Copenhagen - Denmark's capital

[English version below] 

Copenhagen has been awarded multiple times as 'The Most Livable City in the World'. You can already notice the well-maintained appearance of the city upon arrival at the beautiful train station.

However, we were not only looking forward to the city itself, but also to a reunion with our dear Eva! #reunion in Copenhagen!

Our accommodation for two nights was the Urban House Hostel, about a 5-minute walk from the train station. The Urban House Hostel is very large and modern, with self-check-in, so you can arrive at the hostel at any time, and door codes for all rooms. It is also equipped with a nice backyard with tables and benches, where we enjoyed our breakfast with morning sun every day. The hostel was fully booked and there were many young people, as well as families from different countries. All hostel residents have access to a large communal kitchen with a refrigerator, dishes, pans, and pots, etc., free of charge. There is also a large, super cozy lounge area with many sofas, cushions, table football, pool table, and games.
The Urban House Hostel is highly recommended because of its good location, good facilities, and the nice atmosphere there.

The most famous photo motif in Copenhagen is probably Nyhavn; beautiful colorful houses lined up with a canal and sailing boats in the middle. Everyone has probably seen this idyllic place on some pictures and it is hard to imagine that it was once a red-light district. But we also made Nyhavn our first stop and enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere there while having a small snack.

After that, we visited the alternative district of Christianshavn, where you can also find the free town of Christiania. This autonomous 34-hectare hippie town has been firmly in the hands of alternatives, hippies, dropouts, and skateboarders for many years. There are skateboard ramps everywhere, colorful houses, and bustling activity. Every Sunday evening, there is a free small concert by newcomers and oldies. Colorful clothes and bags are sold at a market, and you can also openly buy marijuana there. This relaxed atmosphere of the city is definitely worth visiting if you have enough time.

In the evening, Nyhavn and the surrounding area are highly recommended. We sat there in the evening for a drink on the waterfront, where you can even swim.

Wherever there is a free walking tour, we're definitely joining! We hardly missed any during our last interrail trip :) The Free Walking Tour Copenhagen, which starts daily at 10, 11, or 3 o'clock, showed us many interesting places, sights, and stories in 3 hours with our funny tour guide. Some highlights in Copenhagen are the town hall at Radhuspladsen, the Tivoli amusement park, the Carlsberg brewery, Christiansborg Palace, Nyhavn, and Amalienborg. One thing we definitely remember: never speak positively about a Swede in front of a Dane. Our tour guide used to say 'the damn Swedes' and referred to them as the biggest enemy. The tour was really good and fun!

What many describe as a disappointment is the little mermaid, Copenhagen's landmark. However, we had to form our own opinion and walked there. We couldn't see the mermaid from a distance, but we could see a crowd of mostly Chinese people gathering around this little statue. But we managed to get a photo with her!

From the top of the Round Tower or in Danish Rundetarn in the middle of the city center, you have a beautiful view of the roofs and towers of Copenhagen. An ascent for 25 DKK ~ 3€ is definitely highly recommended, especially on a sunny day.

A great random discovery was the Toverhallerne Food Market, where you can find numerous food stands with bread and cakes, salad bars, pasta, sweets, fruits, vegetables, and much more. Unfortunately, we had to realize that everything there is quite expensive: we paid 45 DKK ~ 6€ for 3 mini ice cream balls.

In the bustling city center of Copenhagen, there are always many people and tourists. A particularly great shop for us was the three-story 'Flying Tiger', where we first bought a lot of souvenirs ;)

Unfortunately, Vesterbro, Copenhagen's hipster district, was a little disappointment for us. We expected narrow streets, alternative shops, small restaurants, and bustling activity. Instead, we only found a few restaurants lined up on a wide street. Nevertheless, it can be a good choice for a cozy dinner.

Instead, we decided to cook ourselves a delicious meal at the Urban House Hostel and then sit together for a drink in the evening.

All in all, we had a very pleasant 'hyggelig' time in Copenhagen! It was an incredibly beautiful reunion with Eva in an equally beautiful city. Copenhagen should definitely not be missed during a Scandinavia trip! :)

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Copenhagen is often referred to as one of the most livable cities in the world. After the two days we spent in this beautiful city, we have no doubt about that! :)

Our hostel, Urban House Copenhagen, is located very conveniently just a five-minute walk from the central train station. It is a very modern and big hostel which was also fully booked and therefore very busy during our time. So for the people who look for a quieter and more familiar hostel, this is probably not the place to be. Nevertheless, we liked it! First of all check-in at reception is not necessary anymore, you can check-in online beforehand and you get a code which you use to enter all rooms. In addition, the hostel offers very nice common areas in which you can relax, watch TV, or just have a nice chat with your friends. The outside area consists of a nice little backyard with tables in which we enjoyed our breakfasts in the morning.

What comes in mind first when thinking about Copenhagen is probably Nyhavn. A row of beautiful colorful houses and in the middle a little canal with sailing boats. Of course, this needed to be our first destination! While having a little snack we used this idyllic atmosphere for the reunion with our good friend Eva who joined us for the two-day stay in Copenhagen. Now the travel trio was complete again!

From Nyhavn, we made our way to Christianshavn where you can find the so-called Freetown Christiania. It's a crazy area and if you wouldn't know that you are in Copenhagen you would think that you are in a different world (In some part it's correct as you'll find a sign while entering the area saying that you are now leaving the EU...). Strolling through Christiania, you come across lots of hippies, skater guys, and people smoking and selling marijuana. No one seems to care in this part of the town, everyone is just living their lives ;) We were lucky to have been there on a Sunday, so we didn't miss the weekly concert. Afterwards, we three agreed that Danish rap should better be remaining in Denmark, but still, it was a nice atmosphere.

In the evening, a visit to Nyhavn and the harbor is recommendable. We enjoyed some Apple Cider right at the water while watching the sky changing its colors.

Wherever there is a free walking tour, we take part in it! Last year we actually compared all walking tours and rated them from best to worst.. ;)

The Free Walking Tour Copenhagen would definitely gain a good review from us. The tour guide was very funny and made the whole tour interesting and entertaining. Maybe he exaggerated a little bit with all of his hostile Swedish jokes, but at least now we know: never talk positively about Sweden in front of a Danish person! Don't think that Swedish jokes is all we learnt from the tour, no, we actually saw and explored a lot of the city. A few sights included the town hall, the amusement park Tivoli, Christiansborg Palace, Nyhavn, and Amalienborg.

Right after the tour, we made our way to the Little Mermaid. As famous as she is, you would think of her as a big, spectacular statue. That's not her! She is a little statue resting in the water overshadowed by a crowd of almost only Chinese people through which you need to fight your way through if you actually want to get a look at her. Our tour guide made a good comparison: He compared her to the Manneken Pis in Brussels (whoever knows this little guy knows what he is referring to...).

What we definitely suggest visiting if you are looking for a great spot with a 360° view of Copenhagen is the Round Tower, a round tower in the middle of the main shopping area. The price of 3€ is worth it, and the view is great. You can actually see Sweden from up there!

For a nice lunch, we recommend the Toverhallerne Food Market. The food looks great and ranges from bakeries to fish restaurants. We only had ice cream there, which was tasty but a little bit too expensive in our opinion.

All in all, we had a 'hyggelig' time in Copenhagen and we will surely come back! Copenhagen is definitely a must during a Scandinavia journey!