Transportation and Accommodation

I fly to Copenhagen with Turkish Airlines direct flight. I take the metro from the airport to my “Airbnb” apartment in Norreport. Arriving at the apartment, I go out without losing any time not to miss the sunny weather.  The neighborhood is safe and nice.

When should you go?

I visited Copenhagen in July. The aim of choosing this time of the year was to be able to roam this northern country in summer, as a Mediterranean accustomed to sun and light.

Canal trip and first impressions

I decide to take a canal cruise having found beautiful weather. By foot, I come to Nyhavn, where the canal cruise boats leave. As I will continue to see all over the city later, there is a system that works well; the boarding place is clear, everyone is comfortable, the boat immediately leaves when full and our guide starts telling us about the things we see around us.

The first thing I notice in the city is how clean and well-maintained it is. The communal parks and gardens are beautiful, as if they were the private area of ​​a luxurious villa. The Danes are very careful about keeping their common areas aclean, well-maintained and comfortable, and they enjoy it in abundance! The water in the canals is crystal clear despite the buzzing sea traffic; not a single trash and we see people swimming in the channel a little further.

What I like about the Danes is that they are happy and comfortable people; The jokes that our tour guide makes are mostly about the daily lives of Copenhagen residents. For example, she says that swimming in the canals is forbidden except for areas reserved for swimming; but if we get caught by the police, we’ll say we fell down by accident and it won’t be a problem! I complete the cruise and start walking by the canal where I see three musicians playing great jazz music on the street. I sit on the wall by the canal and enjoy the music in the sun. I see the locals picking up beer from the corner store, so I grab a local beer myself and enjoy the city like the Danish do.

Empty beer bottles and cans go into the vending machines in the supermarket, and the machine gives coins in return. I complete the same process successfully and get my coin.

My ways of coping with high prices

Unfortunately, it is impossible not to notice that Copenhagen is extremely expensive! Until I visited the city, I thought that only the food in expensive restaurants was expensive.  But here I am and even the simplest sandwich or a bus ticket is so expensive!  So I find a couple of ways to deal with this after paying a very high price for the granola that I ate in an ordinary cafe the first morning.  I went to the supermarket and bought some simple stuff for breakfast and some fruit from the wonderful street market nearby. Also, the ticket I bought on my boat trip was valid as “Hop on Hop Off” for 48 hours; so I used this ticket for every place I would go for next two days.  

Louisiana

I’ve heard about this museum a lot before I left. When I was doing my Copenhagen program, I thought to skip it when I found out that the museum is out of town, but I’m glad I went! Yes, it is out of town but it is very easy to get there by train.

I recommend you to visit it in a way that you will not put anything in front of it or after it so that you can have a relaxed time, because it has a very nice garden and a good museum cafe.

Environmental awareness to be admired

Denmark set a goal of being “carbon free” in 2025 and is already one year ahead! There are very few cars on the roads because very high taxes are implied and everyone is using bicycles for transportation. There are wind mills in the channels: the goal is to be self sufficient concerning energy without the need for external sources such as oil.

Tivoli Amusement Park

This famous amusement park, located in the middle of the city, has been in operation since 1843. Even if you don’t love amusement parks, you should visit the exotic gardens.

Christiania

This is the “free city in the city”. This autonomous region, where around 500 people are living, has its own rules. For example, running and taking photos after entering the border is forbidden. In addition, the use of “soft drugs” in the region is free and from time to time this becomes a subject of debate among the inhabitants of Copenhagen.

Food & Beverage in Copenhagen

Reffen Street Food Market

This old industrial area outside the city has been transformed into a wonderful area where you can taste street delicacies from various parts of the world. I take food and drinks from different stans and taste various cuisines. The outdoor environment is also very pleasant.

Torvehallerne

Here you can take a variety of food and beverage alternatives next to each other, either to go or sit at the common tables and enjoy on-site. Everything is fresh and of good quality; prices are not cheap but worth it.

After discovering Torvehallerne, I came four times and tried a different place each time. The Pizzeria and the Mexican were in particular very good.

Kødbyens Fiskebar

This is a very busy restaurant, with very fresh and tastefully prepared seafood. Service is very professional and attentive. Good value for price. A must go when in Copenhagen.

Noma

When in Copenhagen, it would have been nice to eat in the world’s number one restaurant, Noma. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a table because I didn’t reserve early enough. I still went to the place and saw it from the outside.

Later, at this year’s “yediistanbul” conference, I met Noma’s chef and co-owner Rene Redzepi.  After listening to all that they have accomplished in Noma, I was even more upset that I could not visit the restaurant. I hope next time!

I say goodbye to Copenhagen, leaving with a happy stomach and soul.  Thank you for taking such good care of me and hope to see you again!