I spent a weekend in Copenhagen to assist to the Roskilde Rising aka : the Roskilde Festival pre-event. Below is our Copenhagen itinerary for a first visit.
Weekend in Copenhagen – Day 1 : Nyhavn and Christiana
Copenhagen waterfront and Nyhavn
What a better way to start the day than with a little stroll to get the vide of the city? Some of the most famous areas in Copenhagen are the cute port : Nyhavn and the statue of the Little Mermaid of Edvard Eriksen.
I would suggest start your walk to go see the statue of the Little mermaid. After you can walk by the waterfront. You will see the Opera house designed by Danish architect Henning Larsen on the other side of the river, and walk through the beautiful Amalie Garden. Another option is to go to the Design museum. You might know that Denmark is really famous for it’s design!
After you can decide to have breakfast or lunch in Nyhavn. Why not try The Bridge Street Kitchen a street food market that is open from March to October. From there you can have a beautiful view over the harbour.
Freetown Christiana
You can later spend the rest of the day in Freetown Christiana, the alternative district of Copenhagen.
Freetown Christiana is known for it’s easy attitude toward hash and it’s hippie vibe. The area is not dangerous but it is best not to take pictures (or at least ask before) and to follow the rules listed at the main entrance. Beside this, it is a very cool area, quite popular among tourist and definitely one of the place to visit in Copenhagen. It is possible to book a tour with a local if this feels safer to you.
You can explore the area by walk or rent a bike to feel like the locals.
There are also many restaurants and bars. You can find everything from burgers to healthy food. In the many bars you will find live music and great cocktails. The night is yours!
Day 2 of your Copenhagen itinerary : Stroget, Tivoli and Meatpacking distric
Shopping on Stroget
On your second day of your weekend in Copenhagen, start with a stroll in the city center and head over to Stroget. Probably the most famous street in Copenhagen. It is famous for shopping. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore Danish fashion and design stores on Stroget and side streets in the Grønnegade quarter. A few great fashion brands are : Wood Wood, Stine Goya, Henrik Vibskov, Won Hundred, Mads Nørgaard but there is much more! In the nearby Latin Quarter you will also find many vintage shops!
For design don’t miss the Latin quarter here again for all the antique shops.
The mecca for design is Illums Bolighus. It is a huge store on Amager Torv Square. Perfect for inspiration! Another classic Stroget is Hay and the concept store Paustian Stroget.
If you are not really into shopping, you might want to continue toward the waterfront for great architecture with the Black diamond, aka the national library and Blox, for architecture exhibitions.
Other great museums in the area are : Nikolaj Kunsthal and GL Strand for contemporary art.
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens is my absolute favorite place in Copenhagen. It is like Disneyland but in the center of the city and with a retro vibe. Actually did you know that Disneyland took inspiration of the Tivoli gardens for it’s park?! The architecture is incredible and there are really cool rides. It now even has a virtual reality attraction : The Demon.
You can purchase your ticket online to skip the queue or if you have the Copenhagen card, entrance is included.
Evening in Meatpacking district
To finish your weekend in Copenhagen, got to the meatpacking district. It is a trendy area of Copenhagen famous for it’s nightlife. There are great restaurants in the Meatpacking district and a food market : Kødbyens Mad & Marked in the summer!
Enjoy your time in Copenhagen!!
Bisou
Amandine
Vintage shopping at Episode
Dinner at Folkets Madhus – Folkets Madhus is an alternative place where we tasted nordic cuisine