Silver Travel Advisor writer Solange Hando discovered the many highlights of Copenhagen, blending beautifully in Denmark’s eco-friendly capital.
Laced in waterways on the edge of the Baltic Sea, Denmark’s capital city Copenhagen promised royal palaces and mysterious courtyards, vast crowded squares and hidden gems draped in cottage gardens. The inner city is on Zealand, the larger island, while across the channel, the little Amager has a charm all of its own. Our top attraction? Read on to find out…
The Greenest City in the World (2024)
We felt it straightaway on public transport, a sustainable network of trains, metro, buses and boats, efficient and clean. Our Copenhagen card covered all public transport and entrances to over 80 highlights. We were equally impressed by cycle and pedestrian lanes right across town, some with their own bridges, preserving the environment and a healthy lifestyle.
Flowers, trees, glorious gardens, nature was all around, brilliant for the wildlife especially by the water. We spotted heron, grebe, coots, swans and more and a short ride out of town we saw hundreds of geese roaming on a sandy beach.
Add to this the city’s 172 parks, nature reserves and forests which are all within reach, and here you can enjoy the fresh air and if you wish, help out through CopenPay. This new initiative encourages visitors to try an eco-friendly activity such as cycling, creating art from recycled material, volunteering in a clean-up operation or working on an urban farm. As a ‘thank you’ reward, you may be offered a complimentary guided museum tour, free kayak rental or an organic vegetarian lunch from local crops.
Zealand Historic Centre
We started on the spacious City Hall Square, gazing at fountains and sculptures before heading to the Round Tower and the steep spiral slope, once used by horses, up to the top for all round views. But with three palaces on our list, there was little time to linger. First it was Amalienborg, the Royal Residence where you can walk around the buildings and watch the Changing of the Guards, next Christiansborg – the Parliament House – and my favourite, Rosenborg, rising in the lovely King’s Garden and guarding the royal treasures.
Later we discovered Nyhavn along the canal, all colourful houses, crowds and boats, and not too far away, our secret places, the neat ‘yellow village’ of Brumleby and Olufsvej gleaming in rainbow colours. Up on Kastellet – the old citadel – we followed the panoramic trail above the meadows and glistening lake. It felt like the countryside. Yet the day was not over as within walking distance, the legendary Little Mermaid watched over the harbour, waves lapping at our feet as we dreamed of the wonderful fairy tales by Christian Anderson.
Amazing Amager
Another day we strolled across the bridge to Amager where Christianshavn is best known for the brightly coloured ‘Freetown Chistiania’. Home to an ‘autonomous’ community, 70s style, self-built cabins and huts shelter in the trees while street art, sometimes contentious, might take your breath away.
However the district has other attractions. We liked the canal, almost Venetian like, the winding lanes and Our Saviour’s Church, even though we could not climb the unique corkscrew spire. Tickets were sold out, early booking is always recommended in popular spots.
Then just beyond the northern tip, the Royal Opera House greeted us on its own islet, a glistening ten-storey building (more underground) right at the water’s edge with a fabulous overhanging roof. Look across the harbour and you will see the Royal Residence and nearby Marble Church.
Back on Amager, the new Ørestad suburb was stunning, wild flowers, water features extensive park and the latest architecture oozing artistic flair and technical skills. From cascading ‘mountain’ dwellings to Bella Sky towers glowing in the sunset and more, we agreed Copenhagen deserved its latest coveted award, ‘World Capital of Architecture 2023-2026’.
Day trips from Copenhagen
As our travel card included the entire district, we set out into the countryside, first up north to the pretty town of Hillerød, meandering down to the lakeside castle of Frederiksborg. Imagine three moats before you reach the gate and the largest Renaissance complex in Scandinavia inviting you to explore the National History Museum. Or you can roam around the gardens, marvelling at flowers and waterfalls, maybe pop on the ferry or trek around the lake for the most scenic views.
Our final day was down south, venturing out in the forest to find the giant troll. And there it was, hiding in the trees beyond a ghostly stone circle. The place was deserted, the wind howled now and then and we did not linger long.
Back in the real world, we continued to Dragør, the prettiest village we had ever seen, neat alleyways, steep roofs, yellow walls festooned in multi-coloured hollyhocks. We relaxed on a silvery beach, looked around the harbour, sails tinkling in the breeze and scrambled up to the fort with a superb panorama, village, harbour and sea, and most inspiring, the elegant Øresund bridge from Sweden, heading to the mid-way artificial island where the Danish tunnel would complete the crossing.
With so much to see and do we enjoyed our trip tremendously, fully aware of the Danes’ determination to preserve their way of life in a pristine environment. No traffic congestion, no pollution and ongoing efforts to be the first carbon-neutral metropole in 2025. A week was barely enough to see it all but from morning to night, we were spellbound, traditional buildings, new architectural wonders, scenic canals, joyful squares, hideaway ‘villages’ full of colour and charm. Copenhagen seemed indeed the ‘most liveable city in the world’ and we promised to return.
Next steps
To plan and book your city break to Copenhagen, call Silver Travel Advisor on 0800 412 5678. Our team can build your perfect break including flights, accommodation, attraction tickets and more.
