Copenhagen is an amazing city.
Chris had been a few times for work since we’ve moved to London, but never had time to truly explore the city. I was itching to check it out, as I’d heard so much about it and seen countless amazing photos pop up on my Instagram feed. Luckily, our friends (a.k.a. “The Blogowicks“) were up for a Copenhagen adventure, too, so we planned a trip together!
We arrived in Copenhagen on the Saturday of the last weekend in May – a bank holiday weekend for the U.K. The weather was forecast to be perfect and we were eager to explore!
The following is a list of my favourite activities from our weekend of fun and friends in Copenhagen!
Treat yourself to a Bubble Waffle
Our first stop, on the way to our AirBnB, was a place called Munchies because this 19-weeks pregnant lady spotted signs for “Bubble Waffle” and “ice cream.” Chris and I shared an Oreo treat… It did not disappoint!!
Explore Freetown Christiania
One of the most unique experiences we had in Copenhagen was exploring Freetown Christiania. (Check out Buzzfeed’s article “Why You Need To Visit Denmark’s Hippie Commune Before You Die!”)
According to Visit Denmark’s website, “In 1971 an abandoned military area in the Christianshavn district of the city was taken over by squatters. They claimed the area as a free city, free of taxes and run by their own laws. New settlers poured in to this alternative area and the social experiment of a few free thinkers became a permanent feature of the city. Christiania survives and adapts and it is still a vibrant alternative hub in the city, with around 1000 people permanently living in the area.”
“Freetown Christiania is Copenhagen’s alternative neighbourhood. Christiania is a mix of homemade houses, workshops, art galleries, music venues, cheap and organic eateries, and beautiful nature. It is still a society within a society. The area is open to the public – even with guided tours, run by the local Christianites.” (Source: Visit Copenhagen)
We enjoyed wandering around for a bit… the art and colours were incredible!
Do as the locals do… Bike!
On our second day in Copenhagen, we rented bikes! Copenhagen is an extremely bike-friendly city and we wanted to get the full experience.
Well… mostly. Being an overly cautious preggo who had read in multiple books/articles that biking isn’t the safest pregnancy activity, I (somehow) convinced Chris to rent a “cargo bike…” Basically, he pushed me around the city for a few hours in a big, wooden basket. Haha! (Come to find out that plenty of women, especially in Copenhagen, continue to bike throughout their pregnancies. Oh well!)
Side note: My sweet friend, Brittani, decided that the pregnant lady, in addition to being chauffeured around the city, needed some lovely flowers. Needless to say, I think I was the envy of every girl in Copenhagen that day! 😉
Anyway, biking was a great way to see the sights! We loved seeing the colourful houses and buildings.
Check out the colourful Nyhavn waterfront
My favourite area we saw on our bike ride was the famous Nyhavn waterfront district.
“Originally, Nyhavn was a busy commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock. The area was packed with sailors, ladies of pleasure, pubs and alehouses. Today the beautiful old houses have been renovated and restaurants dominate the old port. Nyhavn is filled with people enjoying the relaxed atmosphere by the canal, jazz music and great food.” (Source: Visit Copenhagen) And fun fact… apparently Hans Christian Andersen lived here while he wrote his famous fairytales!
Walk around the city’s star-shaped fortress
During our biking adventure, we biked to Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress dating back to the 17th century. We parked our bikes just outside the gates and explored the island by foot.
It was a bit of a grey day, but there were plenty of tourists and locals alike walking and jogging around the star-shaped island.
Go for a boat tour
One of my favourite activities of the weekend was going on a boat tour with a company called Hey Captain, located right near the Nyhavn waterfront… and it’s not just because our amazing captain’s name was Molly! 😉
Boating was a great way to see the city from a different viewpoint. Captain Molly shared some interesting facts about Copenhagen as we cruised along…
…but the most fascinating part (to me, anyway), was hearing about Captain Molly’s life!
Apparently it gets so cold and dark in Copenhagen in the wintertime that many of the locals move away for part of the year. Molly said during most of the year, she lives on a boat on a canal in the city and gives boat tours for work. Then, when the season changes, she takes off and travels around the world! One year, she spent the winter months traveling around the United States (working on boats, if I’m not mistaken). This year, she said someone asked her to edit a book for her… in Bali! What a life!
Eat at the food markets
During our bike ride on the second day, we stopped for lunch and drinks at an enormous indoor food market called Torvehallerne. It had counters upon counters of delicious and fresh food. I opted for a healthy salad and watermelon juice. Yum!
On our last day in Copenhagen, we headed to Reffen, a new street food market with TONS of delicious-looking culinary treats to try!
Filling up on delicious food with awesome friends was a perfect way to end our visit in this crazy cool city.
Until next time, Copenhagen!!
The Navigating Newlyweds 