Last updated on January 22, 2024
Continuing my love affair with Instagram, here’s a little taster from our trip to Denmark, where we went in search of hygge things to do in Copenhagen. The above photo of Nyhavn is the quintessential Copenhagen shot.
The days were mostly grey on our trip, but the colourful buildings bought some cheer.
We went on a canal tour to see the city from the water.
Old mixed with new.
I was reading Harry Potter and this reminded me of Hogsmeade.
This too.
Everyone in Copenhagen rides a bike.
Postboxes you could run away with!
We spent a lot of time in cafes. This book-cafe called Paludan was a favourite.
What’s not to like about being surrounded by books?
The brunch in Paludan was great. In fact, Copenhagen is a master of vegetarian brunch.
This one in Europa was exquisite.
We also spent time in the city’s freetown named Christiana.
One of the things Christiana specialises in (aside from weed!) is its “architecture without architects”.
There are some wonderfully creative buildings.
I liked this pyramid, which had a little desk inside looking out to the lake.
A fitting quote for the freetown.
The children’s area was suitably colourful.
Spot the goose!
And this is the house I dreamed of at five years old.
The scrap shop at Chritiana was impressive, letting the mind run wild at the possibilities if only one had some land.
By night we drank a lot of cocktails. This whisky bar at Lidkoeb was a favourite.
And we loved The Log Lady, a Twin Peaks-themed bar.
This steamy window was crying for an Instagram.
Did you know slag means salad in Dutch?!
After cocktails come chips and giggles about amusing translations.
We also went to the contemporary art gallery, Kunsthal Charlottenborg.
I loved these old hi-fis.
And the almost obligatory “music playing to a plant art”.
But this little dog was our favourite.
While in Copenhagen, we slept at the colourful Annex Hostel for two nights.
And at the Anderson Boutique Hotel for one. I’ll write more about both of these soon.
And the sun did shine occasionally. We’d love to go back in summer (although winter certainly had its charm).
Have you been to Copenhagen? Do you have any tips? If you’re looking got more quintessential tourist things to do in Copenhagen (not our general style), this post on one-day in Copenhagen by Luggage and Lipstick might help.
Also read our post on hygge things to do in Copenhagen. It starts like this:
“Have you ever read one of those articles about untranslatable words that have no equivalent in English? The words are usually to do with a concept that has particular significance in a given country – for example wabi-sabi in Japan, friluftsliv in Norway, and juggad in India. I find these words fascinating, giving insight into how a different culture sees or values life. One word in particular has always delighted my imagination. It’s the Danish word ‘hygge’, which defies exact translation. Originating from a Norwegian word meaning ‘well-being’, some call it ‘cosiness’ or ‘togetherness’, but one word is never enough. Hygge is a state of mind and an atmosphere that needs sentences and examples to define. The Danish tourism board describes it like this:
‘In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There’s nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life.’
“Despite not being Danish or growing up with this concept, an essence of warmth and cosiness is one of the things I enjoy most in life. It’s why I love the seasons and wrapping up warm on cold winter nights. It’s even why I chose to come back to London – for the warmth and togetherness of family and friends. So when Steve’s birthday came round this year and I scanned the map of Europe looking for somewhere to go, my eyes rested on Denmark. What better way to celebrate than an exploration of all things hygge? So off we went to Copenhagen for a three-night trip in the city.”
“As always, our focus was on finding special places worth sharing, but this time we also wanted them to embody a sense of hygge. These were our favourite finds in Copenhagen. Most are situated around the hip Vesterbro district as that is where we stayed in Copenhagen….” Read the rest of the post here.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and travel tips.
I would just like to comment that Copenhagen is like 8+ small cities made into one big city. Vesterbro, Nørrebro, Østerbro, Frederiksberg, Latinerkvarteret, Christianshavn, Amager and Ørestaden all have their own individual character and each comprise a small town within the larger city. Downtown Latinerkvarteret and smaller parts of Vesterbro around the Central Station, Tivoli, the City Hall and shopping street of Strøget is what attracts most tourists. It is also great, but Copenhagen has so much more (and different) to offer if you are the adventurous type of traveller. Pick out a specific city-district and try to investigate on your own. You have non-typical experiences and come to know the city from other angles.
Thanks for sharing the post. I love copenhagen it’s an amazing place. Keep posting more.
Thank you! Copenhagen is indeed amazing. I hope to return soon!
I love this post with its pictures especially the books – coffee Bludana and the free – town Christiana . It is indeed amazing places to visit .
Thank you! I’m looking forward to going back!