Copenhagen: Europe's Best Kept Secret

by Jasmin Ford

Evening view from across The Lakes

Back in February I found a reasonably priced ticket to Copenhagen for the end of May and I jumped on it. I had friends travel to the city over the past couple of years and they all had nothing but rave reviews of the city and the photos to prove it. Originally, I planned to travel solo but once I told a friend about my plans she jumped on the idea as well. So the Thursday before Memorial Day we boarded a flight to Copenhagen and we were off. 

One of the things that makes Copenhagen a great city to visit for a less seasoned traveler is that everyone speaks perfect English so there are no language barriers to deal with. It’s also quite a compact city with an excellent public transportation system so it's quite easy to navigate on your own and meander down the pleasant pedestrian streets. Pro-tip: the buses are equipped with wifi service and so are the metro stations. Credit cards are readily accepted for almost all purchases big and small and I found myself relying on Apple Pay once I realized it worked there. As a result I didn't have to withdraw or convert any cash during my visit which was a first for me. If you decide to take this approach make sure you have a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. 

When planning a trip to Copenhagen I suggest giving yourself ample time to explore what the city has to offer. People often try to squeeze too many cities into a single trip and everything ends up being a big blur.  We were there for a week which was a good amount of time, but I would have liked couple of extra days to revisit some of my favorite spots and explore other neighborhoods. My sightseeing highlights were the following; Nyhavn, Botanical Garden, Tivoli, Glyptoteket museum (for the roof deck and winter garden) and the Louisiana museum.

Meal at Gemyse

In addition to all of the amazing sights, Copenhagen is a must visit city for anyone that calls themself a foodie. Noma may be temporarily closed, but scouting a new location proved there are quite a few other restaurants that offer delicious food for fairly reasonable prices. For example at Gemyse, which bills itself as a urban garden restaurant in the heart of Tivoli, we enjoyed a six course vegetarian tasting menu for 250 DKK (approximately $37). We were fortunate enough to dine outside in the greenhouse surrounded by lush herbs and plants.  In the US it's rare to find a tasting menu so reasonably priced and even rarer to find one that a vegetarian like myself can eat. However, in Copenhagen it's not so rare at all as we followed up our meal at Gemyse with another tasting menu at Väkst. There they offer a vegetarian tasting menu with wine pairing for 520 DKK (approximately $78) or a version that included meat or fish for slightly more. The food and wine pairing was scrumptious but be aware that this place charges almost $5 for small carafe of tap water. Had we known about this charge we may have opted for bottled or sparkling water instead. If you have other dietary restrictions, such a gluten-free or vegan, you’re in luck as I noticed many places that offered options that cater to this crowd.  One breakfast highlight was at Social where they make a gluten-free zucchini bread using chickpea flower and top it avocado, micro greens, and hummus. The last thing I will say about the food is that you will be hard pressed to find a bad cup of coffee in Copenhagen. My personal favorite was the coffee at The Coffee Collective which has several locations throughout the city and their cups make for the perfect Instagram snap. One thing to note about this place is that they only serve their coffee drinks with milk and alternatives such as almond milk and soy milk are not available. 

Coffee flavored soft serve at The Coffee Collective

​If you travel during the summer months the weather is generally rather pleasant without getting too hot or humid but the city can be breezy so a light jacket is recommended. Also due to the city's northern latitude the sun practically doesn't set during the summer months. While we were there sunrise was at 4:30am but the sky started to get light much earlier so make sure you close your blinds if you want to ensure you get enough sleep. Sunset was around 9:45pm with the sky not getting dark until around close to midnight so you have ample day time hours to explore all the city has to offer.
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