Last Updated on 16/08/2020 by secretmoona
Scandinavia was never on my bucket list, I kind of ended up there by chance. Having some annual leave to take before it expired, I went on the lookout for a cheap flight. At the time both Denmark and the Netherlands sounded like a good option. However, Copenhagen was less expensive since the return ticket from London was £59 per person with Norwegian. I debated whether to fly Norwegian for the first time or fly British Airways using my Avios. I did the latter. Once the tickets were bought, and hotel booked, I was off to Denmark to spend a weekend in Copenhagen!
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Day One
After checking into our hotel, we headed for the city centre. We stopped by a little place called Hungry Duck. The owner invited us to taste some samples, and from there we were sold. The duck burger and chicken salad we had were delicious. The owner and his staff were amiable and inviting!
Join a free walking tour
Once our bellies were full, we started our Sandemans‘ free tour. The meeting point was by the Dragon fountain near the City Hall. Although the tour is free, it is recommended to tip the guide if their presentation was excellent. Our tour lasted around 2 and half hours and our guide Tórður took us to most of Copenhagen iconic places while giving us a little background history of the areas and people. The tour is excellent for people who want to learn a bit of the history of the city. Or if, like us, they are new to the city and want to get a feel for what to see or where to go. We saw various landmarks like the residence of the Royal Family or Nyhavn.
We were lucky enough to see the changing of the guards in Amalienborg Palace.
After more than 2 hours wandering through the streets of Copenhagen, we stopped by Espresso House for a much-deserved tea/coffee break.
Enjoy some window shopping
After our little break, we went on a long walk mainly “window shopping” in one of the biggest pedestrian streets I have ever seen: “Strøget”. It runs from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv Square and includes five other pedestrian streets (Østergard, Amegerorv, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet and Fredericksberggade). It is home to a myriad of shops ranging from souvenir shops, high-street brands to department stores and prestigious retail stores. You will definitely lose yourself there if you like shopping. After shopping, we decided to take a breather, so we stopped by the Coffee Collective in Torvehallerne, a shopping concept where you find a significant number of stands offering things ranging from coffee to exotic spices.
Day Two
Browse in a flea market
After the previous day, we decided to take it easy. Following an excellent breakfast, we went to Loppemarked i Bella, one of the biggest indoor flea markets in Copenhagen. While it’s different from the many flea markets on offer in Copenhagen, it has the benefit of having everything under one roof. You could easily spend the whole day in there as it also offers a restaurant with decent sandwiches and coffee. It also has a massive variety of things one can buy ranging from books, ceramics to clothes and furniture.
Wander in Nyhavn
The Waterfront of Nyhavn with its colourful houses is undeniably the image of Copenhagen. We returned there so we could explore more after a brief visit on the tour the previous day. The “canal side” with its line of colourful houses offers many great cafes, bars and restaurants. It’s a nice place to be on a sunny day and you will find lots of people sitting outside sipping their drinks. It was really crowded and I can only imagine how busy it must be in the evening or during the summer. Having said that, it is still a great spot to relax, or simply people watch.
Sample some food at Papiroen
While doing my research about the city, there was one place I absolutely wanted to go to, and that was the street food market. Copenhagen Street Food on Papiroen a.k.a. Paper Island is where you’ll find all the fans of international food.
The food market is located in a waste warehouse full of trucks, vans and shipping containers serving street food from all continents. The price is cheap so you can enjoy a meal for DKK50.
You can either sit inside or outside, however, it gets really crowded so it may be difficult to find a place. It was quite cold but sunny, and we could still see lots of people sitting down right by the water enjoying the sights and the boats passing by.
Just across from the food market is Copenhagen Contemporary. They are exhibiting until December 2017 Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree Garden“. This art has been featured in many places around the world including France, England and Finland. The concept is easy, you “make a wish, write it down on a piece of paper and tie it around a branch of a Wish Tree. It is said that Yoko doesn’t read the wishes but instead sends them to her Imagine Peace Tower in Kollafjörður Bay, Iceland so they can be buried under the tower.
Ride a bike
To feel like a local, riding a bike is a must. Although, admittedly we did not since neither myself or my sister have been on a bike for more than 15 years. We didn’t want to risk the saying “it’s like riding a bike, you never forget” and crash into someone! Being a city where most people cycle, Copenhagen makes hiring a bike very simple process. Our hotel was renting bicycles so check out this out where you are staying. Perhaps, you can rent them free of charge (with refundable deposit). If not, you can hire a bike, for more info about Copenhagen bike rentals, please click here.
I really enjoyed my weekend in Copenhagen and want to go again!
Thanks for reading!
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