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Copenhagen

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Copenhagen (Danish: København; [1]) is the capital of Denmark, a bustling metropolis of 1.1 million, and one of Europe's most enjoyable cities. Situated on the island of Zealand facing the Oresund (Danish: Øresund) strait, with Sweden just minutes away by train, it is a link between mainland Europe and Scandinavia, and has a wealth of cultural and entertaining things to see and do. The city has a reputation for tolerance, the fascinating 'free city' of Christiania, a community of people who have tried to create an equal and just consensus-governed democracy for its people. There is more to here than Carlsberg and The Little Mermaid, and a trip to the wonderful Tivoli Gardens will leave the visitor in no doubt that this is a very special city.

Districts

Culture and History

Climate

Copenhagen, as the rest of Denmark, has four distinct seasons. The best time to visit is definitively from early May to late August, where the weather is generally warm. The current weather forecast can be checked at the Danish Meteorological Institute website[2]

Spring, while a bit risky, as no one knows quite when it sets in, can be the best time to visit the city. On the first warm day, usually in early May, the Copenhageners seem to come out of some state of hibernation, and flock to the city's streets, parks, outdoor cafes - in a veritable explosion of life, relieved that the country's dreary and dark winters are finally over. For many locals this is the height of the year.

Summers in Copenhagen are usually warm with an avarage temperature of some 20 degrees, and the days are long - reaching it's peak on the 21st of June where the day is almost 18 hours long. If the weather becomes too hot, you can jump in one of the free pools in the clean cool waters of the harbor - right in downtown. Most of Copenhagen's annual events are held during June and July, and when the sun is out there is always life in the streets.

Autumn and winter have a profound effect on the city. The life of the summer withers away and the streets become much more quiet, as most Copenhageners go directly home from work. This is where the Danish concept of hygge sets in, roughly translating into coziness. It's the locals' way of dealing with the short dark days. Friends and families visit each other for home cooking and conversations in candle light with quiet music on the stereo. In week 42 the Danes have an autumn holiday, with many events taking place, such as the night of culture. The height of winter is December, where Christmas brings some relief the short days, with lights and decorations everywhere, in the street, shops and in peoples' windows. Tivoli opens it's doors for their Christmas markets, and most Danes go on a drinking rampage, with the very Danish and traditional christmas lunches, with work and family.

Travel to Copenhagen & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Copenhagen

Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport [3] (CPH) is the main hub of Scandinavia's largest carrier SAS Scandinavian [4] and regularly wins favorable comments from passengers for both design and function — this is a much more pleasant place to transit than, say, London Heathrow or Frankfurt. Check-in lines for SAS can get very long however during the peak hours of the summer months so make sure to allocate some extra time for this. Self-service check in counters are actually available, but it appears that not too many people make use of them.

A number of low-cost carriers also fly to the airport. EasyJet [5] serve Copenhagen from London Stansted, Milan and Berlin Schönefeld. Air Berlin [6] flies direct to Dusseldorf, Berlin and Palma de Mallorca. Norwegian [7] offers budget flights to Oslo and Warszawa.

It takes 12 minutes by train to get from Kastrup to the central station (Hovedbanegården) in downtown Copenhagen. You need a ticket for 3 zones. Purchased from one of the automated vending machines or the ticket counter located inside the atrium, this costs 30 DKK for a single journey. The Copenhagen Metro [8] also connects Kastrup with central Copenhagen, with trains leaving every four minutes in daytime and every 15 minutes in the night and taking 14 minutes to the city center (for the same ticket and price of 30 DKK).

Consider Sturup Airport (MMX) in Malmö, Sweden as well - it's 40 minutes by bus from central Malmö, and from there 30 minutes by train to Copenhagen Central Station. Or use the direct bus 737 [9] (DKK 100, 50 minutes). Wizzair [10] from Budapest, Gdansk, Katowice, Poznan and Warszawa.

By train

While links between the capital and the rest of the country are frequent and excellent, and links with Sweden have developed rapidly since the completion of the Øresund fixed link, connections to the rest of Europe are rather poor.

There are numerous trains connecting Zealand with Funen and Jutland, all crosses the Great Belt fixed link. The Main lines departs from Copenhagen central station, twice every hour, usually divided in a Express and a Intercity train, and runs across the length of Zealand with stops in Roskilde, Ringsted, Slagelse and Korsør before crossing the Belt and Funen, and finaly branching out when they reach Jutland. The most important branches being Århus/Aalborg running North, Esbjerg running west, Struer running north-west, and finaly Sønderborg/Padborg running south. All cross belt trains are operated by DSB (Danish Railways[11]
  • Sweden
    • Øresundstog: Every 20 minutes trains depart from Østerport, stopping at the airport, before crossing the Øresund fixed link to Malmö, most continuing to various connections in Southern Sweden. Journey time is 35 minutes, and a one way ticket is 75 DKK.
    • IC Bornholm: Runs between Copenhagen and Ystad in Southern Sweden, from where a high speed ferry shuttles passengers to Rønne on the island on Bornholm. Journey to Ystad takes a little over an hour, and a one way ticket will set you back 275 DKK.
  • Europe
    • Trains EC30-39 These Eurocity trains connects Zealand, and the capital, with Hamburg, up to 6 times per day, with some trains continuing onwards to Berlin.
    • Train EN482 This daily Euronight service, runs between Copenhagen and Munich / Basel, leaving Copenhagen at 6:53PM.

