Copenhagen, for some it conjures images of of old world architecture and sleek Nordic design; for others it’s Hans Christian Andersen and a certain ocean-dwelling maiden. Food and the new Nordic cuisine draws others to Danish capital. Cozy and cool, traditional and free-thinking, reserved and welcoming; Copenhagen is a city of contrasts that blend perfectly. After visiting Copenhagen for the first time, here are a few of my first impressions.
Bikes. They’re everywhere.
I knew that Copenhagen is one of the world’s most bike friendly cities but I wasn’t fully prepared for how much bikes are woven into the fabric of daily life. My first expose to Copenhagen’s bike culture was early one morning as I stumbled out of the train station after a red eye flight. I was met by legions of cyclists,mostly clad in black, on their daily commute to work. It was clear that that for them this was no Sunday ride through the park, they meant business.Even as someone who regularly bikes to work in the U.S., I was a bit intimidated.
As my trip lasted into the weekend, the bike traffic, and the city in general, relaxed considerably. One thing that really impressed me was that almost no one locked their bike up. Out of the hundreds of bikes I saw most were left out in the open when not in use- that alone speaks volumes about Danish society. With so many things to do in Copenhagen getting around by bike is definitely one of the best ways to experience Danish culture.
Now that I know my way around Copenhagen a bit I’ll definitely hop on two wheels the next time I’m there.
Check out these unique things to do in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is a city tied to the water.
Like most people I’d seen pictures of Nyhaven, Copenhagen’s most famous canal lined with crayon box colored houses and sailboats. What I found was a city laced with canals and lakes and framed by the Oresund, which separates Denmark from neighboring Sweden. Whether you have one day in Copenhagen or a week make sure to explore Copenhagen’s waterways by harbor bus, canal cruise or kayak to get a different view of the city or head on over to the Christianhaven neighborhood to stroll around this charming neighborhood’s canals.
It’s windy.
Move over Chicago, Copenhagen is the real “Windy City”. The thing is, they put it to good use. Flying in to Copenhagen you quickly notice the dozens of wind turbines dotting the water surrounding the city and it’s easy to see that being green is a priority for the city. Currently 20% of Copenhagen’s energy comes from wind power and the city has a goal to become C02 neutral by 2025.
Hygge.
You’ll find Copenhagen at the top of a lot of World’s Best Lists when it comes to quality of life, health and happiness. The Danish people know they have a good thing going but rather than be ostentatious or showy they tend more towards subtlety. The Danish concept of hyyge is described on the Visit Denmark site as” creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people”.This was evident in just about every interaction I had in Copenhagen, from hours spent preparing and eating a meal in someone’s home to asking for directions; everyone was welcoming and truly interested in how I was experiencing their city.
Copenhagen has mastered the art of being casually chic.
I was immediately taken by the fashion in Copenhagen. Jeans and comfortable shoes were the rule rather than the exception, and yet everyone looked smart and well put together. In general Copenhagen had a very relaxed, welcoming vibe which extended throughout the all aspects of the culture. Even at Noma, consistently ranked as one of the world’s best restaurants, service was relaxed and welcoming rather than stiff and formal.
Go for the food.
Exploring the food scene was what initially drew me to Copenhagen.The rise of New Nordic cuisine, helmed by the aforementioned Noma takes a fresh look at traditional Danish ingredients with delicious result. Seafood, along with pork, bread and dairy, feature prominently on Danish menus. Greens, herbs and flowers, often foraged; offer up vegetal and floral notes. Smoke and vinegars, once necessary preservation methods are now common accent flavors. Copenhagen’s cuisine is highly seasonal and is truly reflective of what’s available at the moment. All of this combines to produce food that is surprisingly light and fresh while still being hearty.A great way to learn about Copenhagen’s food culture is with Mia of CPH Good Food, she encourages hands on learning and offers a fantastic introduction to Danish cuisine.
Oh, another thing? There seems to be a national obsession with rhubarb. Featured in juices, sodas, ice cream and a myriad of desserts I quickly discovered this ruby jewel of a veggie’s potential goes far beyond jams and pies.
The Little Mermaid.
Now you’ve seen it. Please go explore the rest of what this wonderful city has to offer.
