Once a fishing village, Copenhagen, the capital of the happiest country in the world, is now a hotspot for some of the best Nordic cuisine, Renaissance castles, natural beauty and picturesque low skylines.
A long weekend away visiting one of the greenest cities in the world is set to recharge you with good energy and lots of nutritious fish oils from all the fresh herring and salmon galore!
We visited Copenhagen to meet up some friends and the hotel we booked (which was a great find that offered its guests free drinks in the afternoon) was Hotel Kong Arthur. This cosy abode was perfectly located for exploring the town, which by the way, you can do on foot or by bike.
We flew in on Friday night after work and the following morning we went for a walk across the Pebble Lake for a delicious breakfast at Original Coffee. By the way, it's worth saying that if you're into healthy and wholesome food, Copenhagen is pure bliss. Everything is taken extremely seriously and baristas are real kings in this Nordic gem.
Next, we strolled through the sunny streets of the capital admiring the pretty architecture, the strikingly unique restaurants and wine bars and numerous plant-based cafes. We continued to the local market following Vendersgade towards Norreport where we stopped at a pop-up market. The permanent food market nearby was also incredible and we ate our weight in fresh Smørrebrøds (Scandinavian open sandwiches typically using rye bread and delicious toppings - yum!).
We continued with a visit to the beautiful Rosenborg Castle, the National Botanical Gardens and then following the roads towards the famous neighbourhood of Nyhavn, an old 17th-century port and current entertainment district of Copenhagen. And by the way, one of the houses here used to belong to Hans Christian Anderson :)
Next, lunchtime! And boy was this an experience. We went for the local micro-brewery called Bryghuset Braunstein where we indulged in some more open-face sandwiches, local beer and the traditional schnapps! It was funny when we asked what flavour was the schnapps and the answer was, what do you want it to be? We went for dill! And that's because it went well with the fresh herring. The things we do in the name of adventure :)
The after-lunch walk was to Amaliehaven where we watched the Red Bull Cliff diving competition from the top of the Opera House, listening to loud tunes in the middle of the harbour! We started walking back through Churchillparken admiring the simplicity of a well-designed town to end up at none other than the Hard Rock Cafe for the traditional drink, passing through Stroget, the shopping core of the city.
In the evening we were going to indulge in a long-awaited dinner at the world-famous, farm to table restaurant, 108. Before that, we paused at a cute little wine bar with charming locals and delicious wine - Ved Stranden 10 Vinhandel & Bar.
This was a real find and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat and eat here too - the menu looked great. As for 108, I will let the pictures tell the story. It was a real experience, with dishes featuring green strawberries and radish to caviar ice cream for dessert.
The next morning, joy all around! I met one of my childhood friends at a cute local bar and off we went to explore the Church of Our Saviour going up 400 steps to the top of the spiral tower for beautiful views of the city. After catching our breaths, we walked to the infamous self-governed hippie commune within a city, Christiania before going (against my will) to a local football match at Telia Parken. Our dinner in the evening was near the hotel, at a cute semi-underground cafe that served a delicious snack and good wine.
The following day we embarked on quite a journey to go for brunch at Mad & Kaffe, one of the trendiest spots in Copenhagen. I have to say, if you are into brunch, this place is for you although there was a significant wait and you cannot book. But buckle up, the ride on the culinary rollercoaster will definitely be worthwhile!
The last stop was in the Meatpacking District where we had a coffee alongside luminous flamingos and a very challenging choice of doors at Noho, the hipster, eat-and-shop-ethically-whilst-you-sip-a-bubble-tea neighbourhood.
The verdict? There is much I did not get the chance to do and you definitely should if you can, including Tivoli Garden and Christiansborg Palace. I am counting the days to go back to this airy, positive and charming Nordic gem. Also, if you're interested here's a guide that I found really useful that can take you through 15 top things of what to do in Copenhagen. Enjoy!