Buses to Copenhagen

Busses between Zealand and Jutland are only marginally cheaper than the train, although there is considerable discounts between Monday - Thursday. The International buses on the other hand offers considerably lower prices than the train. Travel by train, however - has been prioritized politically, therefore Copenhagen still lacks a intercity bus terminal. Most international buses stop somewhere around the Central Station (usually next to DGI-byen), but be sure to check the exact location when you buy your ticket. Domestic long-distance buses mostly leave from Toftegårds Plads, near Valby station.

  • Jutland (Denmark)
    • Line 882: Runs between Copenhagen and Fjerritslev in Northwestern Jutland once every day at 13.00 from Valby s-train station. with the same stops on Zealand as above, Operated by Abildskou[12]
    • Line 888: Connects Copenhagen with Århus and Aalborg several times per day. journey time is 5 hours 15 minutes to Aalborg. On Zealand there is additional stops in Roskilde and Holbæk. Operated by Abildskou[13]
  • Scandinavia
    • Line 300: Links Copenhagen, Göteborg and Oslo, journey time is 8 hours 30 minutes, xxxx price xxx operated by Säffebussen[14]
    • Line 820: follows much the same route to Oslo, and is operated by Swebus[15]
    • Line 832: Runs between Copenhagen and Stockholm via Jönköping xxx and is operated by Swebus[16]
    • Line 866: Connects Copenhagen and Ystad (for connections with Bornholm)
  • Europe
    • Line 902: Links Copenhagen and Berlin via Rostock in 8 hours, leaves Copenhagen daily at 7.25 - and Berlin at 13.30. Operated by Swebus[17]
    • Line E55: Also runs between Copenhagen and Berlin, and departs Copenhagen daily at 10.30 - and Berlin at 9.30. Operated by GrÃ¥hundbus [18]
    • Not numered: There is also a service to Hamburg via Rødby, where there is connecting buses to Paris and Amsterdam. Departs Copenhagen daily at 16.10, journey time is 7 hours. Operated by Eurolines [19]

By boat

Ferries ply between Copenhagen Port and Oslo (16hr) and Świnoujście (Poland). For details check the Get in section of Zealand

By yacht

Copenhagen has several marinas. The biggest is Svanemøllehavnen [20]. There are no designated visitor berths but it is almost always possible to find one with a green sign. Daily charge: 75-120 DKK.

Tours & Getting around Copenhagen

The two big hubs are the Central Station (da: Hovedbanegården/København H) with S-trains, Intercity-trains, and buses and Nørreport Station with S-trains, metro, regional trains, and buses. Travels by trains, buses and metro can be scheduled electronically through rejseplanen.dk [21]

Tickets and the zone system

All public transport in Copenhagen, as well as the rest of the country, operates on a zone system. The smallest ticket is the two-zone ticket which will cost you DKK 20, and can be purchased from ticket offices, vending machines and bus drivers. It will allow you to travel around Copenhagen in two zones (the zone where you stamped or purchased the ticket plus one adjacent zone) for an hour. You can switch freely between all trains, metro and busses within this hour, as long as you last trip starts before the time is up (your ticket will be timestamped in 15-minutes intervals).

The range of a single zone can roughly be translated to around 7 minutes in the metro or 15 minutes in a bus, but always check the zone maps in the stations, some stations are closer to zone borders than others. Ask local people if help is needed, as the zone system can be complex for visitors. At night (from 1 am. to 5 am.) the ticket price double, and you need to stamp for example 4 zones if you travel in 2 zones. This rule applies to all N-busses (night busses). Night charges do not apply to holders of monthly cards.

A ten-trip klippekort will give you a discount of around 40%, and can be bought in kiosks and ticket offices. You can also purchase a day pass starting at DKK 90. Alternatively, buy a Copenhagen Card [22], which gives free transport throughout the region and free admission to 60 museums and sights. The card costs DKK 199 for 24 hours, DKK 429 for 72 hours.

In regional trains, S-tog and Metro a ticket must be bought and timestamped before boarding the trains. In buses tickets can be bought from the driver but not klippekort which must be bought beforehand. The fine for travelling without a valid ticket is DKK 600 and ticket conductors are common both in S-trains and metros. More information about price and tickets on movia.dk [23]

By S-Tog

The S-train service runs from early morning to late night. Each train (apart from the F-line) runs with 10-minute intervals during the day (from 6 am. to 6 pm. on weekdays), and with 20-minute intervals on early morning and late night (The F-line has 3 departures each hour regardless of the time of the day; C however stops at Frederikssund and not Ballerup during the day). This means that there are only a couple of minutes of waiting between each train within the city.

Loudspeaker announcement regarding S-trains are given in Danish only, so remember to ask your fellow travelers, but for the most part they are just cursory announcements.

By Metro

The Copenhagen Metro runs from Vanløse to the airport through the city center and the new town of Ørestad. The Metro has no timetable, and between Vanløse and Christianshavn trains run with a 4-minute interval (2-minute during peak hour). It runs from 5 am to midnight. During Thursday, Friday and Saturday night the metro runs nonstop with 15-minute intervals. The trains are controlled automatically and are without drivers, so the doors will close at a given time, even if all waiting passengers have not entered the train. Wait for the next train instead of trying to squeeze through in the last second.

