After I left Amsterdam, I traveled to the beautiful, and quite similar, city of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. This Scandinavian city located in between the Danish mainland of Jutland and Sweden is surrounded by the sea on three sides, giving Copenhagen some of the most splendid waterside views next to the many canals, harbors, wharfs, and rivers found throughout the city.
Copenhagen has become one of my favorite cities in Europe. I enjoy its relaxed atmosphere, its abundance of picturesque sights, and its friendly people. Denmark has often been ranked the happiest country in the world, and I can see why. In addition to having a beautiful capital city, the Danes take time to enjoy life, often lounging with friends next to the waterfront, having drinks together at a cozy bar, or cruising on yachts and sailboats. When I studied abroad in Hong Kong in the summer of 2016 (right before my freshman year of college), many of the students I met there were Danish, and I learned that Danes travel quite often and are encouraged to do so with lots of vacation days and financial sponsorship for university students. This societal emphasis on enjoying life makes the typical Dane a happy and amiable individual.
The Danish lifestyle also contributes to the well-being of its citizens. American-style fast food is rare here, and people often eat healthy meals sourced from the surrounding countryside and the sea. Travel by bicycle is common and this form of exercise helps people maintain good health. Moreover, sports are a popular pastime, and I would regularly see people swimming in the smaller rivers, kayaking downstream, playing water polo, or playing volleyball in the park, etc.
The streets and roads of Copenhagen are clean and well-maintained, the air is fresh, and the rivers and canals are clear blue. Denmark is simply a salubrious place to be, and I was glad that I put Copenhagen on my list of destinations.
I arrived in Copenhagen in the afternoon after my flight from Amsterdam. Because my hotel was in the center of the city, near Nyhavn, the first thing I did after checking into my hotel was explore the surrounding area. The Nyhavn waterfront was the first place I visited. With its many boats and yachts, numerous restaurants, and beautiful buildings, Nyhavn is one of the most popular public areas in Copenhagen and a major tourist attraction.
Above: Nyhavn
After having lunch at Nyhavn, I walked towards downtown Copenhagen. On my way there, I saw two of Copenhagen’s most prominent buildings, Børsen (the stock exchange), and Christiansborg Palace. Børsen was built in the 17th century and housed the Danish stock exchange until 1974. It currently houses the Danish Chamber of Commerce. Christiansborg Palace is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Danish Supreme Court, as well as functioning as a palace for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Above: Børsen on the left, and Christiansborg Palace on the right
After walking past Børsen and Christiansborg Palace, I explored downtown Copenhagen. Throughout my evening stroll, there were bustling restaurants and bars on each side of the streets, as Danes wind down with dinner or drinks with friends and family. The busiest part of Copenhagen is the area around Tivoli Garden and Vesterbrogade.
Above: Vesterbrogade
Above: The Tivoli Gardens
The next day, I met a fellow American named Spencer at Nyhavn, and we decided to explore the Christianshavn district together. Just like me, Spencer had just graduated from college and was doing his post-graduation travels. Christianhavn is across the river from the more touristic downtown and Nyhavn, so it had a much more local feel to it. As we walked north of Christianhavn, the area became more rural with windmills and countryside houses. We went to a street food area near the harbor where people sailed their yachts.
Above: Copenhagen Yacht Service
Above: Near the street food market
Above: A great example of Danish architecture
Above: A typical Danish waterfront
Later on in my stay in Copenhagen, my Danish friend from study abroad, Peter, visited from Aarhus, Denmark, and we went sightseeing Copenhagen together. After getting brunch, we walked around the streets of Copenhagen.
Above: In the middle of a busy street in Copenhagen
Above: Me next to a Copenhagen fountain
While strolling around Copenhagen, we visited the Lego flagship store. I learned from Peter that Lego is a Danish toy company, and it was a pleasure to visit their flagship store.
Above: The Copenhagen Lego flagship store
We continued to explore the main sights of Copenhagen. Although I had already visited Børsen and Christiansborg Palace, I visited these places again with Peter, this time going into the buildings.
We then moved on to Amalienborg Palace, the home of the Danish Royal family. Amalienborg actually consists of four identical palaces, all surrounding a large courtyard.
Above: Me at Amalienborg Palace
Near the Amlienborg Palace stood the Marble Church, a large domed church at the heart of Copenhagen. It is a very prominent building and a major tourist attraction, as well as an important place in the city for religious and ceremonial functions. Normally we would have been able to enter the church, but since there was a wedding going on inside, we settled for taking pictures outside instead.
Above: Me outside the Marble Church
After seeing the Marble Church, we went to get lunch and drinks at Nyhavn. We then made our way to Rosenborg Castle and its surrounding gardens. The Rosenborg Castle Gardens, officially called the King’s Gardens, is now a public park. There were many locals sunbathing, reading on benches, or simply taking an afternoon stroll. We then explored Rosenborg Castle, a 17th century castle that houses the crown jewels of Denmark. Inside, I saw the crown and throne of Denmark, and many other interesting artifacts.
Above: Me at Rosenborg Castle
Above: The throne of Denmark
Above: The crown of Denmark
Our next location was the famous Round Tower. Built in the 17th century, the round tower is an architectural masterpiece featuring an equestrian staircase and boasting the best views of Copenhagen. It is very noteworthy that this building, built hundreds of years ago, remains one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen today. There is also a modern art gallery in the round tower, which I visited but did not enjoy because I despise modern art for its general lack of beauty and its glorification of mediocrity and ugliness. Any child could paint better than the typical piece of modern art, which relies mostly on shock value to demonstrate the artist’s “creativity”.
When I got to the top of the tower, I was able to admire the best views of Copenhagen one can get. I could even see Sweden all the way across the sea.
At the top of the tower is a domed observatory with a large telescope, used for stargazing.
Above: The Round Tower (Rundetaarn in Danish)
Above: View of Copenhagen at the top of the Round Tower
Above: The telescope in the Round Tower observatory
With a productive day of sightseeing behind us, Peter and I went to get dinner at Illum Rooftop, at the center of Copenhagen. We ate at a pizza restaurant, having wine with our pizzas and enjoying the rooftop views of Copenhagen.
Above: Pizza and wine
Above: The view from Illum Rooftop
After dinner we finished the day at a bar attached to a trendy hostel in the center of Copenhagen. Peter and I each got a liter of beer. We were later joined by a Canadian traveler, Benjamin, who was staying at the hostel. Benjamin had just been in Ukraine for work and decided to visit Copenhagen. Peter couldn’t stay for long, however, as he had the catch his train back to Aarhus. The bar had a very open atmosphere and a lot of different people staying at the hostel were getting drinks and meeting new people. As I was ordering more drinks at the bar, I struck up a conversation with the Australian next to me, Katie, and her friend Sarah. They had just graduated from high school and were taking a gap year to travel before starting university. After Peter left for his train, I invited Katie and Sarah to my table with Benjamin, and we had a great time together over a few rounds of vodka shots. We enjoyed the nightlife of Copenhagen well into the early hours of the morning and it was my favorite day of the whole trip.
Above: Peter and his liter of beer