Hotels in Copenhagen
Book your cheap hotel in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and with over 1 million inhabitants it is the largest city in Scandinavia.
The hotels in the centre of Copenhagen are expensive, but with 24 hour public transport, many tourists opt to stay in the more affordable accommodation on the outskirts of the city. There is at least one exception. The affordable Woodah Hostel, is in walking distance of the city centre.
Neighbourhoods of Copenhagen
Copenhagen is made up of many different neighbourhoods, each with its own personality. Radhuspladsen and Tivoli make up the centre of the city. The City Hall Square is illuminated at night and has been compared to Times Square. Stroget has plenty of shops in pedestrianised streets and pretty churches with copper spires. It is best explored on foot. The small island of Slotshomen is the oldest part of Copenhagen and is dominated by the palace, Christianborg Slot. Nyhavn has its canal lined with restaurants and bars. Next door is Kastellet and its harbour with a statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid. Christianshavn is home to an “alternative community”, which can be toured. To the north, Osterbro has shops, restaurants and Copenhagen’s largest park.
What to see and do in Copenhagen
Copenhagen has many famous attractions:
- Nationalmuseet: The National Museum is a showcase for Danish history. Visitors can learn about the Vikings and the empire that they founded.
- Rosenborg Slot: Rosenborg Castle is home to the crown jewels and the royal collection of art and furniture. The King’s Garden is also open to the public and is popular with families.
- Rundertam: Tourists can climb up to the top of this 35 metre high round tower for an impressive view of the city. An observatory is also housed here.
- Statens Museum for Kunst: The National Gallery has six centuries of art, including work by Rubens, Breughel and Rembrandt.
- Tivoli Gardens: Centrally located, Tivoli Gardens is the world’s second oldest amusement park and is Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attraction. Along with the rides, a visitor can also enjoy live theatre and music.
What to eat in Copenhagen
The traditional lunchtime food for a Dane is smorrebrod, or an open sandwich. There are many different fillings to try in many different takeaways. Evening meals often consist of frikadeller a type of meatball usually smothered in brun sovs a kind of gravy. For those who prefer fast food there are polser vogner or sausage wagons.
Typical events and festivals in Copenhagen
Most of Copenhagen’s special events are held in the summer. In early July thousands of people attend the Rosklide Festival, which is Europe’s largest rock festival. It is held 20 miles west of Copenhagen. Also in July the Jazz Festival takes place in multiple venues throughout the city, including the streets themselves. In the first week of August Kulturhavn(Culture Harbour), a festival of cultural events and watersports, is held in the harbour area. The first Sunday of December sees Father Christmas entering the city as part of the Great Christmas Parade, which culminates with the switching on of the Christmas lights.
How to move around in Copenhagen
Public transport in Copenhagen complements each other, as the Metro (underground railway), S-trains, buses and even waterbuses can all be travelled on with the same ticket. The cost is determined by how many zones the tourist travels through. The Metro is open 24 hours a day and has 39 stations. The flat landscape has made cycling popular, with hundreds of kilometres of designated cycle lanes.
The climate in Copenhagen
Copenhagen has a temperate climate, with four distinct seasons. A visitor can expect highs of over 20 degrees Celsius in July and August and lows of just below freezing in the winter months, making snow a near certainty. The high latitude means long days in the summer, but long nights in the winter.
More interesting facts about and sights in Copenhagen
Copenhagen’s environmentally minded authorities carried out a major cleaning operation to make the inner harbour clean enough to swim in. Tourists are encouraged to drink tap water and so bottled water is expensive.