More information on the Copenhagen Metro website [24].

By Train

Regional train services the airport, Malmö and Helsingborg, in addition to other Zealand cities. There are InterCity-services to several cities on Fyn and in Jutland, amongst them Odense, Aalborg and Århus, in addition to trains to Hamburg and Berlin.

Nørreport Station vs. Copenhagen Main Station

Although all S-trains, Regional trains and InterCity trains stop at Copenhagen Main Station (København H), the largest train station in Denmark is Nørreport Station. For tourists, Nørreport is located closer to the city with the pedestrian street Fiolstræde (which leads to Strøget), and with Nørrebro right across the lakes (Søerne). There are mostly large hotels and corporations that surround Copenhagen Main Station with the notable exception of Tivoli, whereas the city doesn't become interesting before you reach Rådhuspladsen (ca. 700 m).

Nørreport Station has Metro services in addition to the S-trains and Regional trains. Although most trains stop at Nørreport, you should always check the information on the station!

By bicycle

The fastest and most flexible way of seeing Copenhagen is on bike - as 40 percent of the Copenhageners use their bike everyday the city has been designed to cater for cyclists with separate bicycle lanes along most larger roads. Cyclists are often allowed to ride both ways in one way streets.

Be careful if you are not used to biking in a busy city. In Copenhagen it is a common mean of daily transportation and the locals drive fast and without room for much leeway. Don't expect to get a warning when someone wants to overtake you. Always keep to the right and look behind you before you overtake someone - otherwise you could cause some nasty bicycle accidents.

In the center of the city, you can also get around by the free public city-bikes. These are specially painted by various sponsors, and are very simple bikes that you can find on special stands near some important places like the main train station, the Tivoli park, the port and some others. After you insert a 20DKK coin, you can take the bike and go where you want as long as you stay in the inner part of the city marked on a plan that you will get with the bike. When you return the bike to some stand again (not necessarily the same one), you will get your 20DKK coin back. During winter periods, though, you will not be able to find (m)any bikes, as they are being repaired in the local prisons as part of a 'community service'.

The bikes usually come with a map on which the main attractions are marked. The map also marks the borders of the city within which you are allowed to ride the bike. If you are caught outside these borders, you could be faced with a fine (around 1000 DKK).

Please don't take away city-bikes that you see somewhere not on a stand, because there are high chances that somebody will soon return for it and by taking it away, you would not only deprive him of his mean of transport, but also of his 20DKK coin.

The city bikes are not the most comfortable bikes in the world (they have massive tyres), and you cannot always rely on finding one in the stands - they might be in use.

The city bikes have, however, become sort of a Copenhagen landmark. Thus president Bill Clinton [25] was presented with City Bike One as the city's official gift during his official visit in 1997. It was specially designed with the presidential seal [26] on its wheels.

As an alternative to the city bikes you can rent a far more comfortable bike than the city bikes. You can find a little bike rental shop called CPH bike rental [27]on a side-street to Nansensgade on Turesensgade 10, 5 minutes from Norreport station. They rent out bikes on a daily basis and by that they finance the shipment of used bikes to Africa. They also arrange city tours and sell picnic baskets. Their prices start at 60 kroner for 6 hours bike rent. Another bicycle shop are at the Central Railroad Station, where prices start at 75 Danish kroner a day/ 340 kroner a week. At Højbro Plads (next to McDonalds at Strøget) you can find rickshaws for hire with a driver, who will often be trained in providing tourist information as you stroll along. A variety of bike tours are offered by Bike Copenhagen with Mike including a daily City tour at 10 AM departing from Copenhagen Bikes at the Main Train Station.

By taxi

Taxis are abundant throughout the city, but they are pricey and the wait to get one can be long on a Friday or Saturday night. You can hail a taxi on the street, or call for one to come pick you up at a specific address at a specific time. At crucial traffic junctures throughout the city, there are special taxi areas, where taxis hold in line to pick up customers. Except for a very long trip, it is not common (or recommended) to haggle about the price. If you wish to pay with credit card, you must present it for the driver at the beginning of the trip.

Greater Copenhagen Taxi Companies

  • Amager-Øbro Taxi (Central Copenhagen) +45 32 51 51 51
  • Ballerup-Værløse-Herlev Taxa (Northwestern suburbs)+45 44 85 35 35
  • Codan Taxi (Central Copenhagen) +45 70 25 25 25
  • Taxa 4x35 (Central Copenhagen) +45 35 35 35 35
  • TaxaMotor A/S (Central Copenhagen) +45 70 338 338
  • Taxa Selandia (Greve-Solrød) +45 70 10 66 66
  • Taxa Selandia (Køge) +45 56 65 35 35
  • Taxinord (Northern Suburbs) +45 45 83 83 83
  • Vest-Taxa (Western Suburbs)+45 43 45 45 45

By boat (in the harbour area)

You can get a one day ticket for the harbour tour, then hop on and off all day. A great way to se the fortress 'Trekroner', Christiania and the old city. See waterbus [28]

Copenhagen attractions and sightseeing

There is free entrance to most museums once a week, mainly on Wednesdays.

