Copenhagen | The World Through My Camera

Kingdom of Denmark | Kongeriget Danmark

Denmark

English

Danmark

Danish

Region:

Northern Europe

Area:

42 933 km²

Ranked 130 out of 195

Population:

5 850 000

Ranked 114 out of 235

Urbanization:

88 %

Ranked 22 out of 194

Capital:

Copenhagen

Population: 2 050 000

Largest City:

Copenhagen

Population: 2 050 000

Major Cities:

Copenhagen
Aarhus
Aalborg
Odense
Esbjerg

Economy & Development:

Human Development Index:

Very High

Ranked 10 out of 189

Inequality-Adjusted HDI:

Very High

Ranked 6 out of 189

GDP (PPP) Per Capita:

$69 273

Ranked 13 out of 225

Democracy & Freedom:

Democracy Index:

Full Democracy

Ranked 6 out of 167

Freedom House:

Free

97 points out of 100 possible

Press Freedom:

Good

Ranked 2 out of 180

Economic Freedom:

Most Free

Ranked 13 out of 162

National Identity:

Independence Since:

8th Century

Independence From:

National Day:

5th of June

What Is Celebrated On The National Day:

It's called Constitution Day (Grundlovsdag) in Denmark and celebrates the Danish constitution. Both the current and the former constitution were signed on the 5th of June. The current was signed in 1953, and the former constitution was signed in 1849.

Facts & Codes:

Driving Side:

Right

Time Zone:

UTC +1 (CET)

Summer: UTC +2 (CEST)

Country Calling Code:

+ 45

Country Code:

ISO 3166

Nyhavn

Picturesque Harbour

Den Lille Havfrue

Famous Statue

Christiania

A Unique Area

Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup

IATA Code:

CPH

ICAO Code:

EKCH

Passenger Volumes:

Distance:

8 km / 5 mi (SE)

Located In:

Kastrup

Named After:

The town it is located in.

Information:

The busiest airport in Scandinavia and the preferred hub for long-distance flights for Scandinavian Airlines. The airport also serves Malmö and much of Southern Sweden.

Transfer To/From:

The best way to get from Kastrup to the center of Copenhagen is by train. You can use both commuter rail and the underground metro (M2 Line). Whichever you choose will depend on where in Copenhagen you have to go. If you want to go somewhere close to Central Station it's better to use commuter rail. For most other areas of the city, it's probably better to use the underground metro. I chose the commuter rail and it was easy to buy tickets and departures are frequent. For the underground metro, there are departures every four minutes in peak times. There are also buses and taxis available, but in a city like Copenhagen, it's both quicker and often cheaper to use the excellent public transport system.

Underground Metro

Tram / Light Rail

Elevated Rapid Transit

Walkability

Public Transportation:

The metro system in Copenhagen is quite new. It began operation in 2002 and now has four lines with the completion of the most recent expansions in 2019 and 2020 when the M3 and M4 lines opened. Particularly the M3 line will likely be useful for you as a tourist as it is a circle that catches many of the different inner-city areas and sights that you might want to visit. Such as Copenhagen Central, Gammel Strand, Kongens Nytorv, and Nørrebro to name a few stations of interest. The M2 line, which was part of the original network that opened in 2002, is the line that will take you to and from Kastrup Airport (CPH), but once you're in the center of Copenhagen it won't offer that many interesting stops. All lines of the metro use driverless trains, which are usually clean. The stations have a technologically high standard and a high level of cleanliness. The city is also served by an extensive network of suburban commuter trains, but those will likely not be something you as a tourist will use that much.

Walkability:

Copenhagen always scores high on rankings of walkable cities, and you don't really need the metro to get around. Locals use bicycles at a very high rate and you shouldn't be surprised to see the number of cyclists be higher than the number of pedestrians and cars combined at most intersections. The inner city of Copenhagen is of a good size and you can easily walk from one end to the other, but it might make you tired. Some of the further away areas, such as Nørrebro and Frederiksberg, can easily be reached with metro one way and you can then walk back to fully see and appreciate the sights and street life.

Accessibility:

Copenhagen is a very accessible friendly city and all businesses are required to make the buildings accessible with a wheelchair, the same also applies to all metro stations. The city is also flat with sidewalks in good shape.

Strøget

Pedestrianized

Yes

Built

District

Central Copenhagen

Strøget starts at Rådhuspladsen, near the Central Station, and ends at Kongens Nytorv, near Nyhavn. It's one of the longest pedestrian street in Europe at over 1 km (0.6 miles) in length. The full length of the street is car-free and pedestrian-only (with the exception of the occasional delivery truck). I recommend walking the full length at least once, and you most likely will do that without even thinking about it since the street connects some of the major sights and areas of Copenhagen. The street also passes through several famous squares such as Gammeltorv and Nytorv as well as Amagertorv. Nearby you will also find easy access to Rundetårn (The Round Tower).

Strøget is a good point to aim at when you're looking for a central point in Copenhagen to stay in. If you're within a short walking distance of Strøget then you can safely assume that you're reasonably central in the city. Since the street is over one kilometer long it does make some difference exactly where though. The northern part of the street where it ends on Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn is probably the absolute central point of the city.

The southern point, near the Central Train Station and Tivoli, is still a good option to look for hotels and you still feel that you're centrally located. It's easier to travel to and from your accommodation closer to the train station. I personally stayed in a hotel near the Central Train Station and Rådhuspladsen. I was pleased with that location, but I had to walk a little bit to get to the most central locations.

