Discovering Copenhagen

Where Life is A Joy

Where most metropolitan cities give reasons to just cope the best way you can with the whole big-city atmosphere, Copenhagen gives reasons for joy in living in the big city. If the accolades accorded to Copenhagen – Greenest Capital in Scandinavia from Grist Magazine, Best Design City, and Most Desirable City from Monocle, to name a few international recognitions – are not reasons enough to make you want to visit it, read on.

Royal Royalty

Any description of Copenhagen will be incomplete without mention of its royal family. In sharp contrast to other European royalty who have been guillotined at the polls because of scandals, the monarchy headed by Queen Margrethe enjoys high popularity with the Danes.

And what joy the Danes have in their royal family! In Denmark, the subjects can mingle with the rulers in quite an ordinary way – bicycling in parks, watching horse races, and lighting bonfires to celebrate the birth of a new heir, even touch them when they parade on the narrow city streets. A great bonus to your Copenhagen visit – the Amalienborg Royal Palace, the residence of the royal family, is in the city center.

Epicurean Copenhagen

Food and drink is one of life’s joys, even at the top of the list. At Copenhagen, you will definitely have good food, good wine and good company in abundance; you will experience what native Copenhageners call “hygge'. Though it has no exact translation in English, it means being with friends and family in an atmosphere of serenity, often with food and drinks.

You have numerous restaurants to satisfy your craving for international cuisine, with no less than eleven restaurants boasting the world-famous Michelin stars. However, visiting Copenhagen is incomplete without sampling the exquisite native cuisine from the many “kro” in Copenhagen. You have to taste the smørrebrød, (open sandwiches) pølser, (hot dogs), and frikadeller (meatballs) washed down with Danish beer.

Copenhagen Architecture

You cannot argue with the magnificent architecture of Copenhagen. From a small insignificant village of yore to the seat of Danish power today, Copenhagen boasts of historic castles and churches alongside modern buildings making history on their own.

You can start with the castles and churches, opera houses and museums, thus:

• The Amalienborg Palace, winter home of the royal family, consists of four identical palaces flanking an octagonal courtyard on which sits the colossal equestrian statue of King Frederik V. Everyday at noon, you can watch the Danish Royal Life Guard perform a changing of the guard in front of the palace. Just a friendly reminder that this small country has a monarch in residence.

• The Copenhagen Opera House is a definitive landmark of the city. With its impressive size – 41,000 square meters, 14 stories and 1,000 rooms – you will stand in awe of its superb architecture and listen in bliss to its outstanding acoustics.

• The National Museum of Denmark takes you through the history of the country in an engaging manner. In just one hour, you can learn Denmark’s history in addition to the interesting artifacts from all parts of the world.

• Frederik's Church, also called Marble Church, boasts of a dramatic exterior filled with the statues of great figures in ecclesiastical history and a surprisingly restrained interior with an ivory crucifix.

Copenhagen is a great place for shopping, especially if you are a fashion follower. Big names in fashion like Lacoste and Louis Vuitton are well represented here along with Danish designers with small ateliers. You have an exciting array of goodies to choose from, ranging from furniture, jewelry, ceramics, and glassware. Two of the best shopping areas are in the Strøget and Købmagergade streets, with malls and boutiques to tempt any serious shopaholic.

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Copenhagen, you have many choices in parks, gardens and beaches to absorb nature in a calm atmosphere. To name just a few: Dyrehaven, Østre Anlæg and Fælledparken for green parks; Valby Parken, The Garden of the Royal Danish Library, and the Kongens Have for gardens; and Amager Beach Park and Hellerup for beaches.

Then again, you will want to have a taste of Copenhagen’s active nightlife. There are nightclubs and pubs all around the city that you will be hard pressed to choose which one you will enter first. You have to check out the Copenhagen Casino and the Tivoli Gardens, too!

If you are an environmentalist, Copenhagen is your haven. With 2,500 free bicycles dotting the city, you have an eco-friendly choice aside from walking. If you are a sports fan, Copenhagen has water sports like yachting, ball games with soccer as the predominant sport, the bicycle races called the “6 dages”, and gymnastics, to name just a few.

Copenhagen is also a city of ritzy hotels and decent hostels. You have many accommodations to choose from in which to be pampered, be rested, and be ready for another day of exciting activities and more “hygge”.

And the best thing about Copenhagen for lovebirds? The city has an active LGBT community that supports gay pride through the Mermaid Pride Parade and the Copenhagen Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. You can be gay, and you can be happy at Copenhagen!

Indeed, be amazed, be enchanted, and be there in Copenhagen where life is a joy. Check out our article on Featured Hotels Copenhagen