  • Ny Carlsberg Glypotek [29] Dantes Plads 7, Tel +45 33 418141. Very fine collection of Egyptian, Greek and Roman sculptures. Collection of works by French Impressionists, and the largest collection of sculptures by Rodin outside France. The winter garden has a very civilised coffee shop.
  • Bakkehus Museum (Bakkehusmuseet), a cultural history museum about the Danish Golden Age of Literature and four of its most prominent figures: Kamma Rahbek, Knud Lyne Rahbek, Adam Oehlenschläger [30]], dating back to the 1620's.
  • Carlsberg Brewery [31]. Brewery is open Tuesday through Sunday, closed Monday. Take Bus 6A west from City Hall Square. The brewery is protected by two giant elephants at the gate. Entry fee is 50 DKK (25 for students) and you get two samples of your choice when you finish looking around.
  • Cisternerne - Museum of Modern Glass Art, opposite the zoo in Frederiksberg. The museum is established in old water cisterns. Hence the name. Entry fee is 40 DKK (30 for students)
  • The Museum of Copenhagen [33], Vesterbro, museum about Copenhagen's history. Entry fee 20 DKK
  • Sømods Bolcher [34], see candy being produced in the old-fashioned handmade tradition. A hit with the kids.

Architecture

  • Bagsværd kirke, Paustian store (Jørn Utzon)
  • SAS Radisson Royal Hotel Bellavista Housing Estate, National Bank, Rødovre City Hall, Stellingshus,(Arne Jakobsen)

(Expand with real text)

Copenhagen city tours

  • See a play in the Royal Theater [35], or the new Opera (opened January 2005)
  • Go on a harbour tour by Canal tours [36], Netto Boats [37]
  • Go on a historical walking tour by History Tours [38] or Audiowalks [39] who allow you to follow a pre-recoded tour using a personal audio player.
  • Watch a football game'[40]. Next to Fælledparken one will find PARKEN, Denmark's national stadium, which serves as home to Copenhagen's main footballteam (soccer), FC Copenhagen' [41] (da. FC København or simply FCK) as well as the national football team (except for friendly matches). PARKEN is also the main arena in Copenhagen for bigger concerts and other sports and cultural events.
  • Swimming in the inner habour, water quality has improved so much in recent years that it's possible go for a swim, from early June to late August, in one of the two harbor baths; Copencabana on Vesterbro or Havnebadet at Island brygge on Amager. When it's sunshine, during the summer, they are packed with people from all walks of life, enjoying the sunshine, and taking a dip. The municipal administration has put alot of money in effort in to the facilities, so they are quite good, and it's an excellent opportunity for blending with the locals, at their best. If you fancy a proper beach, these are located at Charlottenlund Fort in Charlottenlund and the newly renovated Amager Strandpark (The Lagoon), on Amager near the Lergravsparken metro station. If the weather is not going your way, you can opt for DGI Byen [42] - a leisure centre and excellent swimming pool near the central railway station, or the Østerbro swimming pool, modeled after a roman bath (on Østebro.
  • Amusement parks Amazingly the two oldest intact amusement parks, with the two oldest still running roller coasters, are both located in Copenhagen, and they are distinctively different. Bakken or Dyrehavsbakken are the oldest of the two, the setting in a beautiful beach forest near Klampenborg north of Copenhagen, gives it a special atmosphere - and it's a lot less touristy than it's counterpart - Tivoli - which is located smack in the city center, in a beautiful park surrounding a lake.

Annual events

  • Copenhagen Jazzfestival, [43] Tel: +45 33932013, email: info@jazzfestival.dk. Held in early July, 10 days of jazz everywhere in Copenhagen. In parks, cafes, clubs, theaters etc.
  • Culture Night (Kulturnatten) [44] The last Friday before the school holiday in week 42 (mid-October). You buy a badge for DKK 70 and get access to major museums, exhibitions, churches, libraries, schools, organizations, the parliament, etc. also some places that are not open to the public the rest of the year. Open from 6pm to midnight. Attracts about 100 000 people.
  • Zulu Sommerbio [45] In July and August, TV station 'TV2 Zulu' plays open air movies in various places of Copenhagen (and also a few in Odense, Århus, Sønderborg and Ålborg. There are movies in both Danish and English. They are free to watch. You can buy beer and popcorn.
  • Grøn Koncert [46] Is a one day music festival in Valby parken near Åparken station. It's usually held in late July, and is a major event in Copenhagen, with over 40.000 spectators. There is usually a international headline act, along with several major Danish bands, and the atmosphere is quite unique with people having picnic and beers on the huge field of grass. Tickets are sold through Billetnet, both online and at post offices.
  • International Workers day on May 1st, is a major event in Copenhagen. The main festivities are held in Fælledparken on Østerbro, and attracts over a 100.000 visitors, in what is these days have become a 50-50 mix of gigantic party, and a political rally - with speeches, happenings and concerts. Two traveling amusement parks also sets up their gear for the day, one by the main entrance at Trianglen, and one in the eastern part of the park.
  • Strøm annual electonic music festival, held in August
  • Copenhagen Fashion Week
  • CPH Distortion[47]
  • Copenhagen Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
  • Copenhagen Pride is an LGBT parade held in late July each year. See [48] for details.

