Copenhagen, Denmark – Beyond the Beaten Path

by Marcia Simon, APR, CTA

Copenhagen is a fabulous walking city.
​Tip #1:
Do NOT walk in the bike lanes.

Unlike the United States, where cyclists are often forced to share roads with motor vehicles and pedestrians, bicycling in Denmark is a serious mode of transportation with designated lanes and traffic lights in urban areas. In Copenhagen, where more than half of all employees bike to work, wandering tourists walking into bike lanes can lead to injury, so pay attention to the bike lanes and stay clear. The train and bus systems make it very easy to get around Copenhagen without a car.
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​Whatever your mode of transportation, here are 7 things to do in Copenhagen:

1. Across the street from the Central Train Station you’ll find Tivoli Gardens, one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions. Tivoli is a classic example of an amusement park done well with family activities, rides for all ages, lots of food choices, live entertainment, bright lights at night, and fireworks every Saturday throughout the summer.
2. The big “must do” for first-time visitors to Copenhagen is Nyhavn, the iconic canal strip lined with colorful buildings dating back to 1681, outdoor cafes, houseboats and boat tours. Sit outside and sip coffee or cocktails while watching the everchanging canal scene. Take in the aromas from and indulge in a waffle cone. Early mornings are the best time to take photos free of tourist-filled backgrounds.
3. For those who like to shop, Strøget is one of Europe’s longest pedestrian streets lined with designer shops and local brands.
4. Most visitors who take a canal tour start from Nyhavn (there are plenty of boats and it’s a wonderful way to see the popular sights from the water). If you want to experience more off-the-beaten-path parts of the city, try the 2-hour Hidden Gems tour operated by Hey Captain, located just around the corner from Nyhavn in Ofelia Plads at a blue van selling tickets. The tour begins with a complimentary help-yourself beverage from the cooler, in my case a cold Danish Carlsberg pilsner. Our guide/driver Freddie pointed out that Denmark is surrounded by more than 700 little islands. Many of the old retired island ferries have been turned into houseboats and line the canals and coasts of Denmark. Some are dilapidated or have been abandoned by the free spirits and squatters of the ‘60s around Christiania, and others that have been turned into beautiful contemporary Scandinavian-designed homes.
5. Reffen – This street food market is located in a former shipyard. Upon approach, it seems like you’re walking into an industrial area, but when you arrive you’ll be in the center of a millennial hot spot featuring an overabundance of foods from around the world. Choose your food, grab a beverage (alcoholic or non) and then grab a seat by the beach and watch the sun set over the city. To get to Reffen: Walk or take the 9A bus from Central Station, or the 991 or 992 harbor bus. Speaking of buses, you can buy a bus ticket at kiosks around the city or pay with Danish krone. Credit cards are not accepted on buses. (It’s kind of funny that when you walk to or from Reffen you pass by Noma, rated as one of the best restaurants in the world. Reservations at Noma must be made months in advance – online only – and will set you back nearly USD $400 per person, not including alcohol, for a 20-course vegetarian meal in summer; fall brings the game menu; winter is seafood. What they serve is what you get. Period.)
6. Christiania – Visit Copenhagen’s “hippy section,” claimed by squatters in 1971. This free-spirited community has found a way to capitalize on tourism with foods, t-shirts, crafts and hash (yes). If you walk down Pusher Street, do not take photos – and it may be best to visit Pusher Street during daylight hours.
7. Almost across the street from a marked entrance to Christiania is the Church of our Savior, built in 1696. Climb the wooden staircase to the top for a 360° view of Copenhagen and the Øresund Bridge. The last 150 steps are outside the gilded spire for those unafraid of heights. Check for hours because tourist hours stop when church is in service.

 
Leading the Way for Sustainability
Denmark is a world leader in bringing sustainability to life, affirming the importance of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Currently, 30 percent of all Denmark’s energy comes from renewable sources, including bioenergy, followed by wind, solar and geothermal energy, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark. The country’s public and private sectors are both committed to achieving an energy system without fossil fuels by 2050. The enthusiastic Danish Society of Engineers, IDA, and is ahead of schedule on the project, and has a roadmap to implement the goal of a 100 percent renewable energy system by 2035.
 
Playing On a Heap of Trash
One of the steps towards Copenhagen’s goal of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral capital includes the opening of Amager Bakke, or CopenHill, planned as the new  epicenter for urban mountain sport, offering year-round skiing and snowboarding on artificial snow. It includes the world’s tallest artificial climbing wall, running and hiking trails, and a café – all surrounded by a sprawling recreation area with water sports, soccer fields, and even a go-kart track.
 
The clincher? CopenHill is built on top of the city’s new waste management and energy plant. Amager Bakke is considered the most efficient waste-burning and energy-generating plant in the world, and is expected to power and heat 160,000 households across Copenhagen.
 
Getting Away From the City
As beautiful as Copenhagen is with its waterways and happy vibe, seeing the outlying countryside is part of the Danish experience. Whether you travel by bicycle, car, train or bus, here are 5 day-trips that take you outside Copenhagen’s city center:

1. Head north toward Helsingør (Elsinore). Visit the 15th century Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The Shakespeare Festival takes place under the stars here every August. Then stroll the charming streets, enjoy lunch and poke your head into some of the local shops. If you have your passport with you, hop the ferry for the short ride over to Helsingborg, Sweden. The ferry runs every 20 minutes in both directions.
2. Find the Six Forgotten Giants. Made of wood and placed in thoughtfully selected locations outside of metro Copenhagen, these troll-like figures were created by Danish artist Thomas Danbo to get people to explore the land outside of the city.
3. Camp Adventure and Forest Tower, about one hour outside the city, has the largest rope course and longest zip lines in Denmark. An aerial boardwalk gently spirals into an observation tower that offers spectacular views beyond the forest to the city of Copenhagen and beyond to Sweden.
4. The Viking Ship Museum is the only place in the world where you can sail on an actual Viking boat (Sailing season runs May through September.) It's located in the historic city of Roskilde, just 30 minutes west of the city by train. (Also in Roskilde – the Roskilde Festival, one of Europe’s biggest music festivals every July.)
5. Visit the island of Funen (Fyn), about two-hours from Copenhagen (and in the middle of Denmark.) The hub city Odense is home to Hans Christian Andersen who wrote The Ugly Duckling, The Princess and the Pea and other well-known fairy tales. Funen, called a magical island, is filled with old homes and adorable villages. Funen is underway with plans to be the friendliest bicycling island in the world.

Before you even set foot on Danish soil at Kastrup International Airport, especially if you’re flying in from the US and sitting on the left side of the plane, you may get a great view of the world-famous Øresund Bridge, which connects Denmark’s capital city to Sweden’s city of Malmö. This seven-mile crossing is half bridge (on the Sweden side) that seems to vanish into the sea as it approaches a man-made island and then burrows below the surface into a 2.5-mile tunnel to Copenhagen. It’s pretty awesome.

​Marcia Simon, APR, CTA, is a PRSA-accredited public relations practitioner, and an IATA-accredited travel advisor at FriendlyGroupTravel.com. Connect through facebook.com/friendlygrouptravel, Instagram @friendgrouptravel or welcome@friendlygrouptravel.com

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