Four Summer Days in Copenhagen

written and photographed by Marcia Simon 

There's always something new to discover on a summer day in Copenhagen, Denmark, with 17 hours of sunlight and daytime temperatures generally around 65 to 70 degrees (although heatwaves into the 80s are becoming more common with climate change.)

Public transportation is easy and walkabouts take you past cafes, parks and canals lined with boats or swans. Aimlessly meandering is quite a nice way to float through a morning or late afternoon.

I spent four days in Copenhagen, leading a group of 10 nature-loving adults. The plan was to become immersed in the Danish culture, highlighting sustainability by using public transportation and wearing comfortable walking shoes.

Day 1 - On arrival around noon time at Copenhagen's Kastrup airport, we took the train directly from terminal C to København H (Central Station). It's very easy to purchase train, metro and bus tickets on the country's DSB (Danske Statsbaner) phone app for a reduced price and convenient use. The train comes about every 15 minutes and gets you to Central Station in 14 minutes. From there it was a 12-minute walk to the Scandic Palace Hotel, chosen for its walking distance to the train station, Nyhavn and other popular city sites. Our rooms were ready, so we checked in, did a quick refresh and headed to Nyhavn (New Harbor), the iconic strip of colorful 17th century buildings.

​Above the restaurants and cafes of Nyhavn are undetectable apartments and office spaces overlooking the harbor. It's prime real estate for obvious reasons and although Nyhavn is known as a dining and drinking location with "high-priced tourist food", the traditional smorrebrød (open-faced sandwich) made with dense dark sourdough rye bread is quite good and, honestly, I didn't find the prices to be much higher than anywhere else in the city.
Just around the corner from Nyhavn, is Ophelia Plats, a local gathering spot for harborfront sunbathing and swimming. It's also where you find Hey Captain, a solid alternative to the bigger tour boats. Up to 12 people can fit into one of Hey Captain's electric-powered small boats and a choice of tours (1, 2 or 3 hours) is offered. We opted for the 2-hour Hidden Gems. A stroll back to hotel with a gelato on the way and a cocktail on arrival rounded out a busy but moderately-paced first day.

Day 2 - Exploring outside of the city, we took a 35-minute train ride to the small town of Hillerød, which attracts visitors because of its proximity to Frederiksborg Castle.

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The castle and its gardens are situated on three small islets. Built in the 17th century, it's considered the largest Renaissance complex in the Nordic region. Today, the castle also houses Denmark's Museum of National History. After browsing around for a bit, we took "the small ferry" from the castle's Baroque Garden across the pond (about a 10-minute ride) back to Hillerød where we enjoyed a leisurely late afternoon al fresco meal. (For me it was smorrebrød topped with lightly fried fish (plaice - a commonly served fish similar to flounder) with a side of tarragon aioli, and a Danish Carlsberg pilsner.

Back in the city, it seemed earlier than it actually was. Long daylight hours can play tricks with your body clock. We hopped onto the Harbour Bus that goes up and down Copenhagen's main inner harbor, making 11 stops from end to end before turning around. Locals use this as a daily form of public transportation. For tourists, it's relaxed sightseeing with stops at Refshaleøen (near Reffen, the street food mecca), Nordre Toldbod (close to The Little Mermaid statue), Operahuset (opera house), historic Nyhavn, Bryggebroen (the pedestrian and bicycle bridge connecting the Vesterbro and Islands Brygge parts of the city) and Islands Brygge Syd (popular swimming area).

Day 3 - Slow travel. More travelers should embrace this. It's a day that begins like an open book and develops spontaneously as the chapter unfolds. In Copenhagen this might include a stop at Rosenborg Castle in the heart of the city, or the Danish Resistance Museum, both within walking distance. On some days, you might find the Human Library open. It's unique and quite fascinating if you're interested in talking with people from walks of life that you'd probably otherwise never encounter. There's the restaurant scene, coffee house culture, the storied Freetown Christiania – a unique, self-proclaimed countercultural community, and the Christianshavn section of the city once known for its bohemian vibe and now for its upscale apartments and hotels.
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Eight of us ventured out on a GoBoat. These electric boats are quiet, non-polluting and come equipped with a picnic table so you can share snacks and beverages while guiding yourselves through the neighborhood canals of Copenhagen. No boating experience necessary. You'll get a map and follow the one-way guidance. These boats are fixed so they can't go over 5 mph. GoBoats can be rented at a very reasonable price for 1, 2, 3 or more hours.

During summer months, the Glyptotek Museum opens its rooftop every Thursday evening, from 1700 - 2000 (5-8 pm) to guests who've purchased a museum ticket. The museum is known globally for its collection of ancient sculptures from Egypt, Rome and Greece. The rooftop overlooks the city, including nearby Tivoli Gardens that includes a large amusement park. You can hear the happy screams of people riding the Golden Tower (freefall from 63 meters) and Star Flyer (a wild carousel 80 meters in the air) as you sip cocktails and enjoy a pastry.
1 meter = about 1 yard or 3 feet.

​We ended our evening at the Tivoli Food Hall. There's an entrance around the corner from the amusement park's main gate, so you don't need to buy an admission ticket to dine. Food choices include Danish smorrebrød, of course. (I had one with egg and shrimp because they are ready-made and I was too impatient to wait in line for a poke bowl, Greek gyro, burger, pizza, French bistro or Thai, Mexican and North African dishes.
Our last morning in Copenhagen was a leisurely large Scandinavian buffet breakfast at the hotel and a walk to Central Station where we caught a train that crossed the famed Oresund Bridge into Sweden. Instead of getting off in the city of Malmö, we took the next stop at Lund, a smaller station in a university town. This is where we changed trains for the scenic ride to Stockholm. And that's another story.
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For more on Denmark, read:
48 Hours on Denmark's Island of Fyn