Learn

  • The Experimentarium [49] - an exposé of science and technology where you can play or watch electric, acoustic, physiological etc phenomenons. Enjoyable for most people, from youth to adults.
  • The Tycho Brahe Planetarium [50] Gl. Kongevej 10, tickets: 33121224. The planetarium is also an OmniMax theatre.

Copenhagen souvenirs & shopping

Check out Strøget [51], a pedestrian mall linking the streets of Østergade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, and Frederiksberggade that runs through the center of the city from Rådhuspladsen to Kgs Nytorv and Nørreport. You won't find any Copenhageners here who aren't working in the shops or just passing through, and the place is very touristy - but also loaded with excellent up-scale Scandinavian fashion shops and design stores (e.g. Georg Jensen, Illum and Royal Copenhagen)

Visit Fields [52], the biggest shopping centre in Scandinavia. Take the train to the Airport (Kastrup/Airport) or Malmö and get off at Ørestad Station or go by the Metro to Vestamager and get off at Ørestad station (though it should be noted that most, if not all, of the shops at Fields can be found on Strøget as well).

Good bets for quality one-stop shopping in the inner city: department stores Illum (on Amagertorv on Strøget, at the end of the shopping street Købmagergade which runs south from Nørreport st.) and Magasin du Nord (on Kongens Nytorv at the end of Strøget; you can enter direct from the Metro station).

For less mainstream shopping, some good areas to find interesting small boutiques are: around Studiestræde and Vestergade just north of the Rådhuspladsen end of Strøget; inner Nørrebro around Ravnsborggade and Sankt Hans Torv (walk north from Nørreport station and turn right on the 2nd, 3rd or 4th street after crossing the lake) and a place very much worth visiting - Nansensgade 5 minutes from Nørreport Station, an old street with trees on either sides that has its own special community of Nansensgade-inhabitants.

Take a walk north from the station towards the lakes and turn left one block before the lakes); Vesterbrogade and Istedgade in Vesterbro (walk west from the main station on one of these roads -- you'll need to go a few blocks before hotels/sex shops/thai restaurants turn into more interesting territory); Østerbro around Classensgade and Willemoesgade (these come off the main road Østerbrogade directly across from the eastern end of the easternmost city lake, Sortedams Sø).

Best bets for out-of-hours shopping (apart from the ubiquitous 7-11 and small kiosks): the shops at Central station (offering books and CDs, camping gear, photographic equipment, cosmetics, gifts) are open until 8pm, 7 days a week. Large shopping centres and department stores (e.g. Fields, Fisketorvet, Illum, Magasin) open on Sundays around once a month (usually the first Sunday, right after everyone gets paid!) and more often at peak sale periods.

Plus size clothing can found in the following shops H&M (Fields and Strøget), Nannaxl in Fisketorvet, or Venus & Mars XL in Fields. Søstrene Nielsen is a upmarket store a few blocks off the upmarket end of Strøget.

Antiques on Ravnsborggade (expand)

Copenhagen Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

  • Have a beer, or some herring, in the popular cafes along Nyhavn.
  • Try one of the many lunch restaurants. They serve tasty Danish food at reasonable prices. DKK 150-200 will get you a couple of dishes, wine or beer, and coffee. They are typically open from noon to 6 p.m., so go early for lunch or later if you plan to have a light dinner. Especially in December you should book well in advance.
  • Buy a tasty sausage or hot dog at one of the many sausage stands (pølsevogn, pl. pølsevogne in Danish).

Brunch

Brunch is a Copenhagen institution and most cafes will offer it at least on weekends for upwards of 80 kr.

  • Café Noakhali, Smallegade 22, 2000 Frederiksberg, 38 10 86 86, [53], [54]. This cafe is in Frederiksberg and you need to take a few minutes ride with the "Metro" subway from the center of Copenhagen. There is a Bangladesh-like brunch from 11:00-14:00 for 101 DDK including te and juice.
  • Café Norden, Østergade 61, 1100 København K, ☎ 33 11 77 91, [55]. On a central square in the old city. Downstairs is high ceilinged with enormous plate glass windows. Upstairs is cozy, with cushioned window sets the length of the room. Brunch is large and costs DDK 160.80-200 DDK.  edit
  • Cafe Sommersko, Kronprinsensgade 6, 1114 Copenhagen K, [56], in the center of Copenhagen has two brunch menus. "The big brunch" is english-like for 115 DKK and with no drinks included.
  • O's American Breakfast & Dinner, Gothersgade 15, 1123 Copenhagen K or Øster Farimagsgade 27, 2100 Copenhagen Ø[57] has been the place to go for authentic American cooking in Copenhagen. After a night on the town, there’s nothing like O’s delicious breakfast and bottomless coffee. Brunch here is cheap and tasty. 79 DKK for a brunch including two large American pancakes with eggs and bacon.

