Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark and home of Christiania. Here are a few things to do in Copenhagen;
- Nyhavn Harbor
- Little Mermaid
- Rosenborg Castle
- Round Tower
- Tivoli gardens
- Christiansborg Palace
- Strøget – 1.1km of shopping
- Christiania
- Day Trip to Frederiksborg and Kronborg Castle
Hotels in Copenhagen are on the expensive side, therefore try airbnb. Finally, Copenhagen is quite spread out therefore you should consider a Hop on Hop off bus and boat tour.
Nyhavn Harbor
Nyhavn is a picturesque harbor which is surrounded by both traditional and colorful Danish houses. As a result, Nyhavn is the top Instagram spot in Copenhagen. Famous Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen lived at both house number 67 as well as 18. Finally, this is a popular place to grab a cold beer.
Little Mermaid
The statue of the little mermaid is the main landmark of Copenhagen but why? Firstly, it was inspired by a fairytale written by Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen (who lived at Nyhavn). That fairytale was called The Little Mermaid. Lastly, it was the son of the Carlsberg beer owner who ordered it. As a result, the little mermaid truly is a wonder of Denmark!
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a 17th century castle built for Danish royalty. Its architectural style is Renaissance. You will not regret visiting the castle as it’s extremely picturesque and surrounded by elegant gardens. Additionally, you can visit the interior which is full of royal artefacts. Visit the Rosenborg Castle site to buy skip the line tickets and read more about it.
Round Tower – Rundetaarn
The Round Tower is a 17th century observatory as well as a watch tower. As a matter of fact, it’s one of the best places in Copenhagen for a panoramic city view. Furthermore, the building itself is extremely photogenic. Did you know about Nice Observatory in France which has a cupola designed by Gustave Eiffel?
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens are one of the oldest theme parks in the world. In fact, they opened over 160 years ago! If you’re traveling to Copenhagen with kids, you must visit Tivoli Gardens. Due to the popularity, I recommend you buy a skip the line ticket in advance.
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace is the main parliament building of Copenhagen, Denmark. In addition, inside is the office of the Danish Prime Minister. It’s the Danish equivalent to Parliament House in neighboring Stockholm, Sweden. Finally, the architectural style is Baroque Revival.
Stroget
One of the top things to do in Copenhagen is take a walk through Stroget shopping street. It’s an over a kilometer long pedestrianized street which makes it one of the longest shopping streets in Europe.
Christiania
Christiania or Freetown Christiania is a self proclaimed autonomous region of Copenhagen. This place is interesting to visit because it’s run under its own law and rules. As an example of the type of product you can buy here is that you’re very likely to hear a Bob Marley song whilst walking around Christiania! On the back of the Christiania sign it says ‘Welcome to the EU’ so does a visit to Christiania count as visiting another country? Finally, I would describe Christiania as a rougher version of Amsterdam but without the women.
Day Trip to Frederiksborg and Kronborg Castles
Denmark is home to some of the most majestic castles in the world. If you’re in Copenhagen for more than 1-2 days, I recommend you take a day trip to see more castles.
I was hosted by a good friend in Copenhagen. He has a travel company called One Step Away. In Danish you could describe it as Bilferie til Italien og Kroatien.
How to get from Copenhagen to Berlin by bus
Flixbus – Copenhagen to Berlin night service
From Copenhagen I took the overnight Flixbus service to Berlin, leaving at 2340 and arriving the next morning in Berlin around 8am. The cost of this overnight bus is €19 therefore much cheaper than staying in a hotel and traveling throughout the day. When traveling in expensive Scandinavian countries you should always look for the option of a cheap overnight bus. This can save you a lot of money as in effect, it’s a hotel whilst traveling to your next destination.
My home town of East Kilbride in Scotland is twinned with Ballerup in Denmark, James.I was supposed to go there as a teenager back in the late 80’s as part of an exchange trip. It ended up I didn’t go (long story) but my friends did, although they hardly spent any time in Ballerup and instead spent most of the trip smoking hash in Christiana. I was so jealous when they came back with all their stories. Good post. Copenhagen looks like such a beautiful city.
I’ve been following you for a while after finding your blog by accidental referral. The idea of land-only travel is so cool and seems to be working very well for you. As a person with completely different lifestyle (i.e. slow travel while working on the road), I love reading your accounts of visiting different parts of the world. I visited Berlin last year during early spring. The only lasting memory I have about it: it was bone-chilling cold. I put down Scandinavia for a while: too expensive to stay in any place there for 3 months for a person on moderate budget. Hence, it’s interesting to know that you consider Copenhagen as least expensive in that part of the world.
I’ve never been on a hop on hop off bus before, but from what you’ve said Copenhagen would be a place I definitely wouldn’t overlook it for!
I like the sound of Christiania! It’s actually featured in a book I got for Christmas – An Atlas of Countries that Don’t Exist – and I’ve been eager to learn more! It sounds…interesting haha.
I’ve been enjoying following your adventures in Europe, introducing me from one city to another. Copenhagen is another beauty. Love those colorful buildings! But love the sound of Christiania too, would love to explore that someday!
Copenhagen is definitely on my European travel wish list! I love how colorful the buildings look in all of your pictures. & FlixBus sounds like a very affordable way to get there, I’ll definitely have to check it out. 🙂
I’ve heard that Copenhagen is amazing, and you have convinced me it is true. Great advice about the overnight bus to save money when travelling in Scandinavia too!
Copenhagen sounds pretty awesome. That bus ride is pretty cheap – I love overnight bus rides too because you save money on accommodation! Great pics of the city.
Great info!! I went to Copenhagen for the first time last summer and while I generally try to avoid the tourist hot spots, I couldn’t pass up Nyhavn harbor. It is sooo colorful and photogenic, I just love it! I never made it to Christiania even though everyone said to go (whoops) – sounds like you recommend visiting that next time?
Copenhagen is awesome! Love the photos brings back great memories. Great idea the Flixbus.