Where to Stay in Copenhagen
Hopefully you’ve read our first Danish Vibes Post. If you havn’t then you can click right here.
Now you know where to stay, and who to fly with, you need to know how to spend your precious time. So, we’re going to lay it down for you in the second part of our Danish Vibes series.
What to do with 48 hours in Copenhagen?
Tivoli Gardens
We were lucky that our visit to Copenhagen coincided with the last weekend of Tivoli Gardens‘ winter season. We were doubly lucky as 2018 is Tivoli’s 175th anniversary. To commemorate this landmark occasion the new winter season was added to it’s jam packed calendar.
Tivoli Gardens is the second oldest amusement park in the world. Opening in 1843, it counted Ol Walt Disney as a regular! They even say that Tivoli was Walt’s inspiration when it came to designing the layout of Disneyland in the 50’s. So we’ve got Georg Carstensen to thank for all those Disney memories we hold so dearly.
The lake at Tivoli
Covering around 83,000 square meters Tivoli is full of lush exotic gardens, and a whole host of amusement rides for thrill seekers. As much as we love a thrill or 2, we didn’t manage to get on any of the rides. Riding solo, just isn’t the same, and Em has a few metres to grow yet until he can ride with the big boys. Although, I’m pretty damn sure he would be up for a speeding drop on the oldest ride at Tivoli if we gave him half the chance. The rickety wooden rollercoaster was built back in 1914, and can be seen winding it’s way through the park.
Winter Wonderland
As the park stays open until 10pm it made sense for us to make this our first destination. Just a 14 minute walk from our hotel, we arrived to a “snow” covered park just in time for sunset. The gardens had been transformed into a winter wonderland, with giant snowmen guarding the infamous Tivoli arch.
Coinciding with Copenhagen’s Festival of Light, meant that there were plenty of beautiful installations to illuminate the gardens, along with the obligatory wintery twinkly lights. Making it a perfect baby sensory experience for Emerson.
The Moorish inspired Nimb hotel served as the backdrop to the gardens. It is a spectacular building, which had snow drifts projected onto the grand white building for that extra bit of winter magic. To add to this fairytale setting, 1000’s of lights cover the facade. It was like a scene out of your favourite romantic movie.
Toboggan, Ice Slides and Copenhagen’s Rockefeller Centre
In addition to the rides there were an array of Winter themed activities. An Ice rink in front of the Nimb hotel, is Copenhagen’s answer to skating in front of the Rockefeller Centre, and for those who didn’t fancy braving the ice, or dropping from the sky… There was the giant igloo!
Inside this huge round structure; you could have a go on a “toboggan”, ride a white “ice” slide and have mega “snowball” fights with cannons. It was also good to take a little break from the cold, and relax on one of the benches with a hot chocolate, whilst watching the winter themed madness.
It’s not difficult to find somewhere to eat in Tivoli. Although it is difficult to find somewhere to eat that isn’t pricey, and doesn’t mind dining a freezing cold hyperactive baby. After much deliberation, and numb fingers from the subzero temperatures we decided on Prices Diner. There is more to come on this, in the Eat section of our Danish Vibes series, coming soon.
The Entry only ticket (not including rides) cost 200DKK (around £24) for all 3 of us (under 1’s go free.)
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God Goes Deep at The Church of Our Lady Cathedral
Walking back to our hotel after Tivoli on Friday night, we very nearly walked past this beautiful cathedral, that we were able to see from our room. Stopping at the same time we noticed a hive of activity by the entrance. Being the nosey parkers that we are, we dragged the buggy up the stairs (inconspicuous, I know) for a closer look. The inside of the cathedral was illuminated with red lighting, looking more like a club than a church.
Obviously we went inside! Where we saw a sign that said, “Please no Talking, just listen to the music”. Opening the doors our ears were immediately treated to the sounds of ambient chill out music. The acoustics of the cathedral, coupled with large speakers, red lighting and 100’s of candles made for one of the most surreal experiences.
Musical Sermon
Making our way down the aisle we saw a DJ sitting on a stool playing his own musical sermon. Whilst his “flock” were taking in the tunes sat on beanbags in the pulpit. As you can imagine this is a mind blown scenario, we had no idea what was going on. The 3 of us were mesmerised, and could have sat there for hours, but we were well aware that it was way past Emerson’s bedtime and he could blow at any minute, so we stayed for 10 minutes then made our way back to the hotel.