This was my first visit to the Danish capital but it certainly won’t be my last. Copenhagen’s mix of royal grandeur, modern design, world class food and welcoming nature made it an easy city to love. Have you fallen for Copenhagen’s Nordic charms?
Judy at My Well Seasoned Life says
I spent two weeks in Copenhagen this April and really enjoyed this trip more than the other times. CPH has changed a good deal since my first visit. The biggest change has been the food scene. I didn’t get to Noma but had one of the very best meals ever at Amass. And totally agree about the mermaid, take a picture and move on there’s so much more to see and do.
PS. I can’t believe they still have rhubarb. I’m out in LA and can’t find any.
Brianna says
I ate at Amass as well, the food was spectacular. I had some amazing meals at all price points on this trip.
Morgan Sullivan says
Sounds like you had a great time! Your pictures are stunning 🙂 I’ll be visiting Europe for the first time in September, and I’m hoping to make it to Copenhagen – now even more so after having seen this. Great post!
Brianna says
Thanks Morgan! I really do hope you make it to Copenhagen, its a gem of a city 🙂
Brooke says
I haven’t been to Copenhagen yet, but have heard raves about its charms. I’m excited to see more cities dedicated to the environment and I’m glad to see Copenhagen contributing by using wind power and riding bikes. I recently read an article in Afar about the dedication to biking and how a writer joined the movement. I would be apprehensive at first, but it sounds like a great idea. Thanks for all of your suggestions beyond The Little Mermaid statue–I always appreciate it when people recommend things beyond the tourist options.
Brianna says
For me the best thing about Copenhagen was the vibe, unpretentious and welcoming.
Natasha says
I like the idea of a city that’s tied to the water, I’ve never been to one of those. And the food sounds interesting as well. Is there any street food though?
Brianna says
There are hot dog stands and great thai takeaway all over the city. On weekends there is a pop up food scene and each vendor is in their own shipping container.
Tami says
How funny that you posted about Copenhagen at the same time I just visited Solvang (the Danish capitol of the U.S.)! I was surprised at how small the mermaid replica was there and also surprised to see how small the original is in Copenhagen. Had the same surprise when I saw Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The best parts of a city are rarely those odd icons that attract the crowds of tourists with cameras!
Brianna says
My brother spent some time in Solvang, he became addicted to ebelskeivers.
Samantha says
c02 neutral by 2025 is impressive! But then with all those bikes I guess there are much fewer cars! The Netherlands and Scandinavia have got their heads screwed on when it comes to eco-friendliness not only in their policies but they seem to have a lot of green hotels etc..
Brianna says
I agree and its quite refreshing to see. Hopefully more countries follow their lead.
Heather Cole says
It really is a very relaxed city isn’t it, great for strolls without the usual city stresses. Didn’t know about the rhubarb thing though, it was all danish pastries, bacon and mongolian (!) restaurants when I was there!
Brianna says
I didn’t see many Mongolian places but there were a ton of thai restaurants.
Laura says
Wow food and bikes – I’m in!! You’ve painted a lovely picture of Copenhagen, it sounds awesome! I love rhubarb.
Brianna says
After my visit to Copenhagen I now love rhubarb as well!
Janeen @ Green Global Travel says
Great pictures of such a beautiful city! Thanks for the wonderful tips about Copenhagen. I look forward to visiting one day.
Brianna says
Thanks Janeen, Copenhagen is a city I can definitely see myself returning to.
Amber says
I love reading other people’s good experiences with Denmark. I remember on my first trip there also being somewhat overwhelmed with the amount of bikes that are used daily. Hygge is also super important 🙂 I’m glad you were able to experience it!
Brianna says
Hygge is the best part about openhagen in my opinion 🙂
Andi says
I love the casual chic aspect and the friendliness of Noma, I hate stuffy restaurants! Copenhagen has been a location I have wanted to visit for awhile, and I definitely want to go for the food. Didn’t know about their obsession with rhubarb, but I am thrilled, I love rhubarb!
Brianna says
Andi, you would love Copenhagen! It’s not just Noma but most of the Michelin star restaurants here are more relaxed in general, its great.
Christa says
Copenhagen sounds wonderful! Except for the wind but I’m sure that can be manageable. We just returned from our first trip to Europe and there were a few times that I was caught walking inside the bike paths by accident. That’s going to take some getting used to.
