20+ Affordable and Fantastic Things to Do in Copenhagen, Vol. 1

Hey, I know. You’re probably thinking:

Oh Geez, another “Things to Do in Copenhagen” post out of hundreds of them on the internet!

But here we are. I am writing another “things to do in Copenhagen” post. I LOVE Copenhagen so much that I returned to the city few months after my first visit. Also, I believe that every travel experience is unique. Perhaps you’ll find some of the suggestions overlapped with other bloggers, but so what? That only means these places are fantastic. There are just so many things to do in Copenhagen. In fact, while I am writing this post, it’s gotten so long that I decided to divide it into several parts (Go to Vol. 2 here.)

If I ask you to think about a city that’s affordable to travel, I am pretty sure Copenhagen isn’t the first that comes to mind. It’s probably not even going to make the affordable city list since Scandinavian countries are known to be expensive. Well, first, the term “affordable” is subjective, so just do me a favour – Do not come and say that “Joanne, the things you recommend here are not cheap at all. Thailand and Hungary are so much cheaper!” Again, it’s subjective – affordable doesn’t necessary mean it’s cheap. It means you can pay for it (And these countries shouldn’t be put on the same scale.)

What you will find in my posts of things to do in Copenhagen:

Addresses and links to the Google map of each destination.
Beautiful pictures that were taken by me (all of them.)
Tips of things you need to pay attention.

Ready? Here we go!

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Affordable and Fantastic Things to Do in Copenhagen

RIDE A BIKE – Ride The Gobike!

Copenhagen is big on cycling, and it’s also the best way to see the city. There are plenty of bike rental services throughout Copenhagen, but I strongly recommend you rent with Gobike. Gobike is the bike share system in Copenhagen, and there are more than a hundred docking points throughout the entire city. The bike is electric and offers GPS on the bicycle! It helps you to navigate the best and the most scenic route to your destination. It’s a great tool for tourists to explore the city!

So far, this is the best tourist friendly city bike system I’ve ever encountered. The registration is simple: Create an account name and pin code on the bike’s touchscreen and enter your credit card info, then it will automatically charge you after you return your bike. It only requires your name, e-mail, phone number, and payment card info. It’s available 24/7, 365 days a year, and it charges 30dkk/hour. (It went up 5dkk as of 2017.) It’s not cheap, but certainly affordable. Consider it’s electric and comes with a built-in navigation system, so you don’t need to stop and cause traffic problem while mapping yourself on the phone. For more info, go to https://bycyklen.dk/en/pricing/

Tip: Don’t forget to check how much battery is left on the bicycle you are taking!

Explore movie scenes from The Danish Girl:

Inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe (starred Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander), The Danish Girl took place in Copenhagen. If you love the movie like I do, then you can’t miss out these spots!

NYBODER

Nyboder is an off-the-beaten-track spot in Copenhagen. In the film, Nyboder is where Einar/Lili first explores his/her sexual desire with another man, in which triggers Einar to move steps forward into becoming Lili.

Nyboder used to be a part of the Danish navy base, but now Danish government has rented it out as low-income/student housing.

Tip: Stay quiet when you visit since it’s a residential area. There were only us when we visited!

Map: Skt. Paulsgade 24, 1313 København K

NYHAVN (New Port)

Nyhavn literally means “New (ny) Port (havn).” This harbour front canal is a must-go even if you’ve never watched the Danish Girl. The colourful townhouses and bars were built in the late 17th century/early 18th century. Needless to say, it’s one of the most photogenic landmarks in Copenhagen! It’s walkable from the shopping area. Stunning to visit in summer time.

In the movie, Nyhavn is where Einar walk through when he first dresses up as Lili.

Map: Nyhavn, København K

RÅDHUSPLADSEN (City Hall Square)

You won’t miss the city hall if you come to the centre of Copenhagen. IT IS THE CENTER of Copenhagen! In the movie, this building became the hospital where Einar/Lili receives his sex reassignment surgery to become a real woman.

Jim and I celebrated our 2016 New Year’s Eve at the city hall square with some new friends we met at the bar of Copenhagen Downtown Hostel. Check out our New Year’s Eve in Copenhagen video here. It was one of my favourite NYE celebration!

Map: Rådhuspladsen 1, 1599 København

FREDERIKS KIRKE (Frederik’s Church)

Also known as The Marble Church (Marmorkirken), Frederiks Kirke briefly appeared in The Danish Girl as an architecture in Paris. The church was originally designed by architect Nicolai Eigtved in 1740 to celebrate the 300th year ruling of the Oldenburg dynasty. The plan was to build the entire church with marble, but due to a budget cut, the idea failed through, and the building was abandoned for 150 years. The latest version was designed by Ferdinand Meldahl, and the construction wasn’t completed until 1894.

Tip: It’s located the west of Amalienborg Palace.
Map: Frederiksgade 4, 1265 København

Discover the nation of fairytales:

Best remembered for his stories including The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Red Shoes, The Little Match Girl and much more, the Danish Author Hans Christian Andersen is undoubtedly one of the most famous Danish icons. Here are some H.C. Andersen related attractions:

DEN LILLE HAVFRUE (The Little Mermaid)

The little mermaid is possibly the most famous Danish woman. This little sculpture sits on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade. It’s one of those checklist attractions like Manneken Pis in Brussels. The statue has experienced some damages throughout her “lifetime.” Mostly pranks. The city council transported the statue to Shanghai for the 2010 world expo: The first time it was moved in history! There are multiple copies around the world. You can see one when you go through the customs at CPH Airport. The original statue is back to where it is now.

p.s. Many tourists were surrounding her when I visited. It took some skill to get this picture.

Map: Langelinie, 2100 København Ø

TIVOLI GARDENS

Tivoli is the amusement park of Copenhagen. Although it’s not directly related to Andersen, there’s a giant statue of him outside of Tivoli. The park was opened in 1843. That’s almost two centuries ago! During Christmas season, Tivoli hosts the annual Christmas market in Copenhagen. I love their Christmas decorations and glogg (Swedish/Danish mulled wine!) The restaurants inside are severely overpriced, though (Well, what do you expect?)

Map: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København V
Tip: It’s closed after January 1st and won’t open again until April, and it’s next to the City Hall Square.

ASSISTENS KIRKEGÅRD (Assistens Cemetry)

Assistens Kirkegård is H.C. Andersen’s final resting place. The monument isn’t very easy to find. I wouldn’t say it’s worth a visit for regular people, but I have a thing for visiting cemeteries. (I’ve been to cemeteries in Helsinki, Manila, Taipei, Paris, Savannah (Georgia, U.S.), New York, and possibly more.) I like reading about when the deceased were born and died and imagined what was like when they were alive. I know I am weird.

There’s something special about this cemetery, though. When we visited which was between Christmas and New Year, all the graves were really “festive” and flourished. We also discovered a Danish musician. Jim immediately used Spotify to search his tracks, and we turned out liking his music! Well, what do you know? You learn something wherever you go!

Map: Kapelvej 4, 2200 København N
Tip: The cemetery is in Nørreboro district, and there are a lot of things to do around the area. Check out my Vol. 2 for Nørreboro!

Notes of Jo by Evolve With Joanne