After a bit of hunting on the net we found out that God Goes Deep, a non political, and non profit organisation have been putting on these free ambient events inside the cathedral for the past 7 years. The events run from 8pm to midnight on most Fridays (seasonally), so if you’re visiting on a Friday make sure you check out their schedule. Our snooping paid off and we stumbled across one of the most innovative events that we’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
The Church of Our Saviour
The Church of our Saviour is one of Copenhagen’s most iconic churches. Located in the Christianshavn district, the spire towers above the city at 90 meters. Making it one of Copenhagen’s tallest structures, and you can climb all 400 steps to the top! Which obviously we decided to do!
We love a viewpoint, and have climbed plenty before we had Emerson. So with that much experience, taking a baby with us is easy right? Wrong! Getting Em out of the buggy we started the climb. Hats off to Pete, he was the one who carried Emerson up the tower. Having done barely any exercise since giving birth, wearing a backpack and a huge winter puffa coat, those stairs was pure torture.
We took any opportunity to gaze out a window, or to let people down, just to have a breather. The closer we got to the top of the spire the more narrow the steps become. It was really cosy at points, and many a time I questioned our decision doing this with Em, as I heavy breathed into oncoming tourists faces on their way down!
Copenhagen Carillon?!? A What?
The tower has the largest carillon system in Europe. I had no idea what a carillon system was don’t be fooled by my subheading. After a quick Google search though, I can tell you it’s a musical instrument. Basically a load of bells! The Church of our Saviour has 48 of these brass beauties, that chime every hour. This made that trip to the top all the more exciting when you’re dealing with the pressure of not being in their vicinity when they go off.
We finally made it to the outside, and got to take advantage of the most incredibly breathtaking (literally, it was freezing up there) views of Copenhagen. You could even see the Øresund Bridge that crosses into Sweden.
There was soon a swift realisation that we weren’t actually at the top. Yes, there were more stairs to climb!! The final 150 steps wrap around the outside of the spire. We did start to walk up, but the freezing temperatures, and wind were just too much. Pete was having a panic attack over Emerson being blown out of his arms, and I was worrying about how we were going to get back down those steep stairs. Operation summit of Church of Our Saviour was cancelled.
Hindsight it’s a Wonderful Thing
With our feet firmly flat on the ground we could take delight in the feat we had just completed. The views really were spectacular, and especially so if you make it to the top. In hindsight, now we’ve done it I probably wouldn’t panic so much, causing me to totally miss out on getting a photo of any of us at the top!
Pete & Em looking mighty smug, that they made it up and down the spire in one piece
Freetown Christiania
This area of Copenhagen is a 5 minute walk from the Church of our Saviour, so makes the ideal place to visit once you’ve finished your climb.
No Whips seen in Christiania
Christiania is home to 850-1,000 residents and is a self governed Freetown. It’s been built on an old military base since its establishment in 1971. The Christianites have their own set of rules and ethics, that are independent from the Danish government. Sounds ideal!!
Although Christiania has had a checkered past, the tourist’s love it. It is Copenhagen’s 4th largest tourist attraction. With no traffic, and plenty of bikes it has a very laidback, artistic hippy vibe. It was great to see how an alternative society can function so well, breaking down stereotypes of what you would think a community of this nature would look like. With the homemade houses, art galleries and colourful graffiti everywhere it reminded us of Slab City in California.
No Photos Please
As you enter Christiania you will notice that there are signs saying no photos, along with other rules that you should probably check out before visiting. This is largely due to an area called “Pusher Street”, or the “Green Light District”.
Walking down the small strip, there are a number of stalls where you can buy cannabis. If you’re a smoker then this is your idea of heaven. Everything from hash, to giant bags of cannabis the size of a small pillow. If you’re lazy or a weed smoking novice you can even buy pre rolled joints. If you have been to Amsterdam, the Green Light district is it’s little sister. Don’t be put off by this, as long as you don’t take photos it is just like walking down any market street, and this really does form a small section of what Christiania has to offer.
Christiania has restaurants, cafes, bakeries, bars, a bath house, skatepark, and in the summer they even have live concerts. Surrounded by water, there are many scenic paths to follow and get lost whilst taking in the sights of this bohemian neighbourhood. We spent a good hour or so walking around and exploring before making our way to Paper Island, which turned out to be closed.