Copenhagen is a safe city. There is no cause for concern during the day, apart from the regular awareness for pickpocketing. Scandinavians don't often talk to strangers so people will leave you alone for the most part. The area of Christiania is an exception and you should be hyper-aware of your surroundings while visiting that area. I don't advise against visiting Christiania, it is indeed one of the most unique and famous sights of Copenhagen and you will be in the company of countless other tourists. If you don't do anything towards the residents they won't do anything towards you. Just be aware and alert, and don't buy anything!

Note: My assumption is of the basis that you will always take normal precautions when you're out traveling, just as you would do at home. Even the safest cities have bad elements and no matter how safe you might feel you must always take basic precautions. I'm always aware of my surroundings when I walk around, both with and without the camera. I am however a very typical tourist and it shows so I am a person that will undoubtedly draw the attention of those who targets tourists. If you can you should of course always try to blend in as much as possible, but with my big camera around my neck, it's impossible. That's two things that are good to know when reading my assessment of how it felt from a safety point of view.

Cyclists and pedestrians on Rådhusstræde

People will generally not complain if they are photographed, but people also generally don't enjoy it and you won't have people posing for pictures. Copenhagen is not a great city to photograph up-close and personal images of street life and people. In Christiania, people are hostile to cameras and will complain loudly, and often aggressively, but considering what's going on openly in the area, it's not surprising that they don't want to be photographed there. You won't face the same hostility in the rest of the city. Copenhagen is however great for photographing architecture and general street views. There's a wide variety of architectural styles throughout the city.

Denmark has few local chain restaurants. They have quite a lot of international chains represented though. Something you should try instead is a hot dog stand. Don't leave Copenhagen without eating at least one Rød Pølse - a local red sausage.

Jensens Bøfhus

Origin:

Founded:

1984

Type of Food:

Steakhouse

Did I Try:

My Score:

N / A

About:

Comment:

I've never tried it, but it's a steakhouse chain with stores in Denmark, Norway and, Sweden.

No Images Available

MAX Hamburgers

Origin:

Founded:

1968

Type of Food:

Hamburgers

Did I Try:

Yes

My Score:

3 / 5

About:

Comment:

This is a good option if you're looking for hamburgers and it’s worth trying out. They have a company profile of caring for the environment and focusing on vegan alternatives in their menus.

No Images Available

Malmö

Destination Guide

Distance:

42 km / 26 mi

Travel Time:

40 Minutes

How To Get There:

The distance between the two cities is 42 km (26 mi) which takes about 45 minutes to drive and will take you over the 8 km (5 mi) long Øresund / Öresund Bridge. The best way is to take a commuter train. You will depart from the center of Copenhagen and arrive in the center of Malmö 40 minutes later. You can also drive which takes almost the same time, but then you have to worry about parking. Even if you have a car in Copenhagen I would recommend leaving it there and take the train for this trip. For train tickets, you can look at Öresundståg or DSB. Don't forget to bring your passport. Even under normal circumstances, there's a passport check on this route.

Sights:

Stora Torget (The Grand Square) and Lilla Torg (Small Square) are two places you have to visit for some beautiful architecture. The most famous sight in Malmö is Turning Torso, one of the tallest buildings in Europe and the tallest in the Nordic countries. Turning Torso is slightly off from the center and if you're just for a quick visit it's not worth going up to the building. You will be able to get a glimpse of it from the train station.

Do I Recommend It:

Yes. If you have more than one full day in Copenhagen I would recommend going to Malmö. If you want to do some street photography you can go for a full day. If you just want to quickly see the most important sights and have a meal then you can spend the day in Copenhagen and take the train over to Malmö for dinner at Lilla Torg.

Below are some day trips that I considered but didn't do for different reasons. They might fit better into your travel plans than they did to mine. I can't vouch for them, but after spending a lot of time researching before each trip the destinations listed below are still places I would like to visit someday and which are within reach of a day trip from here.

Odense

Distance:

165 km / 102 mi

Travel Time:

90 Minutes

I wanted to go to Odense, and I still would like to visit someday. Due to the pandemic, I visited Copenhagen during the summer of 2020, I decided not to go for it in case something happened along the way. The distance is 165 km (102 mi) and takes two hours almost exactly if you're driving. It's quicker, and unless you already have a car as part of a road trip, easier to take the train. A train ride takes between 1:15 to 1:45 depending on the route and time of travel. There are frequent departures during the day. Odense is the third-largest city in Denmark and while there you can see architecture, churches (such as the Neogothic St Alban's Church), and palaces (Odense Palace for example). Odense is also the birthplace of H.C. Andersen (the author of The Little Mermaid among others) and there are museums and sights dedicated to him and his stories.

Roskilde

Distance:

30 km / 19 mi

Travel Time:

30 Minutes

Roskilde is one of the oldest towns in Denmark with a history dating back to the Viking Age. It's located 30 km (19 mi) from Copenhagen and can be reached by train in 30 minutes from Copenhagen Central with departures every 10 minutes in rush hours. Roskilde is best known for the large music festival every year, but the town also has other sights worth checking out. There's a 13th-century UNESCO-listed Gothic cathedral in which several Danish kings are buried. The Viking Ship Museum has five well-preserved Viking ships on display and is visited by over 100.000 visitors every year. Since it's so easy to reach this is a good option for those who would like to see something else of Denmark other than just Copenhagen.