We spent two days in Copenhagen as part of a long weekend, with the third day spent crossing the Øresund Bridge to visit Malmö in Sweden. It was my second visit to Cpenhagen, so we combined some favourites with things that I’d missed first time round. There is plenty to see and do to fill a weekend in Copenhagen (we didn’t visit any of the royal palaces, for example) but if you only have two days, I would recommend using one day for the 30 mile trip up the coast to Helsingør, famous for its stunning castle, Kronborg Castle, which was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. If you have an extra day, then a trip across the bridge to Malmö is well worth a visit.

Getting There

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 Malmo in 25 minutes.

Getting Around

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 we Stayed

Our main reason for coming to Copenhagen was to run parkrun, so we chose a hotel close to our chosen parkrun, Amager Strandpark; SleepCPH. This describes itself as a hotel, but is more like a hostel with shared bathrooms, a communal kitchen and online reception. Prices, however, are more akin to a hotel.

Itinerary

	Travel to Copenhagen Accommodation – SleepCPH
Day 1	Parkrun at Amager Strandpark Langelinie The Little Mermaid Gefion Fountain Kastellet Glyptotek Tivoli Gardens
Day 2	Day Trip to Helsingør Kronborg Castle Karen Blixen Museum

Attractions

1	Amager Strandpark
2	Langelinie
3	The Little Mermaid
4	Gefion Fountain
5	Kastellet
6	Glyptotek
7	Tivoli Gardens
8	Helsingør
9	Kronborg Castle
10	Karen Blixen Museum

Travel to Copenhagen

We flew to Copenhagen Airport and caught a train straight to Malmö in Sweden. The following day, we returned by train to Copenhagen for a couple of days in the Danish capital.

Accommodation – SleepCPH

Once we have arrived in Denmark, we check into our hotel; SleepCPH. As the name suggests, it’s a place to sleep, but that’s about it. I feel like I’m 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.

It’s another scorcher of a day, so I walk to the shop to buy drinks. There are signs around the hotel stating that no alcohol is allowed on the premises. The only decoration in my sparse yet expensive room is a Warholesque picture of James Dean. I ask myself ‘what would James do?’ And I buy beer.

Copenhagen Day 1

Parkrun at Amager Strandpark

It’s Saturday, AKA parkrun day, and we are going to Amager Strandpark; a beach and park located on the outskirts of Copenhagen. 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. It’s raining heavily and my waterproof is in a car park near Stansted Airport, so I am going to get rather wet. We walk to the start, then hide out in a shelter as long as possible. From here, we have a great view of the bridge to Sweden crossing the Øresund.

Once we have braved the elements to run round the park a couple of times, we return to the hotel and, once suitably clean and fed, set off for Copenhagen.

Langelinie

We start with a walk along the quayside, 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.

The Little Mermaid

We continue, predictably, to one of Copenhagen’s most popular attractions, The Little Mermaid. This iconic statue was created in 1913 and is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale.

I’m surprised by the huge throng of tourists round the Little Mermaid. Last time I was here, in 1988, we had the place to ourselves and were able to clamour over the rocks to the statue. Now, bus loads of tourists are disgorging onto the quayside every few seconds.

Gefion Fountain

We 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.

Kastellet

Onwards to the star shaped Kastellet, where an 18th-century barracks sits surrounded by a moat. There is also a chapel and a historic windmill.

The Kastellet is open 24/7, and there is no entry fee.

Glyptotek

From here, we catch a bus to the Glyptotek; the the private art collection of the founder of Carlsberg, who made a few quid flogging beer. It houses a 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…

Much of the gallery is dedicated to The Changing Collection – when we visited, this was the work of Pierre Bonnard. It’s not my cup of tea and it feels slightly offensive to read his narrative on searching for the perfect colour, considering that it was WWII and most people had much more pressing matters to contend with. So we head instead for 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.

Tivoli Gardens

We had intended to go to the 19th Century theme park, Tivoli Gardens, which offers a range of rides, attractions, and entertainment options for visitors of all ages. But we have run out of time, so have 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, closing at 10 pm from Sunday-Thursday (11 pm between June and August) and midnight at weekends. There are a range of entrance fees, but the basic pass, to get into the park, costs 155 DKK or 259 DKK including rides.

Copenhagen Day 2

Day Trip to Helsingør

Today, we’re taking a trip up the Zealand coast to Helsingør, home of Kronborg castle, setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

First, we need to purchase 24 hour travel cards from the ticket machine. The old man requests two tickets plus a receipt and the machine issues two cards; one ticket and one ticket with a receipt. However, he is convinced he has been issued with one ticket and one receipt. He calls the helpline to complain that he has paid for two tickets and only received one. Eventually, a lady who had been waiting patiently in the queue steps in and clears up the confusion.

Once we have ascertained that we do, in fact, have two tickets, we catch a train to Helsingør. It’s a pretty town from the offset as we disembark at the striking red brick station adorned with sculptures. From here, we walk along the harbourside.

There are some interesting sculptures, including Han, The Little Merman and a thought provoking fish made with rubbish from the harbour.

Kronborg Castle

We continue across a bridge to the spectacular 15th Century Kronborg Castle with its green spires standing proud above the fortified walls and surrounding moat.

The castle is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm. Entry costs 125 DKK. We’re too tight to pay to go inside, so make do with a circuit around the edge taking photos, followed by a trip to the gift shop.

Then we take a walk through the quaint town centre of Helsingør, buy provisions and have a picnic by the waterfront, which is pleasant apart from two facts; 1) we are relentlessly circled by an enormous seagull and 2) it’s so windy I keep accidentally eating my own hair.

We return towards Copenhagen by bus because Lonely Planet recommends the bus, as it runs along the coast and is, therefore more scenic, than the train. They’re not kidding – if we were any nearer the coast we’d need snorkels and flippers. And nose-clips; in places, the smell of sewage is overpowering.

Karen Blixen Museum

We 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 came to die after Robert Redford gave her syphilis. You can also visit her grave in the garden.

After visiting the grave, which is a ten minute walk from the house, I notice a short cut to the station. But we still have our audio guides. So the old man takes pity on me and returns to the museum while I hobble off towards the station.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am, closing at 9 pm Tuesday-Thursday and 5 pm Friday-Sunday. Entry costs DKK 100.

• Trip Taken: June 2019
• Updated: May 2023