Engaging Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN DENMARK

BY: MATTHEW SCHUELLER

Few places have as special a place in my heart than Copenhagen, Denmark. It's the city where I tried smørrebrød for the first time, drank my entire bodyweight in beer, and got engaged. So, I may be a bit biased, but I do believe Copenhagen should be very close to the top of the list when thinking about making the trek to Europe.

We arrived at Gammel Strand Station from our train bound from Stockholm. Stepping out of the station and into the heart of the city, we walked our luggage a short distance down cobblestone streets alongside Tivoli Gardens, the 2nd oldest amusement park in the world. Already, if the crisp air wasn’t enough to greet us like a Danish hug, the smell of fresh baked bread and the sight of café tables full of lunch-ready commuters certified that we had made it to Denmark.

Crossing roads and dodging bikes, we made it to Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, where we’d call home for the next 4 days. After indulging in a beer in the lobby and meeting a few other eager travelers, we decided to head to the most iconic and incredibly envied areas of the city, Nyhavn. This historic 17th century waterfront was used as a harbor for boats entering and leaving Copenhagen. The brightly colored buildings lining either side of the harbor truly make the street remarkable and quite iconic. If there’s ever a sight to see in Copenhagen, or one that people consider quintessential, it’s the colorful buildings lining the canal in Nyhavn. Additionally, there are plenty of nice restaurants, boutique hotels, tasty ice cream and waffle shops to choose from. The street is bustling at nearly all times of the day, filled with tourists taking selfies and locals getting from one place to another. It's lively, it's beautiful, and it's everything that I would hope to see in Copenhagen. Even in March, Nyhavn was as busy as ever with many sitting alongside the canal, sharing drinks and enjoying their own picnics. We set our eyes to one of the charming

restaurants lining the harbor, Færgekro. Shedding our layers and taking our seats in a cozy corner of the restaurant, we were welcomed with a buffet of 10 different pickled herring dishes, a variety of schnapps, and classic Danish fare to choose from. We welcomed the escape from the cold and the opportunity to dive into Danish cuisine for the first time. I particularly took a liking to frikadeller med persillesovs, a classic combination of savory pork meatballs with parsley sauce, delicate and delicious. Though our introduction focused on the well-known classics, not all of Copenhagen’s dishes are so simple. Over the latter half of the 20th century, Scandinavia has gone through quite a Renaissance when it comes to the diversity and presentation over their previously classic dishes. As Scandinavia's largest metropolitan area, Copenhagen not only boasts some of the greatest and famously sought-after restaurants, but a huge variety of world-class fare.

Restaurant Noma, for example touts not one, but two Michelin stars and is often booked out many months in advance. Chef Rene Redzepi’s creates unbelievable dishes that are presented in 20-course meals. Freshly seasonal foraged ingredients are combined in a one-of-a-kind, almost impossibly genius way. A visit to this world-famous restaurant will be kept as a sweet memory for the rest of your life. Yes, it's quite expensive, and you must make reservations months in advance, but as a food fanatic, this could be the main attraction--the very reason one would travel to Denmark. Retiring back to Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, we were surprised to find that the evening was only beginning for most. We’ve experienced many hostels from our travels, but this one quickly became our favorite. The design of the accommodations promotes building a community centered around good food, good drink, and great company. We ordered a couple of pilsners from the bar and took a seat amongst a welcoming group. As many headed out to explore the nightlife, we decided to join, of course we could discuss plans for the next day while

experiencing a bit of the city by night. After all, we still needed to expand our tasting profiles of Danish beer!

Taking a late start to the day, we decided to join a free walking tour to better orient ourselves to the city center and its history. I will say that I was a little skeptical at first, dedicating some our precious tourism time to a tour that wouldn't cost me a thing. I thought that perhaps the tour guide might be terribly awkward, or it could be some sort of scam. I could not have been more wrong as I was in for a great surprise! This was one of the best and most memorable experiences I had while visiting Copenhagen. The Grand Tour of Copenhagen meets every day in the City Hall Square at 11 in the morning. I was impressed with the guide's knowledge of the city, and how incredibly entertaining it was! The tour lasts about 2.5 to 3 hours, and there’s a multitude of sights explored. A lot of ground is covered in a fantastically comedic format.

We made our way back to Nyhavn to continue touring the city, but this time by boat. From Nyhavn, boat tours take place at 15 minute intervals during most days. The tour offers views of the Copenhagen Opera House, the famous Little Mermaid statue, and sails through the heart of Christianshavn area amongst viewing some of the city’s architectural wonders. We were surprised by the sheer number of boats parked alongside the city’s maze of canals. It was strangely reminiscent of Amsterdam, but still distinctly different. The streets are less cluttered, the buildings utilize yellows, reds, orange and white to warm the tone, and the water takes on a deep blue and green hue. By boat, we got an entirely new view of the city, and we really enjoyed marveling at the Gammel Strand’s waterfront from a distance in the center of the Hønsebroløbet canal.

And of course, I couldn't discuss our adventure in Copenhagen without at least bringing a little attention to the romantic draw of the city. Many consider Paris as the

most romantic city in Europe, but in a way, Copenhagen has its own flavor. Yes, I'm biased, but it was on one of Nyhavn’s love bridges, covered in locks proclaiming couples’ commitments to one another that my now husband got down on one knee to propose.

We took our celebration to Restaurant Puk, which we happened upon by chance, while looking for a great place to eat after an extremely eventful day. Restaurant Puk is a cozy 18th century basement venue that is also one of Copenhagen’s oldest and longest-standing operating restaurants. We indulged in a feast of smørrebrød featuring thinly sliced cured beef, horseradish-infused crème fraiche, pickled herring, smoked salmon, and an assortment of other flavorful toppers.

Though the restaurants are incredible experiences in the city, Copenhagen’s Papirøen, or “Paper Island” is an adventure in and of itself. This island across from the Danish Opera House formerly stored the paper from all the Danish Press Association. Now, this island contains an enormous indoor structure filled to the brim with food carts and eclectic streetfood. A short walk from the Old City, the sheer variety of dishes available breaches insanity. We took an hour just walking around taking in the sights and smells of the food carts. The bars at the front of the complex equally tempted us to enjoy a happyhour before venturing for dinner. We decided to opt for a smorgasbord of options, sampling small plates from Japanese, Indian and Mexican roots. Taking a stroll along the waterfront of Papirøen exposes a great view of the Opera House and Nyhavn from across the water. It’s

Soaking in as much of our last day in Copenhagen, we made it a point to stop by Rundetårn and climb to the top for a memorable panoramic view. Rundetårn is connected to the beautiful 17th century Trinitatis Church, and includes an art gallery midway up to the top. This is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. As a reward to making the climb, we got ourselves a treat from a small but mighty hot dog stand by the name of DØP at the base of the Rundetårn. Adorned with crunchy toppings, we fell in love with a favorite snack from childhood all over again.

Lastly, we couldn’t leave without paying homage to the endless photography opportunities around Copenhagen. From the quaint picturesque street of Magstæd, to the lively roads connecting around Strøget, Copenhagen’s shopping district, a walk-about with my camera in hand lent itself as the perfect cap to our time in Denmark. The city has an attitude about it. It can feel so cold and hard at first, but spending a little time there and getting to know the people that call it home brings a welcoming warmth that made me wish I could stay. The lightly colored stones and boldly colored buildings reflect the sunlight off the cobblestone streets, and the people equally there reflect a bit of that light. Whether in the winter, or summer, there’s warmth to be found there alongside surprising flavors, good drink, and whatever great company you may happen upon.