Copenhagen city break

Copenhagen city break
Copenhagen city break

Copenhagen city break | Why not? Denmark’s Capital Copenhagen is attracting tourists because of a cool city’s harbor, some stylish cultural activities here and there and award-winning restaurants. Since 2009, Copenhagen has been one of the fastest growing metropolitan tourists destinations. Hotel capacity in the city is growing. In the last decade Copenhagen experienced a 42% growth in international bed nights, tallying a rise of nearly 70% for Chinese visitors. The total number of bed nights in and around Copenhagen surpassed 9 million in 2013, while international bed nights reached 5 million for the first time ever. It is estimated that every year, city break tourism contributes to US$2 billion in turnover. So what exactly makes Copenhagen worth a stopover? Here is what we found:

Copenhagen city break Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen
Copenhagen city break: Rosenborg Castle. Photo: wikipedia cc

Copenhagen is bicycle friendly | Comparable to Amsterdam, life in Copenhagen is lived in the saddle of a bicycle. Everybody does it. Bike that is. In Copenhageners bike whether there is sun, rain or snow. The inhabitants of Denmark’s Capital bike to work, to school, to bring the kids to kindergarten, to shop for groceries and to social gatherings. It is simply a way of life, and if you want to experience Copenhagen the local way, you have to jump in the saddle.

Tourists can get it cheap | Daily cost of budget travel in Copenhagen: $80. It would go like this: Attractions: $15 (one paid attraction + any free sights), Food: $28, Breakfast: $3.5, Lunch: $6.50, Dinner: $15, Treat (dessert/beer/wine): $2.50, Transportation: $7.50, Accommodation (Hostel): $38.
Daily cost for frugal travel in Copenhagen: $60. Like this: Attractions: $10 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sights such as the National Museum of Denmark and the David Collection), Food: $16, Breakfast: $0 (free hostel breakfast), Lunch: $5 (ethnic street food, takeaway shop fare, or similar), Dinner: $8 (make your own meal in the hostel or grab something cheap), Beer: $2.50, Transportation: $0, Accommodation: $34 (cheap hostel bed). Not bad for a city that is listed among the top 10 most expensive locations in the world.
If you’re planning on visiting more than one of the many attractions/museums in Copenhagen, you should look into getting a Copenhagen Card. It includes admission to a ton of places, unlimited travel on public transport (bus, train, and subway), and airport transfers. And also worth mentioning: There is no tipping necessary in restaurants, bar of in taxis.

Nyhavn | Especially during summer the former port of Nyhavn is a tourist’s favorite place to end a long day. Have dinner at one of the cosy restaurants. If you are on a budget, do like locals: buy your food from a nearby store and rest your feet at the quayside. Nyhavn was once a very busy commercial port. The area was packed with sailors, prostitutes, pubs and alehouses. Today the beautiful old houses have been renovated and classy restaurants dominate the old port. Nyhavn is filled with people enjoying the relaxed atmosphere by the canal, jazz music and great food. No. 9, Nyhavn, is the oldest house in the area dating back to 1681. The design of the house has not been altered since that time. Many of the houses lining the quays of Nyhavn have been the homes of prominent artists. In Nyhaven, No. 20, the famous Danish fairytale writer, Hans Christian Andersen, used to live. This is where he wrote the fairy-tales ‘The Tinderbox’, ‘Little Claus and Big Claus’, and ‘The Princess and the Pea’. He also lived twenty years in No. 67 and two years in No. 18.

Copenhagen Channel Tours | Canal Tours Copenhagen is a wonderful way of seeing Copenhagen. Many Copenhageners take the tour to get an opportunity to see their capital from a different perspective. Experience the idyllic harbors and canals of Copenhagen with a canal tour. The tour is guided in both Danish and English, and some departures have a third language, varying between German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish. The tour takes approximately an hour. During the tour, you will see: The Copenhagen Opera House, Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, the impressive Black Diamond Library, and the Little Mermaid.

Copenhagen city break
There is too much hype about Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. But for those tourists having paid a visit to Mannekin Pis in Brussels the Little Mermaid is a must, too. Photo: wikipedia cc

For budget tourists: Make your departure from Gammel Strand. It is free with Copenhagen Card, but only with departure from Gammel Strand.

Christiania | also known as Freetown Christiania (Danish: Fristaden Christiania), is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital. It was temporarily closed by residents in April 2011 while discussions continued with the Danish government about its future, but then re-opened to the public. Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. Its cannabis trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004. In the years following 2004, measures for normalizing the legal status of the community led to conflicts, police raids and negotiations.

Copenhagen city break
Christiania has been a self-declared independent territory of Copenhagen since 1971. Photo: wikipedia cc.

Copenhagen city break: Where to stay

Booking.com lists 86 low star hotels, hostels and backpacker selters below 100 Euros per night. We did go with the cheapest offer at 55 Euros (Copenhagen Backpackers Hostel). If you can fork out 600 Euros per night, the Axel Guldsmeden – a 4-star hotel in Vesterbro, might be high on your list. But well, it doesn’t matter how often you turn the coin. Copenhagen won’t be getting cheaper :/

Copenhagen city break Book a hotel in Copenhagen
Book accommodation in Copenhagen via booking.com.

Copenhagen city break. By Chili & Churp | © International Destinations | Find out more about other travel destinations in Europe here -> EUROPE.