Copenhagen

This post has been a long time coming BUT it’s never too late to write about a city that quickly became one of my all-time favorites. So for all of you interested, let’s dive into my Copenhagen travel diary. Copenhagen completely stole my heart from day one! Seriously though, the second we landed at the airport & got into a taxi, I was obsessed. I have never in my life seen an airport so organized! The men dealing with the taxi line had us all through that line so quickly & efficiently, it was insane! If you’ve been before, you know what I’m talking about & if you haven’t, I strongly suggest adding it to your bucket list. Yes, it’s that lovely!

From the people. to the food & onto the architecture & scenery, it is absolutely wonderful. I don’t say things like that lightly either so don’t stop reading because you think I’m just saying this to be nice! Honesty is the best policy & that’s what I’m here to give you ladies & gents! Seriously though, while I was there, I was already mentally planning my next trip back with my husband & kids (for all of you parents, Copenhagen is SO family friendly!) because I know they will be just as obsessed as I am. Now onto the details of our trip!

Where We Stayed

The Square – We loved this hotel! The staff & location was perfect for wandering around the city. I would definitely recommend!

Things To See/Do

Stroget – We walked down this shopping street almost daily depending on where we were walking & I loved it every time. So many different shops & is the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. We loved to grab a little sweet treat & stroll back to our hotels in the evenings.

Rosenborg Castle – A beautiful renaissance castle that is surrounded by amazing gardens. Definitely worth a stroll around! If you’re there in the spring, the beautiful trees are blossoming!

Kastellet – One of the best-preserved star fortresses in Northern Europe. I didn’t really know what to expect but it was really cool to walk around here. It honestly was like nothing I had ever seen before!

Amelianborg Palace – Home to the royal family & a must see! Make sure to go at 12 so you can see the changing of the guards. I think this will be one of my favorite memories from our trip because it started hailing on us during the changing of the guards & it was so unexpected that we couldn’t help laughing & ran to a church nearby to wait for the hail to stop!

The Round Tower (Rundetaarn) – The oldest functioning observatory in Europe & another must do/see! The spiral walk to the top was easy enough for almost anyone to accomplish & there is a beautiful view from the top.

Nyhavn – My absolute favorite part of Copenhagen! This is my #1 must do/see & I’m sure you can see why. The buildings lining the canal are colorful & beautiful! Plus, it’s the perfect place to sit & have a meal or drink & just relax.

Freetown Christiania – Freetown Christiania is a green and car-free neighborhood in Copenhagen established in 1971 by a group of hippies who occupied some abandoned military barracks on the site and developed their own set of society rules, completely independent of the Danish government. We were so intrigued by this little community that we just had to go check it out. It was definitely interesting & a fun little experience.

Christiansborg Palace – Located on the tiny island of Slotsholmen, contains the Danish Parliament Folketinget, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of State. We stopped off quickly to see this palace after our stroll through Christiana. We didn’t explore inside due to time constraints but it was still fun to see!

Torvehallerne – A market full of everything you could ever want. There were so many different types of food, pastries, wine, cheese & flowers to peruse. I honestly wanted to buy so many things & next time I go to Copenhagen I will definitely be purchasing little bits for a picnic in the park!

Frederiksborg Castle – Located north of Copenhagen in Hillerød & houses The Museum of National History. We took a short train ride & the journey in itself didn’t disappoint! If you have enough time, I highly suggest visiting & exploring the gardens, they are absolutely beautiful!

Church of Our Lady – This was our last stop before we jumped in a taxi back to the airport & I’m SO glad we stopped in. This cathedral houses Bertel Thorvaldsen’s original statue of the Christ & it is absolutely breathtaking! If you’re a member of the LDS church, I think you would love to see the original statue & the original statues of the 12 apostles that are being recreated for the Rome temple! Even if you’re not religious, this cathedral is stunning & you will be amazed by how beautiful the architecture is.

Tivoli Gardens – Our hotel was right around the corner & we spent an afternoon/evening at Tivoli. It’s the second oldest amusement park & it’s definitely something to check out! There were many different food options, live music & a fun water/light show. Make sure to get some churros while you’re there because they were delicious!

What to Eat

Lagkagehuset – The most delicious danish bakery with quite a few locations around the city. We stopped in here multiple times & everything we tried was delicious. The mini pizzas & cinnamon swirls (I don’t know the correct names but you’ll know them when you see them :)) were my favorites!

Cafe Oscar – We stopped in Cafe Oscar before we headed to see the changing of the guards since it was relatively close. They had options for both meat eaters & vegetarians alike which was very nice & I loved the Vegetarian Burger.

Next Door Cafe – You MUST go here! The whole vibe of the place is amazing & the food was tasty as well. You will not be disappointed!

Riz Raz – We ate here after coming back from a day trip to Malmo, Sweden (more on that below!) & we were all pretty hungry. I loved that they had a vegetarian buffet that had a lot of great options. I believe there are two locations in the city as well which makes it a nice option!

Social – A perfect spot for breakfast or lunch along the riverside & it has great food. Everything is gluten-free (still delicious though!) & their portion for the breakfast is large enough to fuel you for most of the day. Loved this spot!

Bæst – I saved THE BEST FOR LAST! Yes, I’m that excited about this restaurant! If you are in Copenhagen, do not leave until you eat here! Honestly, this was the best meal I have ever eaten in my entire life. Not exaggerating! Their pizza is made in a wood fire oven built in Naples. Their burrata is to die for & the roasted cauliflower & ricotta with dried olives were INCREDIBLE. I dream about this meal regularly & am dying to go back again!

Day Trip

We took a day trip to Malmo, Sweden without doing much research on it beforehand. Since I’m being very honest here, I wouldn’t recommend this trip. Apparently, it’s not a very safe city (found this out after the fact & there was a drive-by shooting 2 days ago (from the day that I’m writing this

0). I don’t like to be negative but it just wasn’t really worth the trip. If you do decide to take the train over though, the thing I loved most was the Slottsträdgården! It is a beautiful park with beautiful gardens & a cafe where we stopped, took a break on a bench & just enjoyed the scenery.

That’s it for my first trip to Copenhagen! If you couldn’t tell, I absolutely adore this city & 100% recommend that you add it to your travel bucket list! If you’ve been before, comment below with your favorites!