Brianna says
I learned to avoid the bike lanes really quick 😉
Betsy Wuebker | PassingThru says
We’re hoping to visit Copenhagen next year. There’s so much rich Danish history to absorb and if the food scene is as you describe, we’ll be in heaven!
Brianna says
I’m sure you’ll have a wonderful time!
Hitch-Hikers Handbook says
Looks like a great city and I would love to visit! I’ve heard the Little Mermaid is a huge disappointment and it’s great to hear the city has much more to offer!
Brianna says
The best part about Copenhagen is the relaxed, welcoming vibe.
noel says
Lovely first impressions of Copenhagen. Funny I never went to check out the Little Mermaid at all. I totally loved all your thoughts about the culture and lifestyle there and agree, it is a great space and also the city has some wonderful green spaces to relax and enjoy the good life there.
Brianna says
I didn’t seek out the Little Mermaid, we just happened to pass it on a canal cruise.
Meg Jerrard says
So glad to hear you enjoyed your time in Copenhagen – we were also very taken by the city when we first arrived. Had to laugh that your first in this list were the bikes – OMG yes! Just as many bikes here as in the Netherlands – talk about an active and energy clean city!!
The only thing which disappointed me about Copenhagen was the littler mermaid – bit of a tourist trap if I’m being honest – but apart from that, also just totally fell in love with the vibe of the city and the really unique architecture 🙂 Thanks for the reminder and trip down memory lane!
Brianna says
I’m glad you loved COpenhagen as much as I did 🙂
Heather Widmer says
Stunning photographs! From everything that you’ve described, it looks like Copenhagen needs to be on my travel bucket list. You pretty much summed up what I look for in an ideal travel destination. Cycling around the city sounds amazing. It’s so crazy that most people don’t lock up their bikes, seems like there are very few places in the world where you can still do something like that.
Brianna says
It really does speak a lot about their culture doesn’t it?
Justine says
Actually we do lock our bikes in Copenhagen. We have sorts of sturdy locks attached to the back of the bike frame, they lock directly on the rear wheel. Very discreet and easy. We can’t lock our bikes with huge chains to fixed points, there are so many bikes in town, it would be impossible to manage 🙂
Strolling around by bike is one of the best way to enjoy Copenhagen!
Dana says
I knew that Copenhagen is a huge biking city, but I had no idea that they don’t even lock up their bikes. That makes me want to visit even more. I’m sure my daughter would enjoy seeing Little Mermaid, even if it doesn’t seem to be as great of an attraction as the rest of the city.
Brianna says
I’m sure your daughter would also love visiting Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world.
Nic from Roaming Renegades says
Ha ha, the bit about the mermaid made me laugh, sometimes it does feel like you have to kind of tick those things off but there is usually so much more to see. We haven’t been to Scandinavia yet bit really do want to, I think a big factor is cost which is putting us off but hopefully we can visit soon, Copenhagen is right up there for me.
Brianna says
Copenhagen is a bit spendy but no worse than London. There are plenty of things to do and see on a budget.
Lisa Chavis says
What great pictures! We just left CPH and LOVED it so much. What a vibrant and fun city! I was wondering if I was the only one who was seriously ‘underwhelmed’ by The Little Mermaid? I was so excited to see her, but when we arrived I was…meh. I agree – take the picture (if you can with the other tourist hordes around her) and move on 🙂 Great impressions of this casually chic city!
Brianna says
Thanks Lisa, I had an amazing time and would go back in a heartbeat.
Inma says
Thanks for this! I had an outdated impression of the city as I just was there for 5 hours some years back during a layover and found everything a bit overpriced and not that interesting. Now I want to go back and check it out properly!.
Brianna says
I thought it would be enjoyable but I was surprised how much I loved the city.
Ben says
Great Perspective! I know that we had a great time in Copenhagen when we went for Midsommar.
It seems we both enjoyed it, although probably for different reasons, check my perspective out here: http://www.hugepartytravel.com/2014/08/CopenhagenDenmark.html
Cheers,
Ben from HugeParty Travel
Brianna says
While we were there Distraction was going on- a week long party that popped up in different parts of the city.
Megsy says
LOL at the Little Mermaid part. Copenhagen is so chill you just want to hangout every afternoon. And mad props to them for aiming to be as clean and green as possible.
