CITY GUIDE | HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF 48 HOURS IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

Monday 18 December 2017

I feel like I've spoken briefly about my trip to Copenhagen throughout my recent posts, but I've finally had the chance to sit down and write a post dedicated to my 48 hours there. The trip was a pretty 'spur of the moment' idea as I was looking at somewhere to take my mum with nice Christmas markets and somewhere that neither of us had visited before. When I saw the flights were only £40 return, it seemed worth it even for just a short period of time (downside of being a working adult and having no annual leave left). Denmark, like a lot of Scandinavia, is known for being a tad on the pricey side so in a way 2 days was perfect for our wallets too. If you're on a budget or simply wanting to make a quick stop to the city, here is my list of things to do, see and try in Copenhagen, Denmark. 

copenhagen

WHERE TO STAY


kong arthur


 I had the luxury of having a complimentary stay at Kong Arthur, and complimentary or not I had 0 complaints. Neither did my mother and that one always has something to say about wherever we stay, in fact she wanted to ask if she could buy the pillows. Kong Arthur is a 4 star boutique hotel situated on the inner lakes of Copenhagen and is only 200m from the city centre. The hotel and rooms are a mixture of medieval architecture and modern living. As soon as you step in the hotel you can feel 'Hygge' all over the place. From the cosy sofas to their beds that make you feel like you're sleeping on a cloud. The hotel offers a running club in the morning to network with other guests and get some fresh air in those lungs. They even offer a 'cosy' hour in the afternoon where guests are invited to join them for a complimentary drink in the reception. The hotel also features its own wellness spa featuring a range of different treatments based on Asian traditions. 

cheese


From our stay, we could tell their was a strong sense of environmental responsibility. The lights were dim, there were recycling bins in the bedrooms and lots of greenery in the hotel itself. The rooms were spacious and comfortable and was perfect for our mid-afternoon crash power nap. The bathroom even came with a range of 'nordic amber' moisturisers and gels. My intermittent fasting went out the window here, because there was no way I was skipping out on the large selection of breakfast at the buffet. There were lots of nordic classics including a range of cold cuts and cheeses, danish pastries and the best seasonal produce. The staff were very friendly and always on hand to help with any questions we had, the rooms were heated and most importantly for my fellow bloggers, there was free fast WIFI!! 

breakfast


WHERE TO EAT


The good thing about city breaks is that you can afford to stuff your face because you usually balance it out with all the walking. From doing research I discovered that 'smorgasbord' was something we had to try whilst in the city, which is basically just an open faced sandwich. However at 1 degree a cold sandwich wasn't all that appetising to me, so my mum went with that and I went with the warm and hearty goulash soup. The colourful Nyhaven is buzzing with restaurants and bars so if you haven't pre-organised where you're eating you're bound to find something here.

goulash

One restaurant I kept seeing repeatedly on Pinterest was Cock's and Cows, which we happened to stumble upon whilst trying to find the meeting point for the river cruise. I'm not much of a burger person but boy, these burgers did not disappoint. The chips are homemade and you have about 10 different dips to choose from. More so, it was relatively inexpensive for danish standards, we're talking £15 for a meal and a drink.

Now on to the sweet treats, we couldn't leave without having an authentic hot dog from the Christmas markets, and flavoured fudge, and a waffle on a stick, and mini pancakes, and of course danish pastries. I can't quite remember the name of any of the unique ones, but the one I had involved strawberries, marzipan and merengue. We probably stopped for hot chocolates twice a day, Coffee House is a chain cafe in the city which serves them with a block of chocolate on a stick that you melt into the milk, it will set you back about 6 euros so maybe keep this as a treat.

fudge


WHAT TO DO


So now that you've got the food 411, it's time to burn it off. We actually managed to fit a lot in during the 48 hours, including an afternoon nap. We kicked off our first day with a river cruise that took you from Nyport to Nyhaven and passed the Little Mermaid. The tour was informative but I spent too much time shivering to properly appreciate it as the guy in front of me had his window open so I was getting the second hand cold air on my face. The information I did gather made me sound a lot smarter when we had the walking tour and I could answer questions about Hans Christian Andersen like I was his number one fan (he wrote The Little Mermaid).  


tivoli

We explored the streets, shops and Christmas Market stalls for a while before making our way to see the Tivoli Gardens. These are beautiful all year round but you can imagine how extra impressive they look at Christmas time. This is actually the second oldest theme park in Europe and was said to be the 'inspiration' for Walt Disney's theme parks. Admission to the park is 10 euros, but doesn't include entry to the rides (which unless you're 10 you should be ok). There were tons of little shops here, which were great from hiding from the cold and picking up small gifts. 


copenhagen

Sunday morning we went on a 'free' walking tour of the city with Sandman's which works on a basis that you tip your guide whatever you think the tour is worth at the end. I usually like doing this at the beginning of the trip because then you get your bearings for the place and learn more about buildings that you wouldn't necessarily know were significant, and you usually get to hear other local quirks about the place. If you want to get your Instagram fix then Nyhaven is full of colourful buildings that will make great backdrops. 

On your trip here, you might also come across the Bella Center, which hosts events and is also known as being a sustainable venue in 2024.


nyhaven

Last but not least, we couldn't leave without making a quick pit stop to 'Freetown' Christiania which is a self-proclaimed anarchist district in Copenhagen. You get the hippie vibe as soon as you step in as you're surrounded by psychedelic buildings and art. This is also the only place where you can buy and smoke weed without getting in trouble for it, just don't whack out your camera when passing through this area. 


christiania



That about took up the 2 days! I was amazed we managed to see most of the city, I think if we would have stayed longer we would have spent an extra £100 and had to be rolled back home. Have you ever been to Copenhagen or Denmark?

G

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for more ideas on what to do in Copenhagen head to my Denmark Pinterest board.




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