want to see more impressive buildings, there is the Christiansborg Palace, or Amalienborg (the Queen’s winter residence).
Entry price: Adults 125 DKK / Students DKK 80 (around £15 / £10)
Nyhavn
The Nyhavn waterfront is the most iconic area in Copenhagen and definitely one of the best places to soak up the city. Lined with colourful houses and cosy cafes, it’s the perfect spot to enjoy a warm drink while watching the world go by. This area is rather touristy, but worth the stroll as it’s still beautiful.
Experience Hygge
Hygge is a Scandinavian lifestyle that is centred around cherishing the small things in life and embracing cosiness. There really is no better place to do this than Copenhagen, especially in the winter! To experience hygge all you need to do is find a cosy café or bar, preferably somewhere small with a warm atmosphere and candles lit, order a good cup of coffee or an Irish one, sit down and embrace the moment and your surroundings.
Tivoli Gardens
The Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park set in stunning gardens in central Copenhagen. The park has been open since 1843, making it the third-oldest amusement park in the world. The garden has a fairy tale charm especially at night with all the lights that make it look magical. Make sure you take a ride on the rollercoaster from 1914. We visited in the middle of January and unfortunately, the park was closed but was due to re-open towards the end of the month. If you want to visit the park then it is worth noting they close for a short period of time in the New Year.
Entry price: Adults 14 DKK (around £16.80)
The Little Mermaid
The bronze Little Mermaid statue is perched on a rock along the Langelinie waterfront. The statue was created by Edvard Eriksen after getting inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale story about a mermaid. The statue is quite small, but the area is nice for a stroll. We hired electric scooters and explored which was fun.
The Meat Packing District
One of my favourite areas in Copenhagen is the former Meat Packing District, which has now been transformed into a trendy food haven with plenty of nightlife and restaurants. The area has an artsy and bohemian feel and is such a fun place to hang out. There is a huge food scene here during the day and early evening, then at the weekends you can meet the locals and party until the early hours of the morning. The Meat Packing District is close to the Tivoli Gardens, so you could spend the afternoon there before heading over if you wished.
USEFUL INFORMATION
- Language in Denmark: Danish (English widely spoken)
- Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
- Getting to and from the airport: Copenhagen Airport (CPH). The Airport is around 15 minutes from the city centre, there is a train station that leaves from the airport and will take you directly to the centre, they usually run every 10 minutes or so. There are plenty of buses and taxis available too.
- Copenhagen city card: This gives you access to many of the attractions and unlimited use of the public transport systems. They offer different lengths of 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours. Make sure to look at the prices of attractions before purchasing to ensure it is cost-effective for you. The cards can be purchased online, via the app, or from a visitor centre.
- Food to try: Smorrebrod – Open-style sandwich served on rye bread and of course plenty of Danish pastries
- Fact: Copenhagen has the longest shopping street in the world called Stroget.
Thanks for reading, Megan x