Franchises

On a budget

  • There are two top department stores along the Strøget, Illum and Magasin, both of which have a good inexpensive deli in the basement. Also check out the grocery store in the basement and the cafeteria on the street level.
  • There are several mediterranean-style buffet restaurants dotted around the inner city. Riz Raz [59] is popular, with three locations and a huge vegetarian buffet for 70 kr. (Grilled meat can be ordered off the menu). The branch on St. Kannikestræde has an infallible ability to seat and feed groups of all sizes. Ankara on Krystalgade offers a Turkey-inspired buffet which includes meat as well as salads.
  • "Netto" Netto is one of the cheapest groceryshops in Denmark. its a Large chain and one or two can be found in every part of town. Rather large selection of goods. And very cheap
  • Bakeries in Copenhagen are numerous and excellent. Many offer ready-made sandwiches (around 35 kr) as well as coffee, bread rolls, and cakes (expect to pay 8-10 kr for Danish pastry, here known as 'Wienerbrød'), and several have at least limited counter seating.
  • You are never very far from your nearest shawarma/kebab/felafel joint in Copenhagen. The busy outlets on and around Strøget serve kebabs, salads and fries at good prices and lightning speed.
  • Many shops sell a traditional Danish open-faced sandwich called smørrebrød (literally, buttered bread). The sandwiches are small enough to take away and eat either with your hands or a fork and knife, and a wide range of ingredients are available, including some elaborate combinations for the more adventurous.
  • Every few blocks you will likely find a 7-11 (which is open 24/7). These convenience stores carry a number of sandwiches, including the popular fransk hotdogs (French hot dogs), a hot dog inserted into a hollowed-out halved baguette and served with ketchup, mustard, or a mayonnaise-based fransk hotdog sauce (the latter being the most common). Occasionally, 7-11 will have promotional discounts on certain sandwiches, but be warned – these discount are most often only valid between 10 in the morning and 10 in the evening.
  • Look out for the term 'dagens ret' on signs and menus -- this means 'meal of the day' and often translates to a filling plate of hot food for a reasonable price.

Copenhagen nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

The main tourist area is around Nyhavn while another popular area with many cafes and restaurants is around the old University.

For a range of interesting bars and cafes head to Nørrebro (north and across the lakes from Nørreport station.) From the main street Nørrebrogade either turn left on Blågårds Plads (try Props for a cosy glass of wine on rickety chairs, or Cafe Apotek for interesting imported beers, quirky decor and cheap live music) or right onto Fælledvej to Sankt Hans Torv (as well as the obvious places on the square, there are plenty of places on small streets around, from traditional Danish pubs to trendy cocktail bars and microbreweries).

Vesterbro, Christianshavn (including Christiania), and Frederiksberg are other good, relatively lively areas to explore. Østerbro is quieter but there are some 'nice' places: the French cafe on the north side of the lake is a great place to enjoy a quiet beer while looking at swans; Panzon on Rosenvængets Alle (near Trianglen) is a good place to splurge on a glass of wine. In the central shopping area head south of Strøget to parallel-running Strædet where there are a number of cosy cafes. If you stay near Nørreport Station it is worthwhile to pay a visit to the bar/cafe Bankeråt in Ahlefeldtsgade, the "interior decoration" supplied by a local artist who places stuffed animalheads on dressed up mannequin dolls - eyecatching. Very popular place with the locals.

Note that Danish 'cafes' are equally ready to serve coffees or beer and wine. At most places the beer on tap is either Carlsberg or Tuborg. In either case there will be a choice of the normal pilsner, and then a slightly redder Special or Classic. Some might also offer wheat or dark beer. A large beer costs 40-50 DKK or so most places in central Copenhagen, but some places on charge DKK 20-30, especially on weekdays or early hours. Unless you come from elsewhere in Scandinavia don't frighten yourself by trying to work out what this costs in your home currency. If you are on a budget you could follow the example of local teenagers and get primed with bottled beer from a supermarket or kiosk (3-7 DKK for a 330 mL bottle). It is legal and very popular to drink beer in public (not on public transport, although it will be accepted if you are not showing drunk behaviour), so buy a beer, sit on a park bench or Nyhavn and enjoy the Danish life.

If you want to watch some rugby or Manchester United there are some expat Irish/British pubs in the inner city. The Globe on Nørregade has a cosy library and does good food; The Dubliner near Amagertorv on Strøget (main walking street) is cavernous and raucous. Or try McGinty's, an authentic Scottish pub, on Vester Voldgade just 100m from the Town Hall Square, expecially pay it a visit when Manchester United plays as it is the Danish hangout for the Danish fans.

For a coastal city Copenhagen has surprisingly few places where you can enjoy a water view with your beer or coffee. Nyhavn is rather crowded and touristy (imitate the locals on a sunny day by buying beer from a kiosk and dangling your legs over the water). There are a couple of swanky places on Langelinie (near the little Mermaid) and the cafe at the base of the Black Diamond has a lovely outlook over the canal. In spring and summer a few cafes on the north side of the city lakes put out tables, chairs and blankets(!) by the water for beer-drinking and swan-watching.

