Copenhagen

Cool city with modern architecture, excellent food and great shopping

Copenhagen is a cool city, which brings much more to the table than just the statue of The Little Mermaid… quite literally. The chef René Redzepi brought the Scandinavian kitchen to fame with his restaurant Noma, but there are lots of other places here to eat, and shop. Copenhagen is ideal for a city trip.

Irt is a wonderful city in Denmark. The Danish capital has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially for a city trip. The flight to this city is often cheap, although the accommodations are usually a bit pricey. But the city’s residents are very relaxed and there is plenty to see. These are my best tips for your visit. These are the best things to see and do in Copenhagen.

Little Mermaid

You can’t ignore the world-famous Little Mermaid statue. Even though it is remarkably small. It has stood in Copenhagen harbour since 1913 and is well known from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. The statue was made by Edward Eriksen.


Nyhavn

Copenhagen harbour is becoming a symbol of the city. It is a pleasant part, where you can stroll around. Most of the coloured houses are about 300 years old. They date from the time when the sailors came ashore after a long journey at sea. Making it a noisy and fairly unsafe neighbourhood.

But times change. Today this district is also known for its food. It is a good area to eat fish and seafood. the district has many restaurants and bars. The poet Hans Christian Andersen has lived here in several houses. And has written several fairy tales when living here. When you walk around the harbour you can still see remnants of him and his work.

Amusement park Tivoli

The Amusement park Tivoli in Copenhagen.

Tivoli is an amusement park right in the centre of Copenhagen. It is officially called Tivoli Gardens. You will find here five different roller coasters and many other attractions. More than 25 different attractions to your liking. In the evening the park is illuminated with thousands of lights. A visit is actually ‘a must’ as the park changes its lightning themes. Think for example of Christmas when the park is decorated with Christmas decorations. But the amusement park will also converted for Halloween.

More information: Tivoli Gardens

Amalienborg

Amalienborg is actually four palaces in one. Copenhagen was flourishing in the 18th century. Various Danish nobles built four strikingly similar palaces here. They did that in rococo style. The royal family soon moved in, because his house had been burned down. Even today, Queen Margrethe II and Prince Hendrik still live here. The Amalienborg Museum is the only leak you can visit. This is located in the Christian VIII Palace.

Rosenborg Castle

The beauty in Rosenborg Castle.

Rosenborg Castle is actually a city palace. It stands in the heart of the city and was once the royal residence. Today it is open to the public. In addition to the royal rooms, you will also find the crown jewels of the royal family and numerous paintings. Don’t forget the garden, which has been laid out with great feeling. It is a remarkably quiet spot in the busy city.

Rundetårn

Rundetårn, meaning round tower, is a striking building in Copenhagen. Here you will find the oldest observatory in Europe. It is still in use. The tower is 34.8 meters high and it also contains a library and a church, remarkably enough. The tower was built by the order of King Christian IV in 1637. The staircase is special. It has no trade but an ascending path. Every year there is a competition, in which participants have to cycle up with a unicycle.

You can visit Rundetårn. There are changing exhibitions and the observatory is open during the winter months. Where you can look at the sky with an expert and a large telescope.

More information: Rundetårn

Christianshavn

Christianshavn is also called Amsterdam in miniature. Not surprising, because King Christian IV had Amsterdam architects come to Copenhagen to design this district. The first stone was laid in 1619. If you look at the merchant houses you see quite a lot of similarities with Amsterdam. Like sailing ships and houseboats. 

In the district, you find the famous church named Von Frelser Kirke, with a striking tower of 90 meters. You can see the external staircase from a distance. And if you dare you can climb the stairs for a wonderful view. You can find this district on the northern part of the island of Amager.

Christiania

The Refuge of Christiania in Denmark.

Christiana is a City of Refuge. The inhabitants have declared themselves semi-independent. This happened in 1970. A group of hippies then squatted the abandoned military Bådsmandsstrædes barracks. At first, an attempt was made to get rid of the squatters, but in the same year, there was talk of a social experiment. That experiment still continues.

The mini-state is tolerated by the Danish state. Although there are regular clashes with the government. In particular about the preservation of the old barracks building and the historic rampart, which is the heritage for the Danes. You can walk through the neighbourhood in Christianshavn and see why the locals proclaimed the mini-state.

Frederik’s Church

Dyrehavsbakken is considered the oldest amusement park in the world. It opened its doors as early as 1583 and is still open today. It has a remarkable genesis. In 1583, local resident Kirsten Piil discovered a natural spring here. Soon people came to drink the water. In their wake, vendors with stalls arrived. And therefore also the necessary entertainment. With which the amusement park, even if it is small, was born.

What is special about this amusement park is that there is no entrance fee. You pay per attraction that you would like to use. You will find numerous attractions here, including the famous Rutschebanen. This wooden roller coaster is one of the oldest in Europe and dates back to 1932.

Dyrehavsbakken

Dyrehavsbakken wordt gezien als het oudste pretpark ter wereld. Het opende al in 1583 de deuren en is nog steeds open. Het kent een opmerkelijke ontstaansgeschiedenis. In 1583 ontdekt de lokale bewoner Kirsten Piil hier een natuurlijke bron. Al snel kwamen er mensen naar toe om het water te drinken. In hun kielzog kwamen er verkopers met kraampjes. En dus ook de nodige vertier. Waarmee het pretpark, al is het klein, was geboren. 

Bijzonder van dit pretpark is dat er geen entreeprijs is. Je betaalt per attractie die je graag wilt gebruiken. Je vindt hier talloze attracties, waaronder de beroemde Rutschebanen. Deze houten achtbaan is een de oudste in Europa en stamt uit 1932.

Strøget

Strøget is Copenhagen’s shopping area. It is a car-free area where you can shop at international stores, but also at local stores. You almost always see street performers here and there are a lot of cheaper restaurants and cafes.

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