My 5 favorite spots in Copenhagen
Some weeks ago I wrote about 5 trips around the northern outskirts of Copenhagen that I personally enjoyed. I thought it was time to recommend you trips or spots of Copenhagen's city center this time. I don't know if they are the most famous ones but I tried to be honest and write about my personal favorites.
- Island Brygge
I might be biased by the fact that this was the first place that I visited in Copenhagen when I first arrived this past August but the harbourfront area located in the canal that separates Amager and Christianshavn from Indreby is wonderful. The place stands out especially for its beautiful sunsets and for its summer days full of excited Danes sinking into the cold waters of the harbor. It was August 24th 2019 when Marcos and her sister Eva invited me and my friend Alex to enjoy one of the last sunny days of the year to Islands Brygge. Thousands of people were enjoying themselves on the wharf, listening to music, swimming and playing all types of watersports. I was not expecting that it was possible to spend something similar to a beach day in central Copenhagen. When the afternoon arrived my admiration for that place started to increase when we saw a party going on on the other side of the canal. Hundreds of people were dancing techno and jumping from a high platform to the surprisingly clean waters of the Baltic. We definitely joined and discovered that this happened every week during the summertime. Of course, we joined the next one which unfortunately happened to be the last one of the summer. I'm looking forward to summertime so that I can enjoy a day similar to that one.
- Nyhavn
This spot definitely can compete with the Little Mermaid for the gold medal as the most famous place in Copenhagen and in Denmark. You have probably seen many pictures of it: it's basically colorful houses and a canal full of old ships. It is a beautiful place to walk around but also I recommend to sit down on one of the many bars and restaurants to try some of the most famous traditional danish dishes ( try Smørrebrød and everything which is related to fish). Nyhavn means new harbor and some years ago it was not as nice and touristic as it is now. It used to be a dirty place full of brothels, sex shops, and tattoo shops, something similar to the Red Light District in Amsterdam. A recent remodeling made the place nicer for families and tourists and revitalized the area. Nyhavn connects the city center via the nice and big square called Kongens Nytorv with Christiania so its location is ideal. It is both a spot to visit and a path to walk through and discover new places outside the city center. Kongens Nytorv is where the biggest Christmas Market lies during the month of December and Christmas decorations of Nyhavn are also worth a visit. Having said that, the best moment to visit Nyhavn is a sunny weekend. Colorful places like this one shine when the sun shines.
- Christianshavn/ Freetown Christiania
Perhaps the most curious place in town. Freetown Christiania is an anarchist commune that lies in the Chirstianshavn neighborhood. Strolling around its calm canals, with its quiet streets and cute bars you would never expect to find a place like Christiania. Christiania was occupied in 1971 and hippies and anarchists settled in the 7.7 hectares that used to be a military area. People still live here. Inhabitants of Christiania have the idea of living in social cohesion and peace. The philosophy is clear: don't bother other people. The 9 rules of Christiania are: No violence, no weapons, no hard drugs, no private cars, no sale of fireworks, no stolen goods, no bikers colors, no bulletproof clothing and no use of thunderflashes). There have been many disputes between inhabitants of the commune and the authorities for many years but the truth is that even if the authorities claim that they have now control over the area, their vigilance is quite light. Many people know the area because Marihuana is openly sold here. You can find places where you can buy joints and grams of pot. Sometimes the police come in and the dealers run away but 5 minutes later everything is back to normal (Christiania's normal). This is quite surprising to people but after many days visiting the place, I got quite used to it. Even if Christiania is famous for weed there are also many other things to do here. Skateparks, concerts, bars, restaurants and even a beautiful lake surrounded by wooden houses can be found inside. I highly recommend you to come without prejudices and to get lost (don't misunderstand me) in the area. My personal tip is to grab a beer with couple of friends and watch the sunset from the lookout point located close to the Restaurant Area.