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Nyhavn
Chances are if you’ve done any kind of research into visiting Copenhagen, you would have seen the picture perfect Nyhavn. The brightly sorbet coloured 17th and 18th century townhouses, against the Nordic blue sky is stunning. Nyhavn is what postcards were made for, and you can see why these striking buildings were home to many an artist over the years.
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Hans Christian Andersen the Danish Fairytale author, lived and wrote the Princess & The Pea at no. 20. In later life he decided to return once more to Nyhavn, he resided next door to his former home at no. 18. This is where a very cute Hans Christian Andersen shop now stands.
The Hans Christian Andersen shop at No. 18 Nyhavn
Nyhavn is an old commercial port, lined with bars, restaurants and even a gentlemen’s club. The only difference from when it was an old port is that these establishments are now frequented by tourists rather than the sailors of yesteryear. Understandably It is a very busy, touristy part of town.
If you’re peckish you are spoilt for choice. Even in the below freezing temperatures people were eating al fresco admiring the view with a Tuborg or coffee in hand. For the more casual diners; Nyhavn is the place to get a famous Copenhagen hotdog. You can always sit on the dock tucking in whilst you wait for your canal tour. Just be warned Copenhagen is an expensive city, so when looking for a place to eat in a tourist hub like Nyhavn, or Tivoli you’re going to be paying those sky high tourist prices
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Kastellet
The Kastellet is a star shaped fortress, and one of the best preserved in Europe. So if fortresses are your thing, it is a must! Around 30 minutes walk from our hotel, we decided to head there late Saturday afternoon. Yet again we were racing against the sunset! The idea was that we would pass through quickly as it is close to the “obligatory must see (and be underwhelmed) sight” the Little Mermaid statue.
By the time we actually got here after a picturesque walk via the gardens of Rosenberg Castle, it was practically dark. Go us!! The citadel is protected by a moat, and houses a windmill that we didnt get a picture of due to it being too dark. You can only imagine my disappointment at not getting a decent pic for the Gram of a real life Danish windmill.
On our rush through to the Little Mermaid, we did get a glimpse of the Monument for Denmark’s International Effort since 1948 by artist Finn Reinbothe, which is worth checking out.
The Little Mermaid
So…. The Little Mermaid. It’s that tourist attraction that you get told don’t bother it’s a let down, but you have to see it anyway. The Danish equivalent of the Mona Lisa, is over 100 years old. The bronze statue for some bizarre reason is one of the most popular sights to see in Copenhagen.
If Carlsberg Built Statues
The Little Mermaid was a gift to the city, by the founder of Carlsberg; Carl Jacobsen. It was Inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, you guessed it …. The Little Mermaid. The mermaid perched on the rock is no Ariel, and there is no fork in sight. She was in fact inspired by a ballet dancer who played the lead in the ballet production of the Hans classic. She sits gazing to the shore, surrounded by people trying to get that perfect selfie.
Getting there at dusk meant it was relatively empty, but if you’re after that perfect sho you’re going to be lacking that much sought after natural light. Our tip is don’t go out of your way to find it, but we know you’re going to see it anyway. Just make sure you check out the Kastellet too to make it worthwhile, and get a picture of that windmill!
Hans Christian Andersen Fairytale House
City break evenings are a little different with a 9 month old. When you can’t spend your evenings fine dining, and trawling the city on a bar crawl what do you do? Not far from Tivoli Gardens, and housed next to Ridleys Believe it or Not Museum, is the HC Fairytale House.
It is impossible to visit Copenhagen without seeing a mention of one of the most famous Danes. I have fond memories of my parents, and grandparents reading me his bedtime stories. Just as their parents had done for them when they were younger.
The exhibition closes at 8pm, so made an ideal after dusk activity after our 5 minute meet and greet with the Little Mermaid. The HC Fairytale House is a vintage kitsch exhibition, where you will find interactive displays and memorabilia that bring his story, and his famous fairy tales to life.
Entrance is 60Dkk (£7) so it’s a reasonably cheap way to kill an hour. The story scenes are multi lingual, and Emerson enjoyed pushing the buttons for a German take on The Emporers New Clothes.
The Rundetaarn
This 17th century Round tower was a few minutes walk from our hotel SKT. Petri. Walking past it daily, we finally decided to visit here on our last day, after check out.
The Rundetaarn is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. We braced ourselves for another sweat fest and thigh burning stair climb. You can imagine our elation when we found out that rather than taking 100’s of stairs, the ascent is in fact made by a spiral walkway climbing round the tower. Yes, you walk around 209 metres, compared to the 36 metres that is the height of the tower, but it’s a hell of a lot easier on your legs, lungs and heart.
