Denmark

Three days in Copenhagen

As tradition has demanded for a few years now, we organised a little girls’ trip with my friend Margot. In March 2022, off to Copenhagen then!

6 March 2022

As tradition has demanded for a few years now, we organised a little girls’ trip with my friend Margot. In March 2022, off to Copenhagen then! We booked our plane tickets with Easyjet at the end of December because we had spotted a great deal: 49€ return for a long weekend from Thursday evening to Sunday evening (from Paris CDG). Impossible to pass up that opportunity, and we really wanted to discover this city in northern Europe.

Three days were enough for us to get a good overview of the city: here are our recommendations.

What to see in Copenhagen

Indre By district, the city centre

Kastellet

The Kastellet is a star-shaped citadel, built in the 17th century, located north of the city centre, in the Indre By district. This military fortress is today a wooded park surrounded by water where locals and tourists go for a walk. Brick buildings are lined up in the middle of the fortifications: the red stood out against the blue of the sky. It is a place not to be missed!

Monumental gate of the citadel framed by a stone arch

Lantern hanging above the cobbled courtyard and the red buildings

Wooden bridge crossing the moat towards the citadel gate

Gable of a large red warehouse with white windows, clear sky

Red buildings with slate roofs and a bell turret behind a grassy bank

Yellow house with a tiled roof set on the lawn of the ramparts

Long cobbled avenue running between two rows of red barracks

Star-shaped moat of the citadel and green banks under a blue sky

Red Danish postbox standing in front of the citadel esplanade

A pretty windmill stands just behind the church: a touch of Northern Europe that makes you think of Holland!

Traveller in a white shirt in front of the Kastellet windmill

Old red cannon aimed towards the windmill on the ramparts

Black windmill on a red base, wooden sails spread out

Right next door are St Alban’s Church in Copenhagen, the Gefion Fountain (in bronze) and a little further on, one of the city’s main attractions: the famous Little Mermaid on the shore of the Baltic Sea. The tiny statue (1.25 m) is a tribute to the writer Hans Christian Andersen and to his work of the same name.

Statue of the Little Mermaid sitting on her rock facing the harbour

Anglican church in grey stone and its slender Gothic spire

Bronze Little Mermaid atop the rocks emerging from the shore

Nyboder

On the way back from the Kastellet, we passed through the small, colourful district of Nyboder. Here, all the houses are painted yellow and lined up, and used to house sailors and officers. But we read that the houses are still lived in today by military personnel. It is a rather unusual district: it would be a shame to miss it!

Long street lined with identical ochre houses and parked cars

Low row of orange houses with green shutters and parked bicycles

Street lamp on the corner of an ochre house, cobbled street stretching away

Yellow corner house with a street sign, bicycle leaning against the wall

Grassy bank running alongside the small ochre houses with pink shutters

In the adjacent streets, around the Jerusalem church, there are other colourful houses that reminded us of London neighbourhoods!

Residential street with yellow and red buildings, trees still bare

Gently sloping cobbled street between colourful houses, black off-roader parked

Bright yellow facade opening onto a cobbled lane of contrasting houses

Marmorkirken

One of the most beautiful monuments in Copenhagen is the baroque church of Saint Frederick » (also called the “marble” Church), very well known for its magnificent dome. It stands just opposite the Amalienborg Palace and is said to be inspired by the dome of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Inside, the marble cupola is decorated with paintings: it is worth going into the church.

Colonnaded portico and verdigris dome of the Marble Church

Stone dome and bronze statue at the edge of the square

Interior beneath the painted dome, wooden pews lined up towards the altar

Dome and statues of saints overlooking the facade of the Marble Church

Amalienborg Palace

Crossing the street opposite the marble church, we arrived on the magnificent square where four palaces face one another, forming the Amalienborg complex, the Danish royal residence. In the centre of this impressive square stands an equestrian statue of King Ferdinand V. Around midday, the daily changing of the guard ends its route on the square.

Pale stone palace of Amalienborg and paving laid out in a fan pattern

Classical facade of one of the four royal palaces under a blue sky

Stone colonnade framing the equestrian statue on the royal square

Equestrian statue and green dome glimpsed from an iron balustrade

Rosenborg Castle and Kongens Have

Set in the so-called king’s gardens, Rosenborg Castle was the summer residence of the Danish kings until the beginning of the 18th century. It houses today the jewel collection of the Danish royal family, which you can see by visiting the castle interiors. As for the outside, it is freely accessible.

Entrance gate of Rosenborg Castle guarded by two bronze lions

Rosenborg Castle in red brick and its towers with green roofs

Rosenborg reflected in the still water of its moat

Renaissance facade of the castle and the close-cropped lawn of the royal garden

Cobbled path lined with tall hedges leading to the castle porch

Brick towers and gables of the castle, red door at the foot of the wall

Brick castle behind its curtain wall and the stretch of water

The King’s Gardens (Kongens Have) is the oldest park in Copenhagen and probably the most pleasant! A real green lung right in the city centre. Not to be missed!

Metal footbridge over the pond of Kongens Have, bare trees

Formal garden with hedges clipped into a maze near the castle

Wide lawn of the royal garden ringed by colourful facades

Nyhavn

Nyhavn, THE postcard of Copenhagen! We have all already seen these colourful adjoining houses built along the Nyhavn canal. You go round it quickly but it is so pretty that you never tire of it. All along the left-hand side, if you look towards the sea, there are terraces of cafés and restaurants that attract tourists. The right-hand side is the perfect spot to take photos of this pretty harbour because the light lights up the façades during the day. Do not hesitate to walk through the archway of the Charlottenborg art gallery for a different view of the colourful houses.