By the way, I feel very safe inside even if there are not usually cops on sight. The sign at the exit of Christiania says it all about this weird place "Welcome back to the European Union". Definitely, it looks like something completely different. Once we even attended a conference on how the first picture of a black hole was taken by an Astrophysics professor from the University of Arizona in an old industrial building inside Christiania. Hundreds of young people were gathering inside that place listening to a technical and scientific conference while drinking Martinis. If that is not weird and special tell me what it s.
- The Lakes
These three rectangular lakes separate the city center with the modern and young neighborhood of Norrebro. Hundreds of runners pack this place daily while hundreds of others enjoy picnics on the grass close to the water. If you want to spot the beautiful national bird (swans) here it is a perfect place. The colors of the lakes with the buildings that surround them look very sweet especially when the sun starts going down. The golden hour becomes sometimes purple and delivers astonishing beauty. I love this place. There is not much to do here besides laying down or running but maybe it is enough, right? Just look at it.
- Rådhuspladsen
It might not be a very impressive spot but it reminds me of great times and I find this square especially nice. It is the square where Copenhagen City Hall lies. The architecture of the building is quite unique and strange but I personally find it fascinating. Besides that, the square has a lot of space and it is one of the endpoints of one of the longest pedestrian commercial streets in Europe, Strøget. The view of the city hall is also very nice seen from the perspective of Tivoli, the huge and wonderful amusement park located inside Copenhagen's city center. Here is where Copenhageners join on special occasions to celebrate together. One of the best examples is the unforgettable summer of 1992 when Denmark's men's soccer national team surprisingly beat Germany in the European Championships Final and the place was packed of joy and beer. The contrast between day and night here is also fascinating. During the day, the architecture makes the place look quite classical and you might think you are in Prague or Munich but when the sun sets the bright lights make the square look like a small and nordic Times Square. I have good memories from late nights after spending time with friends in the bars and clubs that are located around the city hall square.
These are only some of the beautiful spots in Copenhagen. I highly recommend you to visit the Danish capital, there is much more to see. It will surprise you! I hope that you don't get disappointed by the visit. It is possible that my feelings about this wonderful town make me write in a biased way about it. Jeg elsker dig København. I love you Copenhagen.
- Island Brygge
I might be biased by the fact that this was the first place that I visited in Copenhagen when I first arrived this past August but the harbourfront area located in the canal that separates Amager and Christianshavn from Indreby is wonderful. The place stands out especially for its beautiful sunsets and for its summer days full of excited Danes sinking into the cold waters of the harbor. It was August 24th 2019 when Marcos and her sister Eva invited me and my friend Alex to enjoy one of the last sunny days of the year to Islands Brygge. Thousands of people were enjoying themselves on the wharf, listening to music, swimming and playing all types of watersports. I was not expecting that it was possible to spend something similar to a beach day in central Copenhagen. When the afternoon arrived my admiration for that place started to increase when we saw a party going on on the other side of the canal. Hundreds of people were dancing techno and jumping from a high platform to the surprisingly clean waters of the Baltic. We definitely joined and discovered that this happened every week during the summertime. Of course, we joined the next one which unfortunately happened to be the last one of the summer. I'm looking forward to summertime so that I can enjoy a day similar to that one.
- Nyhavn
This spot definitely can compete with the Little Mermaid for the gold medal as the most famous place in Copenhagen and in Denmark. You have probably seen many pictures of it: it's basically colorful houses and a canal full of old ships. It is a beautiful place to walk around but also I recommend to sit down on one of the many bars and restaurants to try some of the most famous traditional danish dishes ( try Smørrebrød and everything which is related to fish). Nyhavn means new harbor and some years ago it was not as nice and touristic as it is now. It used to be a dirty place full of brothels, sex shops, and tattoo shops, something similar to the Red Light District in Amsterdam. A recent remodeling made the place nicer for families and tourists and revitalized the area. Nyhavn connects the city center via the nice and big square called Kongens Nytorv with Christiania so its location is ideal. It is both a spot to visit and a path to walk through and discover new places outside the city center. Kongens Nytorv is where the biggest Christmas Market lies during the month of December and Christmas decorations of Nyhavn are also worth a visit. Having said that, the best moment to visit Nyhavn is a sunny weekend. Colorful places like this one shine when the sun shines.