For the beer hunters out there, Copenhagen has a few excellent specialty beer bars:

  • Charlie's Bar [61] Great selection of cask-conditioned ales. Due to its tiny size, its easy to strike up conversations with strangers.
  • Den Tatoverede Enke [62] A little hard to find as it is in a court yard off a street. Just look for a sandwich-board sign off Gothersgade. Large selection of Belgian beers and has an restaurant upstairs to boot.
  • Noerrebro Bryghus [63] Brewpub with some adventurous brews and good food.
  • Ølbaren [64] Cozy place which mostly has Danish micros on draft and a large bottle selection. Also will allow you to bring in outside food.
  • plan·b [65] Good food, huge selection of bottles, interesting drafts, great atmosphere.
  • Cafe Barcelona [66] Fælledvej 21, DK-2200 København N, café, restaurant & nightclub bar'cuda

Copenhagen by night

Copenhagen has a very active nightlife where the party goes on all night. Start an evening by drinking beers or cocktails in one of the trendy spots around Istedgade on Vesterbro, or Studiestræde or Gothersgade in the city center. For late night clubbing, most places will be half empty before 1-2 am. and stay open until 5-6 am. Some areas where a number of night clubs can be found is Boltens Gård in Gothersgade and Rådhuspladsen (main city square). Night clubs usually charge DKK 40-80 for entrance and additional DKK 10-20 for cloakrooms. A pint of beer will normally cost you around DKK 40-55. Most nightclubs have age retrictions of minimum 18-20 years on Wednesday-Friday and 20-23 years on Saturday. It is also possible to get more infomation and a full list of clubs on the mobilephone on the address wap.mobileclubbing.net.

The clubscene is vibrant in Copenhagen, but most clubs are only open Thursday to Saturday. Note that most locals have a party at home with friends, or frequent their favorite bars, before they head out for the clubs, so they rarely get going before after midnight. Below is a breakdown of the main clubs in different genres. Most clubs have cover charge, and the ones that doesn't are rubbish more often than not. Most clubs maintains a minimum age of 20 or 21, although they are not required to do this by law. Expect a draft beer, or basic drinks, to set you back 40-50 DKK - a bit more expensive than bar

Gays & lesbians

For its size, Copenhagen has a rather large gay scene with a good handful of bars and dance clubs located in the center of the city within walking distance from each other.

  • Foxy Club (Mehldalsgade 4) The city's biggest dance venue for the younger gay/lesbian crowd. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday with free beer and cheap shots between 11 pm. and 1 am.
  • Rocco (Axeltorv 12E) Big monthly electronic dance party that takes place on the first Saturday of the month and on special occasions. Usually attracts a more mature crowd.
  • Cosy Bar (Studiestræde 24) A small late night bar/club with a very mixed cliantele. Open every day of the week and is extremely busy in the weekends. The fun usually never starts until 4-5 am when other places are closed.
  • VELA (Viktoriagade 2-4) Copenhagen's only bar and lounge that's targeted at lesbians. Open Wednesday - Saturday from 9 pm.

Music

Mosts of the music venues in Copenhagen also doubles as nightclubs - so watch for them under the club sections in the different districts. Tickets for almost every even in Denmark and Copenhagen are sold through Billetnet[67] which both has online sales, and a counter available in all post offices. But apart from headline acts, tickets are usually also sold at the entrance. Expect to pay from 100 DKK and upwards.

The Major music venues in Copenhagen are Parken stadium on Østerbro for the biggest stars. In Downtown, Copenhagen Jazzhouse obviously hosts Jazz concerts and The Rock is the spiritual home of the local rock and heavy metal scene. Vega on Vesterbro is one of the major venues, with concerts of almost every genre, by major national and international acts. Nørrebro has three venues; Stengade 30 is a hangout for the alternative and indie scene, Rust's stage is mainly host for mainstream rhythmic music, and Global is it's name would imply, provides a stage for world music. Southwards on Christianshavn, it's no surprise that the Operahouse plays Opera, and not to be missed, the different venues of Christiania is a powerhouse of Denmark's alternative and underground culture.

Copenhagen cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

Copenhagen offers all kinds of accommodation but like the rest of Denmark, prices are high. Most hotels are located in Indre By (e.g. the Radisson-SAS which was designed by Arne Jacobsen). Special rates are sometimes available on the internet or from travel agencies, so look around.

  • Danhostel [68] there are 3 hostels of which the "Copenhagen Cityhostel" with 1000 beds is the biggest and most centrally placed. It is placed in a highrise by Langebro (=Longbridge) 10 minutes walk from the main station
  • Cab Inn [69] has 3 hotels in Copenhagen. One is just a short walk away from Tivoli and Kobenhavn H and the other two are at Frederiksberg. Rooms go from 71 Euro (single) to 103 Euro (triples). The rooms are quite small but a TV and private shower and toilet are included. CAB INN City is the branch close to Tivoli and is located at Mitchellsgade 14, Tel (+45) 33 46 16 16. From Kobenhavn H, go through the exit fronting the Tivoli entrance, turn right and turn left at the 2nd intersection and you'll see the hotel.
  • The closest camping site is at Charlottenlund Fort [70] at Charlottenlund 6 km from the center of Copenhagen, but there is also a summer only camping ground in outer part of Nørrebro, within the city proper.
  • Gays & Lesbians There are several hotels in the city that caters specifically to the GLBT community. (expand)

Contact

Libraries offer free internet access for one hour at a time, though this often requires signing up in advance. A cheap (under 20DKK/hour) internet café can be found at Copenhagen Central Station. More over, a lot of bars, cafés, McDonald's and petrol stations offer wi-fi hotspots for people with notebooks, though these are a little more expensive than internet cafés The following places offer free wi-fi access.

