Copenhagen is the epitome of cool.
The design. The lifestyle. The simplicity. The stylish black wardrobes. The cool cafes. The world-class restaurants. The coffee roasters. I think this city probably invented the genre ‘hipster’.
I have lost track of the number of my our friends, bloggers and Insta-grammers who have recently headed for Scandinavian cities like Stockholm and Copenhagen.
Copenhagen is famous for a lot of things. Being a budget destination is not one of them.
Scandinavia has some of the world’s highest prices, but Denmark’s were not as expensive as Ryan’s trips to Stockholm or Finland. Who knew it was possible to get a taste of Copenhagen on a budget without draining the bank account? Here are the budget-friendly reasons that made this trip one of our best ever!
STAY
1. Airbnb: cool Scandi design on a budget
We traveled to Copenhagen over the Easter holiday. It was our first time in Scandinavia and our first trip to ever using Airbnb! By now you will know we are hooked, and Airbnb has been a total travel-game-changer for us. We chose this charming apartment in the Østerbro neighbourhood.
Østerbro is also known as Copenhagen Ø. It is somewhat posh and at the same time completely down to earth. Østerbro is located on the north side of Copenhagen city centre. It is one of Copenhagen’s most attractive residential areas, especially for families with kids – or dogs, or a couple like us that doesn’t want to be in the thick of it.
Every morning we walked along the Søerne Lakes to grab a coffee or sit on a bench and people watch. The lakes are man-made and stretch over a large part north-west of city centre. You can’t miss them on a map and it’s a great spot to escape the city hustle and bustle.
Our flat was the perfect retreat. This was the beginning of my adoration for all things minimalist and Scandi design. We made use of our kitchen as most cafe’s and restaurants were closed over the Easter holiday. Big brunches and cozy dinners were the best way to make use of our accommodation and the perfect way to start and end our days.
SEE + DO
2. Soak in the lifestyle+ find the free things
It was a quiet Easter weekend in the city which made this trip less about touristy attractions.
Some of Copenhagen’s major museums are free to enter – like the National Museum, the National Gallery, the Brede Works (museum of industrialisation), the Post and Telegraph Museum, the Danish Music Museum and the Open Air Museum. Though some may charge extra for special exhibitions.
One of the best things to do in Copenhagen… walk and take it in. There is a lot to see in Copenhagen, but there was not a lot of pressure to try and squeeze everything in like some of the other major cities in Europe. We just tried to soak in the Danish lifestyle and enjoy a slower paced holiday.
Cyclist everywhere! Year round, it is the most bicycle-friendly city in the world
A walk through to Assistens Cemetery to see where Søren Kierkegaard is buried
Easter Sunday service at St. Albans Church
The Little Mermaid sculpture, inspired by Hans Christians Anderson’s fairytale. (Get there early to avoid crowds!)
On a clear day, you can see all the way to Sweden from Copenhagen’s highest viewpoints. Head to the top of the Rundetårn or Round Tower instead. It was easier than stairs as it has a spiral ramp (stroller friendly!) and we learned it was designed for horses to ride up.
Nyhavn
The colourful waterside townhouses and the boats along Nyhavn are iconic – you know, the images you see on all the postcards. It is beautiful. Historic. Docks and boats. 17th century townhouses. Bright colours. It is a busy part of town, with lots of touristy places to eat (mind the overpriced food…) but makes the perfect place to people watch.
EAT + DRINK
One of our budget-hacks is grocery shopping and doing our own cooking at the Airbnb. There were lots of supermarkets but limited hours over the holiday weekend. For a quick snack there are plenty of stalls selling hotdogs topped with crunchy onions, or for something a bit more Danish grab a Smørrebrød, an open sandwich that’s piled high with fillings. We were warned to steer clear of touristy and expensive places in Nyhavn and headed to student-friendly areas like Nørrebro or Vesterbro for lower prices.
On Papirøen (Paper Island), Copenhagen Street Food has lots of international street food stalls, with everything from Brazilian BBQ to artisan cheesecake, and English pancakes to a falafel bar. I really loved all the coffee stalls and seeing the variety of things- a must see for foodies.
3. Indulging in Copenhagen’s coffee + pastry scene
Copenhagen has a reputation for outstanding food, proven by it’s 15 Michelin star (yep, 15!) restaurants. A visit to Noma would have been cool, but our budget was happy with all the amazing coffee spots to get our caffeine fix.
We visited The Coffee Collective more than a couple of times… and now we can find their coffee at Baba Budan in Edinburgh! The Coffee Collective is a micro-roaster with two coffee shops and a coffee school. In order to achieve their goal of making the best coffee, they are cooperating with farmers to develop a sustainable production and to improve the quality of the coffee, we can get behind that!
Central Hotel og Café is the world’s smallest hotel and Copenhagen’s smallest coffee shop, with just five seats. Cozy up.
After giving up sugar for Lent, Easter weekend was a glorious time in Denmark. This part of the world is known for their baking and beautiful pastries and it exceeded all expectations. We made it our mission to try as many of the infamous Danish pastries as possible. A visit to any bakery here will leave you with a big decision on your hands as the selection is amazing. They are light and crumbly, sweet and delicious.
The best part…. I wasn’t overcome with gluten envy! We found the best local gluten-free bakery called Naturbageriet. I have never seen such a variety of GF breads + pastries in one place. Let’s just say we were went every day of our trip. I found Copenhagen to be really friendly gluten-free city.
A great foodie neighborhood is Nørrebro. It is known for its hip, multicultural feel and is a great district to spend an afternoon (or more, if you have the time). Here you will find designer shops and trendy restaurants right next door to cheap kebab joints and dive bars. Nørrebro also boasts one of Copenhagen’s hippest streets: Jaegersborggade. We had the BEST lunch at an Ethiopian restaurant called Ma’ed. There are days that I still think about it….
We also made it over to Sweden but I will save that adventure for another post. We adored our long weekend in the Danish capital and it was so refreshing. It is easy to see how time and time again, international surveys celebrate Denmark as the happiest country in the world. How grateful we are that we got to experience it!
What places make you happiest in the world?
Happy travels and Happy Easter, friends!
x
kilts & kale 