At around 25 metres you can stop, and If you dare, look and stand over a glass floor that is positioned in the middle of the Tower. Looking down the full hollow core of the building is pretty scary, and enough to get the vertigo going even for those who don’t suffer.
Once you reach the viewing platform you get a 360° view of majestic Copenhagen. Well worth the 25DKK (£3) entry.
At the very top, and a short climb up some stairs (ok, so its not completely stair free) is the astronomy observatory. Depending on when you visit it is worth checking to see if it is open. We didn’t realise that we could have visited after hours to see the Frost Festival, which forms part of the Light Festival.
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace is located on a tiny island called Slotsholmen. With a few hours, before we headed to the airport we thought this would be a nice place to take a walk. With the clock ticking to our departure, we had time for a whistle stop tour of the outside of this presidential royal building.
If you have more time you can explore the whole stately building, as well as the ruins below. To get the best views of the city, the tower at Christiansborg Palace is the tallest in Copenhagen, and the Tower Restaurant is just below the viewing platform, resulting in the perfect place to sample some swanky Danish food, whilst enjoying the views over this picture perfect city.
Copenhagen Card
If you want to get the most out of Copenhagen, and know you will be visiting many of the tourist attractions, then we most definitely recommend getting a Copenhagen Card. If you know what sights you want to visit you can have a look at the Copenhagen Card calculator here to see if it is worth your while in purchasing.
It is worth mentioning that Canal Tours, and public transport are all included, even the journey to and from the airport.
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Just like that 48 hours was up
Considering we were racing around the city with a buggy, I think we did alright fitting in as much in as we did. It was a great insight into this wonderful city, and one that we will be returning to. We would love to visit Copenhagen in the summer, there are so many more castles to visit, giant trolls to find, and what about crossing that bridge into Sweden? and not forgetting getting the pic of that windmill. If you have any recommendations, or tips for Copenhagen let us know in the comments. Our Final part of Danish Vibes, What to Eat will be following soon, so make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out.
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What a thorough post on Copenhagen – we’ll be heading that way mid September so hopefully won’t be as cold 😉
I’m sure it won’t be, it was still amazing. I bet the scenery will be incredible next month, the SKT Petri has a beautiful terrace which we didn’t get to enjoy, where they make artisan pizza so try and catch that if you can. Also there are giant trolls in the woods outside of Copenhagen that also looked fabulous, again we just didn’t get a chance to see them.
Hope you have an awesome trip, thank you for taking the time to read our blog.
Wow! What a fabulous post! There really is so much to see and do in Copenhagen. I’ve seen the pretty pastel houses on Instagram but never knew about the other hidden gems. Christiania sounds like such a cool place to visit, I love the colourful, artsy, hippy vibe. I’d love to have a look around and admire the creativity. I’m also loving the idea of a Winter Wonderland, it looks magical! Thank you for sharing, it looks like a wonderful place to explore! ? xx
Bexa | http://www.hellobexa.com
Thank you so much Bexa for taking the time to read our post. We definitely only saw a small part of what Copenhagen has to offer.
You should definitely try to visit. xx
Copenhagen looks amazing! Definitely adding it to my bucket list. I love that you visited in winter. I’m always hesitant to travel in the winter, but I think I might have to try it.
Thank you Rachael for taking the time to read. I hope you get to visit soon! We have also been apprehensive about visiting these extra cold counties in Winter, but there is something special about how cold it actually is haha. It was just so fresh (just make sure you have extra extra warm gloves!) haha.
I love Christiana. It rained the whole time I was in Copenhagen though, so your pics look a lot better. Great read and pics guys xx
Oh wow it looks an amazing place xx
It looks so gorgeous there, your photos are absolutely fantastic! I really want to visit now!
Vicki | http://www.missviclb.co.uk
I enjoyed reading your blog, is quiet detailed and interesting.
Wow! You managed to squeeze in quite a bit into such a small time period.
Some great photos you got there. And it looks like you all had a great time. The church event sounds great, but the red light quite off-putting.
We still haven’t been to Copenhagen, but I think we’ll have to remedy that. Looks like a great trip and some fab tips
I think this is the best Copenhagen post I’ve seen so far, I am massively excited to do some of the things you guys did when I go.
Thank you so much Laura. We look forward to reading about your experiences!! We’ve followed you over on your blog. Please come back and let us know what you got up too.