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A Strong advice on what to visit

Welcome to Copenhagen! Our city is vibrant and full of activities. You may know it for its usual touristic attractions, like the Little Mermaid, but we want to offer you more personalized options. Below, you can find a list of suggestions by different Strongers, giving you all the necessary ingredients for an ideal day in Copenhagen!

David:

If you are looking for a climbing gym (both indoor and outdoor), here’s a list of my personal picks:

  • Beta boulders west and south (urban new boulder gyms with moonboards and gym)
  • Nkk (oldschool rather hard boulder gym in the red square in Norrebro, very cheap admission)
  • Blocs and Walls (only rope climbing gym in the city, with indoor and outdoor boulders too)
  • Bananna park (outdoors climbing).

If you choose Blocs and Walls and the weather is nice, you can then move to the nearby Reffen: a big outdoor space with a skatepark and international street-food stands. Reffen often offers live music and entertainment; you can check their program on the official website.

If you are interested in a walk in one of the most young and vibrant neighborhood in Copenhagen, Nørrebro, I suggest to visit the following places and parks:

  • Røde Plads
  • Folkets park
  • Assistens Kirkegard
  • Blagards Plads
  • Nørrebro bridge.

Don’t forget to try the cinnamon rolls of Meyers Bageri in Jægersborggade to eat along the way!

To end the day with some drinks and good music, here’s my personal selection of locals/bars:

  • Sohesten (jazz/house music bar)
  • Esrom (classic cocktails and jazz/country music)
  • Temple bar (good Danish billiards table & good music thursday, friday and saturday evenings)
  • Friheden (bar with good outdoors space with public skate ramp, decent music)
  • Brus (beer bar, good outdoors space)
  • Vermuteria Paloma (nice terrace and vermut selection).

Evelyn:

If you want an adventure outside Copenhagen, you can take a train (either from Østerport, Nørreport, or from Copenhagen Central Station) and go north towards Helsingør or to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (approx. 1 hour). Helsingør hosts the famous Kronborg Castle, known as the setting for Shakespeare's "Hamlet”. The castle offers tours of its grand halls, towers, and dungeons. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is one of the most renowned contemporary art museums. You can check their website for current exhibitions. Louisiana is also close to Bellevue Beach, making it a perfect spot to combine art and nature in one trip.

My pick to conclude the day is either opera/ballet at Operaen Gamle Scene or DKDM Music Conservatory, which often hosts free classical music concerts by students.

Jose:

Copenhagen is all about water, so you should definitely swim! On a sunny summer day you will see that everyone is swimming everywhere, so don’t be afraid and just jump in. There are a few places that I specially enjoy. Islands Brygge is my favorite. Always full off people, you can sunbath on the wooden dock or jump from the trampoline. Nordhavn is also very cool and you can explore the new developments in the city. If you are missing the beach, Amager strand has you covered, either if you just want to enjoy the views, make a bbq or play beach volley. If you are feeling like exploring beyond the city, Fureso lake is just a few train stops away.

If you want to get some perspectives of the city, there a few viewpoints that I really like: Vor Frelsers Kirke is the best, just next to Christiania, although you should be aware that it gets narrow at the top! If you consider yourself an astronomer, then you also need to go up the round tower to remember the legacy in Danish astronomy of the great Tycho Brahe (although actually he was never there!). Finally, there is Copenhill, an energy plant that can be downhill skied, climbed and that has amazing view for the sunset.

Julie:

My dream day in Copenhagen obviously involves a lot of HYGGE! It is a Danish concept that you can experience anywhere. In fact, all that is needed is to take some time to relax and enjoy simple, quiet pleasures, either alone or with good company. You can experience your Danish Hygge moment by for instance biking around the city (several options for rental bikes are available), or picnic’ing in one of the beautiful parks like Frederiksberg Have or the Royal Library Garden (just bring some food, a blanket, and perhaps a bottle of bubbles). If it rains, drop in at a café like ‘Maude’s’ in Frederiksberg and enjoy a Danish pastry and a cup of coffee. Reading a book at the Royal Library’s old study hall with its green lamps and old wooden chairs is most definitely Hygge, or in a similar vibe, perhaps enjoying a cocktail at the Library Bar at the hotel Copenhagen Plaza. But mostly, Danish people simply experience hygge in their homes, so I would suggest to bring a few candles with you home and enjoy your own version of Hygge wherever you are.

Juno:

Copenhagen is very active on the music scene, so the ideal day in the city must include live music! I suggest you check their website for the upcoming shows and events, a culture house hosting concerts of every genre. Huset also hosts Bastard cafe’, a cafe’ with a wide variety of board games, perfect for rainy days. If you like Asian food, you can have dinner at Lee’s kitchen (the duck is particularly good), or Fu Wa.

Marina:

The ideal way to start the day in Copenhagen, is with breakfast at Juno the bakery, in Østerbro. If the weather is nice, you can then walk by the lakes, up to Rosenborg castle. The castle is placed in a beautiful park, its regency-era vibes making it the best place for some outdoor painting or just to read. You can then have a quick lunch and ice cream at the park cafeteria.

If it’s rainy, you can go to the Black Diamond to chill and read while enjoying its contemporary architecture, and then move to Vester Vov Vov, a nice and cozy cinema screening independent movies. You can end the day with a good Italian pizza at Luca (I suggest you try the Parmigiana).

Vítor:

During my typical day, at 7:05 in the morning, I sit in one of the Meyers Bakery to have a coffee and a Tebolle. If the calculations are going well, I will take a Kanelsnurren and walk around the lakes, looking at swans while heading back to the institute.

Yifan:

If the weather is nice, I would suggest a day trip to the northern area of Copenhagen, including Bakken amusement park and the nearby Jægersborg Dyrehave. Bakken is the oldest amusement park in Europe and, together with classic rides and games, provides various dining options. Adjacent to Bakken is Jægersborg Dyrehave; once royal hunting grounds, it’s now a natural reserve where deer roam freely and is possible to see a massive herd quite easily. To reach Bakken, you can take a train (either from Østerport, Nørreport, or from Copenhagen Central Station) or bike all the way from Copenhagen.