When I stepped out of the taxi, I was startled when I saw this huge furry creature barreling toward me at a very high speed.  I froze for a second, only to realize it was an old woman in a thick fur coat and hat. She casually tweaked the bell on her bicycle handlebar as she passed me by. That was my first exposure to the wonderful city of Copenhagen.

When I made my first solo trek to Europe for pleasure, I chose Copenhagen. I was looking for someplace that I could hang out, and not feel as if I must cover a lot of ground each day.  Copenhagen is a perfect city for casual travel. The fact that I found a fantastic airfare deal, didn’t hurt either.

I visited during the month of December, and as I was still adjusting to the brisk climate, it was the first time I heard the expression “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing!”, apparently a popular Scandinavian saying, echoed by my encounter with the big furry cyclist. You need to be sure to pack appropriately and dress in layers to keep warm.

Copenhagen, even in winter is a very walkable city, and if you like to ride a bike, it is one of the most bicycle friendly cities in the world. There are well thought out bicycle lanes throughout the city, as more than half the residents commute to work or school on their bikes. Biking is a big part of their culture, so feel free to rent a bike while you are there, just make sure you observe their rules and etiquette.

I stayed, once again in an Airbnb, in the Osterbro neighborhood; a comfortable walk to the city center. This was a very cool little apartment. In this case, the BnB stood for Bed and Beer! The owner brews his own beer in the apartment, and I was welcomed with a homemade freshly brewed beer. The apartment was street level, so it did tend to get cold, but overall, I had a very good experience there.

As always, I signed up for a free walking tour. It’s the best way to get a feel for the city and get my bearings. We covered a lot of ground, starting near the statue of Hans Christian Anderson, to the Little Mermaid, Rosenburg Castle, the Palace and Nyhavn Harbor, the picturesque row of colorful homes along the waterfront. I also ventured out on a paid walking tour which took me through the “alternative” side of Copenhagen where I learned a more about their modern culture, politics, history of their red light district as well as some interesting facts about the Freetown of Christiana a “self-governing” commune not far from the heart of the city.

In the evenings, I was all about the Christmas Markets. This was my first experience with the European Christmas Markets that I had heard so much about. There are many, spread throughout the City. I visited the market at Nyhavn first. The waterfront was lined up with stalls selling many Handmade Christmas gifts and crafts.  Mulled wine, called Glogg, in paper cups, perfect on a cold winter night, were in almost everyone’s hands. I enjoyed walking along here. It was a lively atmosphere and the tables outside the local restaurants and bars were filled with party goers wrapped up in winter coats and scarves, enjoying each other’s company as they huddled around the various torches and outdoor heaters. They certainly weren’t about to let freezing temperatures interfere with their Holiday celebrations!

Over the next couple of nights, I explored the Christmas Markets at Kongens Nytorv, Nytorv Square, and my favorite at Tivoli Gardens. Most of the markets have some similar traits, but each have a unique feel to them. You’ll find mulled wine and Hot Chocolate at all of them. You’ll have an opportunity to do Christmas shopping and find unique and handmade crafts and Christmas ornaments and plenty of other holiday decorations. The food at the markets also offered a wide range of sweets and cakes to main dishes like grilled salmon and a variety of sandwiches and sausages. My favorite snack was these little round donuts (Aebleskiver) that were still warm, with powdered sugar and a little bit of jam to dip them in…so good!

The Christmas market at Tivoli Gardens is worth walking around. Tivoli Gardens is an old Amusement Park right in the middle of the City. It dates to 1843, and truly goes all out for Christmas. The Park is fully dressed in Christmas lights and decorations, and there are many shops and places to sit down and enjoy a full meal if you wanted to relax and enjoy the vibe. For roller coaster buffs, there is an old wooden roller coaster from 1914. They also have a Christmas Light show every night complete with music, lasers and all the trimmings.

 Overall, on this trip I was more about enjoying street food than anything else as I was trying to keep most of my activities at a low cost.  Found a few terrific places. I ventured out to Paper Island, near the Opera House, which by the way is quite beautiful at night, and a stunning example of modern architecture by day. There was a great food market over there, but I have read that is has since closed and the vendors that were there have gone to two other markets in the city. I will be sure to try them out next trip.

Copenhagen is well known for quality beer, and a growing craft beer culture. Carlsberg is their most famous name, but there are many more options for you, no matter what your style. I also enjoyed brews from Mikkeller. In the U.S. you may have tried a beer from Evil Twin brewing, brewed here in NY, but as the name suggests, the owner is a twin, and it happens to be Jeppe, the brother of Mikkeller founder, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. An interesting sibling rivalry, to say the least. Regardless there are many fun bars to go with a large variety of local beers on tap. One of my favorites was Søernes Ølbar. It’s a small friendly place with a great location by Peblinge Sø lake. Mikkeller and friends had a tremendous amount of beers on tap and a large crowd on the younger side, but I loved the selection.

Overall, I had a fun trip. Learned much about their reverence for Hans Christian Anderson, love for good beer, and good food. Copenhagen is a busy city, but the people have a friendlier feel than many of the other big cities I visited.  Oh, and it wasn’t until my second or third day there while having a cup of coffee and a Danish at  Sankt Peders Bageri that the light bulb went off over my head and I realized where the Danish actually originated…be sure to have one while you are here, and don’t worry about having a few  more, you will probably walk it off, just as I did.

Copenhagen Highlights

TripAdvisor Copenhagen