We spent two days in Copenhagen as part of a long weekend, with a third day spent crossing the Øresund Bridge to visit Malmö, Sweden. It was my second time in Copenhagen, so we combined some past favourites with things that I’d missed first time round.
There is plenty to see and do in Copenhagen, but I would recommend spending some time taking the 30 mile trip up the coast to Helsingør, famous for the stunning Kronborg Castle, which was the setting for Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. Bearing that in mind, here is my top 10 picks for a trip to Copenhagen, which includes a couple not in the city itself.
How to get to Copenhagen
We flew to Copenhagen from London. Copenhagen Airport is 6 miles south east of the city centre. The Metro Line M2 runs from the airport into the city, taking just 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can take the train in the opposite direction and be in Malmö, Sweden in 25 minutes. This is a direct service between Malmö and Copenhagen (city and airport) runs approximately every 20 minutes.
Getting Around Copenhagen
We did a lot of walking, but also used a combination of subway, trains and buses. The Copenhagen public transport system is clean and efficient. If you’re planning on using public transport, day passes are available.
Where to stay in Copenhagen
Our main reason for coming to Copenhagen was to run parkrun, so we chose a hotel close to our chosen event at Amager Strandpark; SleepCPH. This rather basic hotel is more like a hostel with shared bathrooms, a communal kitchen and unmanned reception. Prices, however, are more akin to a hotel.
As the name suggests, it’s a place to sleep, but that’s about it. I felt like I was in a 30 year time warp and back in student halls. The room contains a bed, table and clothes rail. At the end of the corridor are a communal kitchen and bathroom. And this basic provision, three miles from the centre of town, costs £92 a night. The hotel’s main selling point – its proximity to parkrun. The receptionist says many of their guests are parkrunners. In fact, in the kitchen is a three metre long photo of the route for guests to visually feast on.
There are signs around the hotel stating that no alcohol is allowed on the premises. The only decoration in my sparse yet expensive room was a Warholesque picture of James Dean. I asked myself ‘what would James do?’ And I bought beer.
Copenhagen: Top 10 Things to do
| 1 | Take a walk (run) round Amager Strandpark |
| 2 | Admire the view and sculptures along the Langelinie |
| 3 | Visit the iconic Little Mermaid |
| 4 | See the famous Gefion Fountain |
| 5 | Take in the serene view of St Alban’s Church |
| 6 | Take a wander round the star shaped Kastellet |
| 7 | Admire the art at the Glyptotek |
| 8 | Enjoy the rides at Tivoli Gardens |
| 9 | Visit Kronborg Castle, setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet |
| 10 | Learn about the author’s life at the Karen Blixen Museum |
No 1 – Take a walk (run) round Amager Strandpark
We went to Amager Strandpark; a beach and park located on the outskirts of Copenhagen on a Saturday morning to attend parkrun. The park offers a range of recreational activities including swimming, sunbathing and beach volleyball. Even if you’re not into parkrun, it’s an interesting place to visit.
The Strandpark is on a small Island in the Øresund; the strait which separates Denmark and Sweden. From here, there is a great view of the bridge to Sweden across the Øresund.
Amager Strand has its own subway station, so you can pick up the M2 here and be in the city centre in 10 minutes.
No 2 – Admire the view and sculptures along the Langelinie
Start with a walk along the quayside, or Langelinie, where there are plenty of interesting sculptures to peruse.
There’s the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid, some rather phallic offerings resembling a worm with a large penis smoking a cigar.
And my personal favourite, a steampunk style man, deep in contemplation; ZinkGlobal.
No 3 – Visit the iconic Little Mermaid
One of Copenhagen’s most popular attractions is, of course, The Little Mermaid. This iconic statue was created in 1913 and is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.
Nowadays, bus loads of tourists are disgorging onto the quayside every few seconds. Last time I was here, in 1988, we had the place to ourselves and were able to clamour over the rocks to the statue.
No 4 – See the famous Gefion Fountain
Stop for a while to admire the Gefion Fountain, a huge tiered fountain depicting a Norse goddess and her four oxen who ploughed the island of Zealand out of Sweden.
No 5 – Take in the serene view of St Alban’s Church
On of my favourite views in Copenhagen is looking back across the water of the Kastellet moat to the 19th Century St Alban’s Church.
No 6 – Take a wander round the star shaped Kastellet
Onwards to the star shaped Kastellet, where an 18th-century barracks sits surrounded by an equally star shaped moat. There is also a chapel and a historic windmill.
The Kastellet is open all day every day. There is no entry fee.
No 7 – Admire the art at the Glyptotek
From here, it is a 30 minute walk or short bus ride to the Glyptotek; the private art collection of the founder of Carlsberg, who made a few quid flogging beer. It houses a large collection of ancient and modern art from around the world, including sculptures, paintings, and artefacts. The bulk of the collection is sculptures, mainly ancient statues with no noses.
But there are also some great paintings; most of the big European names are represented; Van Gough, Degas, Monet, Picasso, Cezanne are all represented. Here is a couple of my favourites…
Don’t miss a visit to the roof, from where there are great views across the city.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and the admission fee is 125 DKK (around £14).
No 8 – Enjoy the rides at Tivoli Gardens
The 19th Century theme park, Tivoli Gardens, offers a range of rides, attractions, and entertainment options for visitors of all ages. We out of time, so had to make do with a glimpse over the fence and a couple of photos from the exterior.
The park is open daily from 11 am until at least 10 pm, longer at weekends and during the summer. There are a range of entrance fees, but the basic pass, just to get into the park, starts at 155 DKK (around £18) or 419 DKK (around £48) including rides.
No 9 – Visit Kronborg Castle, setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet
A 55 minute train ride up the Zealand coast bring you to Helsingør, home of Kronborg Castle, the dramatic setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
A 24 hour travel card will cover you for this trip as well as journeys within the city itself.
Helsingør is a pretty town from the offset as you disembark at the striking red brick station adorned with sculptures. From here, a 15 minute walk along the harbourside will bring you to the famous castle.
There are some interesting sculptures along the way, including Han, The Little Merman and a thought provoking fish made with rubbish from the harbour.
Continue across a bridge to reach the spectacular 15th Century Kronborg Castle with its green spires standing proud above the fortified walls surrounded by a moat.
The castle is open daily from at least 11 am until 4 pm, longer in summer. Entry costs 125 DKK (around £14) or 145 DKK during the summer (around £17).
Then take a walk through the quaint town centre of Helsingør before catching a bus back towards Copenhagen (388 from Helsingør Station).
The bus runs along the coast and is, therefore more scenic, than the train.
No 10 – Learn about the author’s life at the Karen Blixen Museum
Alight in Rungsted to visit the Karen Blixen Museum which is in the home of the former author (Think Meryl Streep and “I had a house in Africa…”). You can take an audio guide of the house where she (Blixen, not Streep) lived as a child and where she returned to die after Robert Redford gave her syphilis.
You can also visit her grave in the very picturesque garden.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am, closing at 9 pm Tuesday through Thursday and 5 pm at weekends. Entry costs DKK 100 (around £12).
I hope you found the above information useful. For more top picks from other destinations in the 50+ countries we have visited, check out my full Top 10 Things To Do list here.
- Trip Taken: June 2019
- Updated: April 2024
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