WØNDERFUL, WØNDERFUL CØPENHAGEN!
Copenhagen has long been hailed as “wonderful, wonderful” in the Hans Christian Andersen musical.
We all compile lists in our head of the places in the world that we just have to visit and Denmark has been on mine for quite some time. Despite being on the list it’s never had the fortune of getting to the top and I was never sure why that was. Was it my preconception that it was always cold and pickled herring was the constant menu du jour? Who can say?
Formerly, the city of Copenhagen was surrounded by ramparts and moats which were eventually transformed into a series of green parks and lakes, making it one of northern Europe’s most beautiful yet vibrant cities. Medieval timbered buildings, unique architectural gems and historic streets are complemented by innovative and dynamic new architecture, ultramodern fashion and design shops, set alongside outstanding museums and galleries. Although it is the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen is compact and easily explored on foot.
The Tivoli Gardens is usually first on any tourist list of places to visit, but there is also the amusement park in Bakken, north of the city. Copenhagen’s museums boast a justifiable international reputation for their collected works and imaginative transitory exhibitions. The Nationalmuseet (the National Museum) is the biggest, but more specialised museums such as the Tøjhusmuseet (the Armoury Museum) and Teater Museet (the Theatre Museum) are also worth a visit.
The former red light district of Vesterbro has been updated and is now a vibrant district packed with ultra stylish shops and individual places to eat yet still has traces of it’s past, while Norrebro also has the same quirky shops and bars but set in more of an up market multi-cultural scene. Christianshavn district houses some high class haunts such as the prominent contemporary Opera House and commended eatery Noma, contrasted with the old 1970s ‘Free City’ of Christiania, even though the drug booths of Pusher Street (yes, really) have long gone.
Copenhagen can however be costly on the wallet! Prices are expensive even if you opt for one of the city’s many tasting menus with wine. One option to help save money is ‘Dine with the Danes’ (00 45 26 85 39 61, www.dinewiththedanes.dk), a scheme that lets visitors have dinner at home with Copenhagers of their choice (key in your details to match up with like-minded souls). Average cost is around £15 per person.
BEST FOR EATING OUT
Meal prices are per person, based on three courses with wine.
Kokkeriet
An intimate place nestled in a row of small, yellow 17th century houses near Nyboder. The menu is modern European coupled with Danish traditions.
Kronprinsessegade 64 00 45 33 15 27 77 www.kokkeriet.dk Tue-Sat 6pm-1am £45.
Noma
Boasting 2 Michelin stars, Noma, is a 19th century harbourside converted warehouse with old beams, rustic charm and classic Danish furniture. Chef Rene Redzepi creates brilliant classic Scandinavian food that tantalizes the taste buds.
Strandgade 93, Christianshavn 00 45 32 96 32 97 www.noma.dk Lunch: Tue-Fri 12-4pm (last orders: 1.30pm), also Sat in December. Dinner: Mon-Sat 6pm-1am (last orders: 10pm) £33. Seven course tasting menu: £80 (not including wine)
Café Victor
French bistro meets Danish tradition at Café Victor. The brasserie menu mixes international classics with Danish ones – a platter with five different kinds of herring, perhaps, or smoked eel with scrambled eggs and chives.
Ny Østergade 00 45 33 13 36 13 Mon-Wed 8am-1am; Thurs-Sat 8am-2am; Sun 11am-11pm £25.
Ida Davidsen
Though smørredbrød is everywhere, its leading light is Ida Davidsen, whose menu offers 250 variations, from open rye bread sandwiches piled with various savoury toppings such as boiled egg and dill, beetroot, mackerel, roast onions and cold meats.
Store Kongensgade 70 00 45 33 91 36 55
www.idadavidsen.dk Mon-Fri 10am-4pm £5-10.