Old sailing ship moored in front of the narrow facades of the canal

Red ropes on a fishing boat and the quay stretching away

Busy terraces and wooden sailing boat reflected in the canal water

Traveller in a grey dress walking along the quay of colourful houses

Black boat moored at the foot of the facades and the full terraces

Sunset over the canal and the dark barges lined up along it

Row of narrow red, green and yellow houses at the water's edge

Red boat at the quay in front of the tall facades of the canal

Christiana

The famous free town of Christiana is a district of Copenhagen built on the site of a former military barracks in the 70s. It is today a self-governed hippie district, as the sign at the exit likes to remind you: “Now you’re entering the UE“. Here, photos are forbidden in many streets. There is a truly unique and special atmosphere between the little shops, the street art, the houses made of odds and ends and… the free sale of soft drugs! Definitely a district to see.

Wooden gateway marked Christiania between two carved totems

Giant wooden troll sitting in front of a colourful mural

Tree-lined path beside the water, church spire in the distance

Banner stretched above a square, tagged building and clipped trees

Brightly painted gateway and prayer flags above a painted skatepark

Brown wooden shed with a painted sign, cargo bikes parked in front

White stupa surrounded by multicoloured prayer flags

Art gallery with walls painted in bright patterns and second-hand objects out front

Christianshavns Vold

Do not leave the Christiana district without taking the time to walk in the nature that surrounds it! The Christianshavn ramparts are the remains of the old fortifications that surrounded the city and are today a lovely place for a walk. We were almost alone walking by the water: a really quiet spot. It is possible to do a loop and walk the whole dyke (cross over the Dyssenbroen bridge) to discover the little wooden houses built there.

Dry reed bed in the foreground and wooded bank on the far side

Turquoise cabin on stilts decorated with painted pictures

Wide stretch of water along the ramparts and a twisted spire on the horizon

Dirt path running alongside self-built wooden cabins

Expanse of water fringed with golden reeds and leafless trees

Mismatched table and chairs set up facing the reeds of the canal

Nørrebro district

The Nørrebro district is located north-west of the city: you just have to cross the lakes of Copenhagen via the Louise bridge to get there. The banks by the water let you walk in the sun while enjoying the view over the city. Nørrebro can be a good idea for a visit if you want to discover a different district, more working class and lively, with more bohemian pockets. Here there are lots of restaurants, cafés and craft shops. A few points of interest:

Assistens Cemetery: a wooded cemetery where locals go jogging or for a walk.
Streets: Ravnsborggade, Blågårdsgade, Jægersborggade…

Straight canal lined with a planted quay and buildings in Nørrebro

Orange corner building and street in perspective in the Nørrebro district

Swans gliding on the lake in front of the pale facades of the district

Our accommodation in Copenhagen

You should know that accommodation is quite expensive in the centre of Copenhagen. We stayed in a private Airbnb room at our host Gitte’s for 218€ for the 3 nights. The flat was ideally located near the lakes of Copenhagen (and the Forum station, direct from the airport), very handy for discovering the city on foot. We had a lovely encounter and felt like we were going back to the roots of Airbnb! We highly recommend it.

Our favourite places to eat in Copenhagen

Café Feel Good: excellent place for brunch in a lovely, quiet setting. Full brunch deal (159 dkk, 21€) with juice (49 dkk, 6.50€)
Kalaset: traditional place for brunch recommended by our host, with vintage decor. Pancakes (65 dkk, 8.50€) and juice (25 dkk, 3€)
20 grams: good place for a coffee or an afternoon snack (16€ for a waffle and a large juice)
Maple Casual Dining: excellent smart restaurant for dinner (dishes at 185 dkk, 25€; desserts 85 dkk, 11.50€)
Bar Next Door: cosy bar with Scandinavian decor, perfect for a cocktail by candlelight (12€-13€ a glass)
Emmerys: café and bakery chain where you can sit inside or on the terrace.
Meyers Bageri: traditional bakery in the Nørrebro district with excellent cinnamon rolls (around 4€)
Torvehallerne: THE market and food court not to be missed in the city centre; a wide sweet and savoury offering.

Orange juice, granola and fresh fruit served on a wooden board

Cafe front with a flower-decked bench and tables outside

Pastry topped with banana on a pink plate behind the window

Bakery room with wooden stools and a long shared table

Traveller at a table raising her glass in a cafe with brick walls

Restaurant room with hanging bulbs and dark banquettes

Two plates of strawberry waffles and glasses of orange juice

Bohemian cafe interior with shelves loaded with trinkets and books

Cinnamon rolls and fruit juice on a table with blue patterns

Twisted cinnamon bun held up in front of Rosenborg Castle

What we thought of Copenhagen

No great surprise, Copenhagen won us over! For its architecture, its atmosphere and its great places to eat. It is a city on a human scale where it feels good to walk and wander from district to district. If the sun was with us at the beginning of March, we already know that we want to go back in summer!
Three days are enough to get a good overview of the city centre and visit the must-sees. But you can plan a little more time to discover the city’s museums or to go to the seaside towards Amager Øst.

Organising another trip in Europe? Read our articles about our beautiful continent!

Traveller in a park at dusk among the purple crocuses

Thank you for your comment! Marie & Romain

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