Hotel.dk recommend a holiday in Copenhagen with friends or family. Even during a short stay such as a long weekend, you will get a strong impression of Copenhagen as a really exciting and interesting city that offers everything the heart desires. Copenhagen is a city in constant development and you can rely on a new experience each time you visit the city.
The water around Copenhagen
One of Copenhagen's special trademark is the many lakes, canals and water fronts that surrounds the city. This is a great joy for the people who live in and visit the city. It is recommendable to go for a walk on Amager Strand (a large beach area in the city) with a perfect view of Øresund. Or you can take a stroll down Islands Brygge, where you get a feel for the life around Copenhagen harbour. Another great experience is to walk around the lakes of Frederiksberg, Nørrebro and Østerbro, as many Copenhageners do on the weekends. For a different experience of the Copenhagen water front take a trip up the canals of Christianshavn with the panorama view of the many old town houses, traditional sailboats and the busy atmosphere along the canals. While you are in this part of Copenhagen, you are very close to another of Copenhagen’s trademark, Christiania, which is an old military area and worth a visit. In 1971 a group of people occupied the empty area and built a community within the society based on socialistic values. Christiania has always existed with chaos and uncertainty for the future, and this is still the case today. Christiania is a very colorful and creative place in Copenhagen and a tour of the area is always exciting. Should you pass by Christiania be sure to go to the far end of the area and take a look at the many creative houses situated along the lake.
City parks
If you are looking for green areas there are many parks in Copenhagen and forests north of the city and they are certainly worth a visit. Østre Anlæg, a park located in the city centre is characterized by small cozy paths and hilly terrain and it is always a nice experience to go there. Kongens Have and H.C. Ørstedsparken are also located in the city centre and certainly worth a visit. Bring a nice hot cup of take away coffee and good walking shoes. It may also be recommended to jump on the train and get off at Klampenborg station north of Copenhagen and go for a long walk in the beautiful nature park, Dyrehaven. Here you can encounter deers jumping freely around within the 1000 hectares area.
Architecture in Copenhagen
In addition to the fantastic parks and sights, Copenhagen also offers a wide variety of architecture. In the old town, which is the centre of Copenhagen you will encounter many interesting buildings taking you back several centuries. This is in sharp contrast to the Copenhagen waterfront where you will be able to enjoy very modern architecture, such as the Opera house and Skuespilhuset (both part of the Danish Royal Theatre) and Den Sorte Diamant (the Black diamant – the Danish Royal Library).
Museums
At the Copenhagen museums you will experience both traditional and modern art. Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark's national gallery of visual art is one of Denmark's most interesting museums. At Statens Museum for Kunst, you will find both Danish and foreign visual art from year 1300 and up to present time. Right by the museum you will find the charming park, Østre Anlæg. Outside Copenhagen you will also find interesting art museums. Two of the most interesting ones are Louisiana, north of Copenhagen and Arken, south of Copenhagen. They both offer amazing modern art and beautiful surroundings.
Famous sights in Copenhagen
If you are into more traditional sightseeing you have to visit the most famous attractions like The Little Mermaid, Rundetårn (Round Tower), Tivoli, Amalienborg (the Queens castle) and the beautiful Zoo.
Neighbourhoods in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is divided into different districts and neighbourhoods. Each of them have their own trademarks and offer unique experiences. At Hotel.dk we have selected two districts, representing different sides of Copenhagen.
Vesterbro (West end)
At Vesterbro you can experience a great diversity in the group of people and a great variety in the type of stores and shops. Vesterbro has previously been characterized as an area for some of the most vulnerable citizens in Copenhagen, but throughout the last 10 years this area has undergone great changes. Today at Istedgade, you will find many interesting shops with new, young, aspiring designers. Generally, there are many exciting shopping opportunities at Vesterbro. Today Vesterbro is actually one of the most trendy nightlife areas. There are many interesting bars, cafes and restaurants, which are especially popular on weekends. The area is also home to one of Copenhagen's most versatile venues, VEGA, which also hosts a well-attended nightclub. Recently, the old area of the city's meat packing district transformed into an exciting area with a vibrant nightlife, creative businesses and interesting art galleries. In the outskirts of Vesterbro you will find, Frederiksberg Have and Søndermarken, which are two very beautiful parks - perfect for a walk or a boat trip on the lake. At the end of Søndermarken you will find a new museum, Cisternene - Museet for Moderne Glaskunst (The Museum of Modern Glass art). The gateway is a pyramid of glass, which during autumn reflects a very special light. Under ground you will find a number of glass artwork by some of Denmark's best artists. The special thing about the museum is that it is housed in an old water supply system, which makes it very unique. Copenhagen Zoo is located opposite the museum so why not visit both in the same day.
Nørrebro (North end)
The old workers area Nørrebro is also a diverse area. It is in many ways a multicultural neighbourhood, both in terms of residents and commercial offers. It is a very fascinating and special area of Copenhagen and most people who have lived there stay very attached to the area.In addition to being multicultural Nørrebro also exudes a more raw sense of creativity than most other areas of Copenhagen. You will see more street art and a higher concentration of artists, students and residents with a different ethnic background compared to the rest of Copenhagen. At the same time, there are also many modern restaurants, cafes and young families, which all in all creates the special atmosphere and charm that characterizes Nørrebro. Another characteristics of Norrebro is a very versatile and exciting business life. You will have plenty of opportunity to shop, whether you are into the famous fashion labels, street clothes, second hand clothes or vinyl records you will find it all in Nørrebro among various greengroceries and Middle Eastern-inspired take-away restaurants. A must if you are at Norrebro is to go to the famous cemetery, Assistant Kirkegård. Here you will find Hans Christian Andersen's and Søren Kierkegaard’s grave.
International focus
Through the last year, there has been a major international focus on Copenhagen, which has placed the city on the world map. In June 2008 the British lifestyle magazine Monocle selected Copenhagen as the world's greatest city to live in, because of the many green areas, lakes, water front, design, architecture, the good conditions for cyclists and because of the many gourmet restaurants. In an article from May 2008, the New York Times also praised Copenhagen for the many up-scale restaurants. But it is not only the major newspapers and magazines that acknowledge Copenhagen restaurants. Users of the site TripAdvisor.com has also been engaged in reporting Copenhagen restaurants. The users have selected Europe's 10 best restaurants and on this list are two Copenhagen restaurants - Noma as the No 1 and Formula B as No. 10. Latest the Copenhagen restaurant, Noma, has been picked as the best restaurant in the world by the internationally recognized magazine, Restaurant Magazine.
Transport
Public transportation in Copenhagen is very good and takes you anywhere you wish to go. It is easy to get around the city by public transport, such as metro, train and bus. Furthermore, there are several places in the city where you can rent bicycles, which is a very comfortable way to get around the city. Copenhagen is a safe place to ride a bicycle because of the many separated bike lanes. Alternatively, you can take advantage of one of the city bikes which are placed around central Copenhagen. You simply insert a coin to unlock the bike from the stand. Once you return the bike you get your money back.