  • Cafe Escobar at Nørrebro.
  • Københavns Hovedbibliotek (Copenhagen Central Library), Krystalgade 15.
  • Nørrebro Bibliotek, Bragesgade 8A.
  • Café Globen [71], Turesensgade 3.
  • DetNet, Tagensvej 100.
  • Cafe Ludwigsen, Vesterbrogade 113.
  • Herluf Trolle Bar & Natklub, Herluf Trolles Gade 9.
  • Cafe Kassen, Nørrebrogade 18A.
  • Cafe A'fair Kjeld Langesgade
  • The two laundromat cafes on [Copenhagen/Østerbro|Østerbro] and [Copenhagen/Nørrebro|Nørrebro]
  • Dalle Valle, Fiolstræde 3-5.

A complete list of hotspots is kept up-to-date by pocketfreak.dk [72]. 'Gratis' is Danish for 'free'.

The Tourist Information [73] is located near Copenhagen Main Station (2m walk) and is worth a visit. The staff is really friendly and they speak almost all languages. It is possible to book hotels using PC terminals directly from within the Tourist Information. They provide information for all possible activities in Copenhagen - museums, concerts, festivals etc.

For Low Budget Travellers it is recommended to have a look at the Copenhagen on Low Budget Guide [74] that is available for free at the Tourist Information. This page has been removed and all information can only be had from Visitcopenhagen website. However, the first page of the now defunct site says it has collected materials into a brochure that is available in youth hostels.

Cope

Money

Although Denmark is a member of the European Union, the currency is still the Danish Krone. In Copenhagen many of the major restaurants and hotels frequented by tourists, and in Nyhavn and Tivoli, accepts Swedish kronor and Euro, but it's not common practice anywhere else. On the other hand credit cards are widely accepted everywhere, although this is usually limited to Visa cards, and to a lesser extend Mastercard. Other credit cards like American Express, Diners, JCB and Unionpay are not widely accepted outside the tourist industry, but they are certainly get you further in Copenhagen, than in the rest of the country.

Stay safe

Copenhagen used to be one of the safest cities in the world, and while the situation has deteriorated in recent years, it's still generally a safe city compared to other cities the same size. Like any metropolitan area, Copenhagen does experience its share of crimes, and recent times has seen an increase in very violent gang related crimes on Nørrebro. While crime against strangers is mostly of the non-violent type, such as pickpocketing and petty theft, one should take the necessary precautions, in particular in the neighbourhood of Nørrebro and in the western suburbs, i.e. those municipalities located to the west of Copenhagen proper.

Get out

Western Suburbs

Covering the area west of of Copenhagen until Taastrup and Solrød (should probably have it's own district called Vestegnen)

  • Brøndby[76]. Suburb to Copenhagen mainly known for housing one of Denmark's leading football teams (soccer), Brøndby IF [77]. At the stadion, a fairly new bar/ restaurant has opened (called 1964), where you can enjoy a meal, or see football matches, while enjoying one of the many beers.
    • Kroppedal Museum Taastrup

Others

  • Scania, Sweden, with Malmö and Lund is easily accessible through the Oresund bridge, which you can travel by train or car.
  • Amager is the island south of Copenhagen.
  • Dragør Is an old charming city ca. 20 km (12 mi) south of Copenhagen on the island of Amager close to the airport. Get there by bus.
  • Louisiana Museum for modern art [78]. The museum is a 35 minutes train ride from Copenhagen near Humlebæk and houses one of Europes finest collections of modern art. With 10,000 m² (107,639 ft²) of exhibition space, a relaxed atmosphere and a setting in a beautiful old park, located half an hour north along the coast, it makes a good half or full-day excursion from Copenhagen.
  • Elsinore (Helsingør) is in it self worth a visit. Its center with old houses is one of the biggest in Denmark. The center includes the only preserved Danish monastery "Sankt Mariæ Kirke og Kloster"
  • Kronborg castle in Elsinore. The setting of Hamlet. A trip to Elsinore (Helsingør in Danish) is easely combined with a visit at the above-mentioned Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Elsinore is just three additional stops from Humlebæk on the trainline from Copenhagen.
  • Flakfortet [79]. Artificial island and sea fortress. Has a restaurant, and beds. Get there by ferry from Nyhavn or sail there by yourself.
  • Middelgrundsfortet [80] Sea fortress. The worlds largest artificial island. Has a restaurant and a hotel.

  • Sporvejsmuseet Skjoldnæsholm [81], Skjoldenæsvej 107 4174 Jystrup. Tram museum located in a beautiful area. The old trams are restored and kept running by volunteers. You can go on trams into the woods around Skjoldnæsholm. Good place for a picnic.

Destinations in Copenhagen:

Copenhagen - Amager / Copenhagen - Christianshavn / Copenhagen - Frederiksberg / Copenhagen - Indre By / Copenhagen - Northern suburbs / Copenhagen - Nørrebro / Copenhagen - Østerbro / Copenhagen - Vesterbro /

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This page was last edited at 16:21, on 20 December 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Stefan Ertmann, Frederick Ross, Lorne, Peter Fitzgerald and Jim Nicholson, Wikitravel user(s) Edmontonenthusiast and Spircle, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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