City Rating: Copenhagen
Population: 600’000
Date of visit: September 2017
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 3/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 5/5
Low budget factor: €/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Copenhagen is a good destination for a (long) weekend. You can see almost everything by walking, the people are very kind and the city has a relaxed atmosphere. But bring a big wallet to Denmark’s capital; this is one of the most expensive cities in Europe.
Where to stay:
Somewhere near the central station is generally a good choice, as you will have the city centre with the sightseeing spots to the East and the best nightlife area of Copenhagen (Vesterbro) to the West. Both areas are within walking distance.
The Good:
There are plenty of things to see including some towers or churches where you can a great view of the city from above. The canals are the real highlight, so Christianshavn should be your top priority. Nyhavn – Copenhagen’s most famous part for instagram pictures – is also part of that neighbourhood.
If you want to experience a city within the city, then head to Christiania. This kind of an autonomous hippie village just a 10 minute walk from Nyhavn. Just don’t be surprised if you see people openly selling drugs there. We even saw a 12 year old boy drink beer. Taking pictures is not allowed in Christiania.
Copenhagen has a fair share of good restaurants, although most of them are quite pricey. I can recommend having lunch/dinner in Orangeriet (in the Garden of Rosenborg Castle) and Papirøen, a hall near the opera with many food stands. The food in Papirøen is affordable for everyone.
The Bad & The Ugly:
As mentioned above, the city is pricey and hotel quality is not value for money. Even the hostels are more expensive than regular hotels in other European cities. Expect to pay around 250-300 Dollar for a shoe box sized double room in centrally located hotel.
In addition, Copenhagen is a Northern European city, so weather can be rough. Don’t take the sun and blue sky for granted, usually you deal with either rain, grey sky, temperatures from chilly to cold – or all of them!
Even though Copenhagen is not a small city for European standards, nightlife was a bit disappointing. Especially, the bars and nightclubs in the city centre are bad, as they draw Teenagers who are barely 18 years old and sell low quality booze. Nightlife in the meat packing district is the way to go. Generally, Copenhagen was a bit too quiet for me and I prefer wilder Nordic cities like Helsinki or Stockholm.
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