Brianna says
Not to mention everyone is so stinking nice!
Alouise says
I really debated going to Copenhagen this fall (I’ll be going to Madrid instead). Reading this blog I definitely want to check out Copenhagen at some point, hopefully sooner than later.
Brianna says
I was surprised how much I loved Copenhagen, it’s one of the nicest cities I’ve been to.
Caroline says
Glad you loved Copenhagen, I’ve lived here for a year and am still discovering new things every day! Not to disillusion you about the bikes, but they actually are locked up! Most have a clamp locked onto the back wheel to prevent theft (which does happen), but it’s true that most of them aren’t locked to anything.
Penny says
I’m just recently back from Copenhagen too – like you, it was my first visit.
We absolutely loved our all too brief trip there! Lots of charm and the people are so friendly. Did you manage to get out of the city at all? We did a brief trip up to Helsingør (the town with ‘Hamlet’s Castle’) which is only around 40 mins away (we had Copenhagen Cards which covered both train and entrance) and we enjoyed there as well.
The whole region has lots to offer. We’ve already had the ‘we must go back again but for longer’ chat – In fact I think we might have actually still been there when we did, hehe.
Brianna says
Penny, we too went out to Elsinor. I t was a toss up between that and going to Roskilde for the viking museum.
Penny says
Ah yes, we had a similar dilemma about Roskilde too. I would also have loved to squeeze in Hillrød – too many places, not enough time!
Marie @mariestravels.com says
I love the food in Copenhagen! Anyone who’s ever visiting Copenhagen should try as many restaurants as possible 🙂
Brianna says
I agree! I need to head back to CPH and try some more.
Beth | Adventuring the Great Wide Somewhere says
It looks like you had a lovely trip! I have a hard time wrapping my head around a place where commuting by bike is the norm rather than the exception. I’d love to fly over myself and meet some of these warm, welcoming people!
Brianna says
I wish it were more bike friendly here in the States, I’d definitely do it myself.
Megan Claire says
THANKYOU for saying go explore the rest of Copenhagen after having seen the Little Mermaid lol we visited recently, and this attraction is so overhyped in my humble opinion. Sadly way to many tourists huddling around a tiny little statue for my liking 😀
Though we did enjoy Copenhagen and had many of the same first impressions as you did – didn’t really get a chance to try the food as we stayed in an apartment and did a lot of our own cooking, so will have to get back so we can sample the food scene!
Brianna says
The food here, at all price points, is simply amazing.
Bobbi Gould says
Looking at these pictures and reading through your comments I need to go! It looks so peaceful. I love your writing by the way!
Brianna says
Thanks Bobbi! I absolutely loved Copenhagen and I can’t wait to go back.
Connie Reed says
I read a Travel + Leisure article this morning that includes Copenhagen on their list of the world’s friendliest cities. Unbelievable that they don’t have to lock up their bikes. It sounds like a wonderful place to visit and is going on my bucket list.
samiya selim says
I have never been to Copenhagen but I have heard great things about their carbon neutral advancements, all the cycling and windpower is very impressive! It looks like a very pretty city to visit, your pictures here are lovely!
szewo says
Beautiful city! Just came back from one day trip to CPH: https://youtu.be/MEEA9m9EfAw
Brianna says
I totally fell for Copenhagen, its such a cool city!
Xiaomi Mi4 says
What’s food in the seventh picture? it’s look delicious
Kirsten Bukager says
I loved reading about your first impressions of my home capital, Brianna! Funny you comment on the wind, normally the windy part of Denmark is on the western coast, but no rule without exceptions :o). You mention the popularity of rhubarb, and I think it has to do with our love for fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables: When it’s rhubarb season, we all eat rhubarb; when it’s elderflower seasoin, we all drink elderflower lemonade; when it’s strawberry season, we all eat “rødgrød med fløde” (dessert). Greenland is another great place to visit in Scandinavia (and part of the Danish kingdom). If you haven’t been there yet, I highly recommend it, especially in spring or summer. Breath-taking landscape. I haven’t written about it yet, but will gladly answ er any questions.
Brianna says
I absolutely loved my time in Copenhagen and would love to go back. Greenland is very high on my travel wish list, I’ll definitely be in touch!