BEST FOR TRIPS OUT
Tivoli and Bakken
Tivoli’s was established in the 19th century as a ‘pleasure garden’ with landscaped grounds, quality restaurants, music halls plus rides and amusements. Diners can choose the Michelin-starred Paul (www.thepaul.dk), the George III restaurant on board a replica 18th century frigate (www.fregatten-tivoli.dk) or the charming Groften.
From April to September the S-Tog train takes visitors up the coast to Klampenborg for Bakken, the up-market alternative to Tivoli. As well as being the world’s oldest amusement park, Bakken is situated in a vast deer park. Of the park restaurants – Peter Lieps Hus is the best (Dyrehaven 8, 00 45 39 64 07 86, www.peterliep.dk). An excellent sandy beach, Bellevue Beach, is by the park on the Oresund.
Tivoli: Vesterbrogade 3 00 45 33 15 10 01 www.tivoli.dk Apr-Sep: daily 11am-11pm Entrance: adults £8, under-12 £4, rides extra
Bakken: Dyrehaven, Klampenborg 00 45 39 63 35 44 www.bakken.dk Mar-Sep: midday-midnight Free entry
National Museum/Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
The National Museum offers a magnificent record of Denmark’s past. A stone’s throw away, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is a masterpiece-laden gallery built with profits from the eponymous Danish beer.
As well as Impressionist and post-Impressionist gems, the classical interior holds iconic sculptures ranging from ancient Babylon to Rodin’s The Thinker. There’s also a lovely café in the gallery’s palm-filled central atrium.
National Museum: Ny Vestergade 10 00 45 33 13 44 11 www.natmus.dk Tue-Sun 10am-5pm Free
Glyptotek: Dantes Plads 7 00 45 33 41 81 41 www.glyptoteket.dk Tue-Sun 10am-4pm £5
Museum of Art and Design
Design buffs flock here to see the influences that inspired Danish designers such as Poul Henningsen, Kaare Klint and Arne Jacobsen.
Historic collections and contemporary exhibitions cover applied and visual arts, ceramics, furniture and textiles.
Bredgade 68 00 45 33 18 56 56 www.kunstindustrimuseet.dk Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm £5 (under-18 free)
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle would not look out of place in a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. With its historic interiors, beautifully tended grounds and free attractions including the National Gallery, a cinema museum and the Botanic Gardens.
The Geranium restaurant offers excellent meals or the harbourside places at nearby Nyhavn are a short stroll away.
Oster Volgade 4A 00 45 33 15 32 86 www.rosenborg-slot.dk Daily May-Oct 10am-4pm (5pm Jun/Jul), Nov-Apr Tue-Sun 11am-2pm £6.50 (£8 for joint ticket with nearby Amalienborg palace)
Louisiana Museum
Louisiana Museum consists of low, glass-sided pavilions and grounds, 22 miles north of the city but easily accessed by S-Tog, housing a superb collection of modern painting and sculpture by Miró, Calder and others.
Gammel Strandvej 13, Humlebaek 00 45 49 19 07 19 www.louisiana.dk
Daily 10am-5pm (10pm Wed) £9 (under-18 free)
BEST HOTELS
Radisson Sas Royal
From its exterior façade, famous twisting staircase and the iconic ‘egg’ chairs designed for its lobby, this is a 20-storey celebration of the Danish design legend Arne Jacobsen, who gave us the world’s first designer hotel, in 1960. Room 606 is a design time capsule that remains exactly as it was when the hotel first opened.
Hammerichsgade 1 00 45 33 42 60 00 www.radissonsas.com Doubles from £140
Opera
Tucked away on a tree-lined side street near Kongens Nytorv, this lovely three-star makes a conscious nod to ‘English style’ with its vintage décor and air of theatricality. It is well-situated, too, with the harbour-side cafes and bars of Nyhavn towards one side and the joys of the old town on the other.
Tordenskjoldsgade 15 00 45 33 47 83 00 www.operahotelcopenhagen.com Doubles from £90
Hotel Ansgar
A good value option is the former Danish Mission Hotel. In a central location near the Central Station off Istedgade, the rooms are bright and modern and the lovely courtyard is a bonus in good weather.
