A City From a Fairytale – Copenhagen
Copenhagen is maybe not the name that would come straight to mind when thinking of a city to visit in Europe, but this is a great little city full of culture and life that makes it the perfect destination for a short break. Here are some of the reasons as to why.
A City of Fairytales
The writer Hans Christian Andersen is perhaps Denmark’s favourite son and it is in the city of Copenhagen that they boy from Odense really started to learn about life and gain the inspiration that would later go on to make him such a fantastic storyteller.
Once you have walked in Andersen’s footsteps in Copenhagen you will be able to fully understand just why he would describe this beautiful city as something that could have come straight from a book that he himself might have written.
A City on The Rise
While Copenhagen is certainly a city whose warmth and quaintness brings to mind a fairytale, there should be no mistaking that this really is a city on the move. It feels as though Copenhagen has recently grown comfortable with itself and this is evidenced in the brave architecture and the general buzz that seems to imbue the whole place with life and positivity.
Long gone are the days when the locals would venture out only once a week or on a special holiday, now the city is brimming with cool bars and chic cafes and there is a real cosmopolitan feel to the place that is definitely welcoming and endearing rather than prissy and off-putting.
The Culture
A walk through the cobbled streets of the city centre, or a tour along the canals, will in itself feel like a magical trip back into some ancient and more refined past, but Copenhagen is also very much at the forefront of the modern creative scene in both all the major disciplines of and art.
In the shopping districts of Norrebro and Vesterbro you will find lots of previously unheard of names showcasing the latest in Nordic trends. The prices may be a little steep but window shopping is very much allowed in this super cool zone of the city.
If fashion is not your thing, there are a whole plethora of other options to choose from, with the city boasting an increasingly popular international film festival, a jazz festival, and musical nightlife that compares with any of Europe’s other capitals. For the purists there is also always the opera.
The Food
For those not in the know it may seem strange to see the food specifically recommended on a trip to this part of the world, but that would mean that you were unaware of the existence of such places as Noma, A.O.C, and Geranium. Noma has appeared at the top of the best restaurant in the world list for the last three years, so don’t expect to be able to get seated there unless you book very far in advance.
Don’t worry if you don’t make it into the best restaurant, though, as there are a whole host of other young upstarts looking to make their own mark on the Copenhagen culinary scene.
The Simplicity
Life is pretty good in Copenhagen and this is clearly reflected in just how simple and efficient everything is here. Public transport is fantastic and easy to navigate, but it is almost unnecessary as the city is incredibly small by modern standards.
The streets are well mapped out and very clean, the people are friendly and more than happy to communicate in English, and this really is a place where you can just drop in and feel immediately at home. The price you pay for this level of easy comfort is not a small one by any means, but this is still no Paris or London in terms of pricing.
The cold of the winter months may put off some people but for many it is during this part of the year when the city is at its most naturally beautiful and romantic. Springs are often mild and full of sun, even if the days can still be a little cold, and the summers here can be a lot warmer than you might imagine.
All in all, this city has everything and something left over. It might not have been at the top of your wish list before you read this, but it will be a trip that that stays with you for the rest of your life if you do take the plunge and venture up there.
By Alisha Webb. Alisha is a British writer working out of Barcelona, a keen traveller and a fan of Baltic travel company that helps her to travel across Northern Europe.
