Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is young, modern, and full of surprises waiting to be discovered. An itinerary through 5 places to visit, perhaps over a weekend, and ideally by bicycle.
It is the city where more bicycles than cars are on the road, where design and haute cuisine are at home, where architecture looks to the future: Copenhagen is the destination to visit in 2019 according to Lonely Planet. A tour to discover the special places of the Danish capital, chosen above all by young people for being modern, multicultural and open. Art, nature and good living in 5 unusual stops.
It is located on the Øresund coast at Fredensborg, 35 kilometres north of Copenhagen — a short journey well worth making, because the Louisiana Museum of modern art is a museum you absolutely must visit, both for the artworks on display and for the architecture of the building itself, which overlooks the sea. The park surrounding the museum is a true open-air exhibition space where temporary shows are installed, blending seamlessly with the setting. The collection ranges from modern to contemporary art, spanning the period from the Second World War to the present day. On a sunny day it is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, perhaps after lunch at the truly delightful bistro — said to be one of the venues with the most spectacular view in all of Denmark.
Copenhagen is a modern city — you notice it immediately, above all when you look at its architecture: many great names have designed structures and buildings here, giving the capital a truly cutting-edge appearance. Among the most striking is certainly The blue planet, the Danish national aquarium, which seems to merge with the sea and sky of the Øresund coast, to the south of Copenhagen's city centre. The blue planet, designed by studio 3XN, is the largest aquarium in northern Europe and its structure is reminiscent of an enormous wave.
Another architectural marvel is the Danish maritime museum, an underground building designed by Bjarke Ingels that is barely visible, yet — especially in the evening thanks to its lighting — becomes a fantastic attraction, in contrast with the nearby Kronborg castle. Our favourite, however, is Ordrupgaard by Zaha Hadid, hidden in the woods north of Copenhagen: a modern art museum that juts out dramatically into the forest to house one of northern Europe's finest collections of 19th- and 20th-century French art.
Eating in Copenhagen is a serious matter: the choice is vast whether you want to try traditional Danish cuisine or explore the international food scene, which is comprehensively represented here. The first thing to do is visit the city's markets; the best known is Torvehallerne, located on Frederikssborgade, one of the capital's main streets, just a few metres from Nørreport station. It is a very recently built covered market, made up of two glass buildings, open every day except Monday. An excellent spot for a lunch break.
For quality street food, the brand-new Reffen is a must-visit: a street food market and urban area dedicated to start-ups, innovation and creativity in true Nordic style, open since May 2018 at Refshaleøen, Copenhagen. More than 50 start-ups including food stalls, bars and creative boutiques, spread across a very large area (a former industrial workshop), with indoor and outdoor spaces, right on the waterfront. Worth noting is that here all stalls follow the sustainability principles of "Reduce and Reuse": they cut food waste, use compostable materials, organic and local ingredients where possible, and practise waste sorting.
Sustainable mobility in Denmark is extremely widespread, especially in its capital, where almost everyone uses two wheels to get around, many travel on foot and few get behind the wheel of a car. Cycling is not just a way of getting from one part of the city to another — it is, above all, a way of thinking. Everything here is designed with cyclists in mind: cycle lanes are everywhere and connect every part of the city; companies and offices provide dedicated parking as well as changing rooms and showers for cyclists; bike-sharing schemes can be found on every corner of Copenhagen.
To truly embrace the Danish mindset, you need to explore the city on two wheels. Hiring a bike for a longer period or for just a few hours is incredibly straightforward: through Bycyklen, for instance, you register on the website with your credit card in a matter of minutes and can then use the bicycles anywhere in the city. To get on a bike, simply enter your username and password on the display of whichever bike you find around town, and you're off. The cost is approximately €4 per hour.
Read also: Copenhagen has more bicycles than cars
Like every great capital, Copenhagen has its own evocative cemetery. Located in Nørrebro, it is the resting place of figures such as Hans Christian Andersen, Hans Scherfig, Søren Kierkegaard and Niels Bohr. It is, naturally, a place of peace and tranquillity, in contrast with the nearby Jægersborggade, the city's bustling trendy shopping street. It is such a beautiful place that locals come here to practise tai chi, children come to play, and young people cycle through it. A park of over 200,000 square metres that is a far cry from our conventional idea of a cemetery.