12.30.2016

Copenhagen Guide

Necessary attire for my free walking tour


Gearing up for an outdoor concert at the museum

Moving exhibit at the Louisiana Museum

Top-notch yogurt at my home-away-from-hostel, Kompa'9

Coming from Tunisia this past August, Copenhagen was a complete change (including the unseasonably dreary weather) but I embraced the Scandinavian city and tried to find my inner hygge!*

Where I stayed: Copenhagen Downtown Hostel
PROS: good location, nightly family dinner for a nominal fee, luggage storage for a fee
CONS: very big and informal, pricey

Good places to eat/drink
  • Kompa'9- quaint breakfast/lunch spot for decked-out yogurt, good coffee/tea, delicious unfiltered apple juice, friendly service, and free wi-fi, all in a very Scandinavian pinterest-esque setting
  • Torvehallerne Market for smørrebrød, aka open-faced sandwiches, at Hallernes
  • Streetfood on Paper Island for great international food (I heard from several people that it may be closing so get there quick)
  • Ruby for excellent craft cocktails. I walked past the place twice thinking I was lost. The signage to this place is very discreet- if the sign says you're at the Georgian embassy, you've come to the right place. Just take the first right once inside the building, sit at the bar, and watch the mixologists do their magic.

Things to do:
  • Nyhavn- walk around the harbor and take in the picturesque buildings
  • Louisiana Museum- this may be one of my favorite museums ever, as the entire grounds make up the museum and there is art and beauty to take in whether you are inside at an exhibition, or outside enjoying the seaside, sculptures, and live music that I was lucky to enjoy. (Yayoi Kusama's "Gleaming Lights of the Souls" is a favorite exhibition.)
  • Tivoli Gardens- has bragging rights as the world's second oldest amusement park (the other one also in Denmark). Come here to test your fear of heights, listen to live music, stroll through the gardens, and relive your childhood.

Interesting observation:

  • *On my free walking tour, I learned more about the danish concept of "hygge" which very loosely translates to cosiness (although it seems difficult to translate). Visit Denmark says that hygge "is as Danish as pork roast and it goes far in illuminating the Danish soul. In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There's nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life." For whatever reason, hygge seems to be all the rage now thanks to a recent New York Times article.

Torvehallerne

Can't go to Denmark without having smørrebrød

Rooftop views in Copenhagen

Tivoli Gardens madness- somehow I thought getting on this torture device would be fun

Craft cocktails at Ruby
On the left: a "postie fizz" containing homemade rhubarb syrup, geranium leaves, blanca rum, lemon juice, egg white, and soda water
On the right: a "green bees" made up of pisco, thyme, sorrel, and honey