- Christianshavn/ Freetown Christiania
Perhaps the most curious place in town. Freetown Christiania is an anarchist commune that lies in the Chirstianshavn neighborhood. Strolling around its calm canals, with its quiet streets and cute bars you would never expect to find a place like Christiania. Christiania was occupied in 1971 and hippies and anarchists settled in the 7.7 hectares that used to be a military area. People still live here. Inhabitants of Christiania have the idea of living in social cohesion and peace. The philosophy is clear: don't bother other people. The 9 rules of Christiania are: No violence, no weapons, no hard drugs, no private cars, no sale of fireworks, no stolen goods, no bikers colors, no bulletproof clothing and no use of thunderflashes). There have been many disputes between inhabitants of the commune and the authorities for many years but the truth is that even if the authorities claim that they have now control over the area, their vigilance is quite light. Many people know the area because Marihuana is openly sold here. You can find places where you can buy joints and grams of pot. Sometimes the police come in and the dealers run away but 5 minutes later everything is back to normal (Christiania's normal). This is quite surprising to people but after many days visiting the place, I got quite used to it. Even if Christiania is famous for weed there are also many other things to do here. Skateparks, concerts, bars, restaurants and even a beautiful lake surrounded by wooden houses can be found inside. I highly recommend you to come without prejudices and to get lost (don't misunderstand me) in the area. My personal tip is to grab a beer with couple of friends and watch the sunset from the lookout point located close to the Restaurant Area.
By the way, I feel very safe inside even if there are not usually cops on sight. The sign at the exit of Christiania says it all about this weird place "Welcome back to the European Union". Definitely, it looks like something completely different. Once we even attended a conference on how the first picture of a black hole was taken by an Astrophysics professor from the University of Arizona in an old industrial building inside Christiania. Hundreds of young people were gathering inside that place listening to a technical and scientific conference while drinking Martinis. If that is not weird and special tell me what it s.
- The Lakes
These three rectangular lakes separate the city center with the modern and young neighborhood of Norrebro. Hundreds of runners pack this place daily while hundreds of others enjoy picnics on the grass close to the water. If you want to spot the beautiful national bird (swans) here it is a perfect place. The colors of the lakes with the buildings that surround them look very sweet especially when the sun starts going down. The golden hour becomes sometimes purple and delivers astonishing beauty. I love this place. There is not much to do here besides laying down or running but maybe it is enough, right? Just look at it.
- Rådhuspladsen
It might not be a very impressive spot but it reminds me of great times and I find this square especially nice. It is the square where Copenhagen City Hall lies. The architecture of the building is quite unique and strange but I personally find it fascinating. Besides that, the square has a lot of space and it is one of the endpoints of one of the longest pedestrian commercial streets in Europe, Strøget. The view of the city hall is also very nice seen from the perspective of Tivoli, the huge and wonderful amusement park located inside Copenhagen's city center. Here is where Copenhageners join on special occasions to celebrate together. One of the best examples is the unforgettable summer of 1992 when Denmark's men's soccer national team surprisingly beat Germany in the European Championships Final and the place was packed of joy and beer. The contrast between day and night here is also fascinating. During the day, the architecture makes the place look quite classical and you might think you are in Prague or Munich but when the sun sets the bright lights make the square look like a small and nordic Times Square. I have good memories from late nights after spending time with friends in the bars and clubs that are located around the city hall square.
These are only some of the beautiful spots in Copenhagen. I highly recommend you to visit the Danish capital, there is much more to see. It will surprise you! I hope that you don't get disappointed by the visit. It is possible that my feelings about this wonderful town make me write in a biased way about it. Jeg elsker dig København. I love you Copenhagen.
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