Colbjørnsensgade 29 00 45 33 21 21 96 www.ansgar-hotel.dk Doubles from £75
BARS AND CAFES
Bang & Jensen
By day, this one-time Art Nouveau pharmacy in Vesterbro is a relaxed café famous for its brunches, but at 9pm it changes into a cool bar.
(Istegade 130, 00 45 3325 5318, www.bangogjensen.dk).
Boutique Lize is a former clothes shop transformed into a cocktail bar where décor is minimal and so are the prices.
(Enghave Plads 6)
K Bar is a minimalist lounge amid old buildings and canals near Højbro Plads, offering a cocktail list famed for its martinis.
(Ved Stranden 20)
Ricco’s serves probably the best coffee in the city.
(Istedgade 119, plus branch on Studiestrade)
Café à Porta This historic and atmospheric café counts Hans Christian Andersen as a former customer (he lived on the top floor).
Kongens Nytorv (17)
La Glace on Skoubogade or Kransekagehuset on Ny Ostergade offer the best Danish pastries in town.
NIGHTLIFE
Vega, a former left-wing political venue that’s now dedicated to socialising rather than socialism leads the Copenhagen nightlife scene.
(Enghavevej 40, 00 45 33 25 70 11, www.vega.dk)
Rust is a multi-storey venue in vibrant Norrebro catering for the city’s alternative/indie music scene.
(Guldbergsgade 8, 00 45 35 24 52 00, www.rust.dk, closed Sun-Tue)
Jazz House is the top spot to hear the best of jazz music in the city.
(Niels Hemmingsens Gade 10, 00 45 33 15 26 00, www.jazzhouse.dk)
Dan Turèll is a fun-filled bar named after a local writer who lived fast and died young.
(Store Regnegade 3, 00 45 33 14 10 47)
Pussy Galore’s Flying Circus has something to offer for most tastes
(Sankt Hans Torv 30, 00 45 35 24 53 00).
SHOPPING
Copenhagen’s most famous and expensive shops are on Stroget, Europe’s longest pedestrianised street. Illums Bolighus for homewares, Royal Copenhagen for porcelain, Holmegaard for glass and Georg Jensen for silver.
Kompagnistraede runs parallel to Stroget and is more interesting and less expensive.
Studiestrade, Larsbjorns Strade and Istedgade are treasure troves of both vintage and new fashion.
Bargains can be found in the second hand shops around Faelledvej and Elmegade in Norrebro, alongside new Danish design offerings.
Denmark is in the EU but has kept its currency, the Danish Kronor. The exchange rate is around 10 kronor to £1 The Copenhagen Card provides free entrance to museums and other attractions as well as travel on the city’s transport network.
(www.visitcopenhagen.dk) 24hr card: £20 adult, £13 child, 72hr card: £43 adult, £25 child.
I’m really looking forward to being in Copenhagen again. Last time I stayed as long as I could, took pictures, and hung out until they threw me out of the place!
George Duke, Jazz musician
Our time in Copenhagen was quite limited and having never visited the city before, we found there was a lot to fit in. Step in our saviors, experience company Isango.
Isango allowed us to book a variety of experiences online before we traveled thus minimising the stress of deciding what and where to visit upon arrival saving us valuable time in the process.
We opted for the ‘City and Harbour Tour’. The city of palaces and Hans Christian Anderson, Copenhagen was a pleasure to visit aboard this relaxed and informative bus tour that took in the magnificent Royal Palace where the Danish royal family lives and cruised down its canals, giving a different perspective on the city. No visit to the Danish capital would be complete without seeing the statue of The Little Mermaid who reclines on a rock in the harbour and this Isango experience did not disappoint.
Isango experiences in Copenhagen range from £18.54 – £51.74 www.isango.com
Words: Graham Gartside-Bernier
