Visiting Copenhagen? Get to know the Neighbourhoods
Over the past 10 years, Copenhagen has been getting more and more international recognition based on the art, food, and design scene that we have to offer. If you are visiting or living in Copenhagen, I recommend getting familiar with the neighbourhoods and find out what each area can offer you. In this blog, I will review the various neighbourhoods of Copenhagen which might give you a good idea of how to spend your time here.
Vesterbro, directly translated to West Bridge, is a very hip part of town and happens to be where I used to live. Here you will find edgy shops, diverse food scene and funky cafes. This part of town used to be referred to as the Red-Light district but has been revamped in the last 20 years. Vesterbro is also home to the famous “Meat Packing” district which used to be the area for butchers and fish mongers but is now full of trendy restaurants and cool cafes. If you need some company, try visiting “Absalon”, which is a community house where you can expect social dining, themed parties, life drawing and maybe even games of bingo.
Nørrebro, which translates to North Bridge, and is a super trendy part of town filled with exciting things to do. For example, here you can take a walk through “Assistens Kirkegård” where Hans Christian Anderson and many other celebrities from history are buried. You can also find the best bakeries and lunch spots in town, which is all a short walk from the three lakes.
Østerbro, translated to west bridge, and is a very laid-back part of town surrounded by green spaces and good shopping. Here you will be able to spot the “little mermaid” statue which is one of our proudest statues. This part of town is particularly charming and cosy and is super close to Copenhagen’s largest park “Fælledparken” where you can take a nice, long walk. If you are interested in finding cute houses in this neighbourhood, we have a famous housing street called “Kartoffelrækkerne” which translated to the potato rows and is the most sought-after location to live in and very close to the cities three large lakes.
Frederiksberg is defined as the nice part of town, sophisticated and chic, where young families can raise their children. Stroll through the calming streets with a coffee, visit the grand royal park of Frederiksberg Gardens, or have a look at Gammel Kongevej, which is one of my favourite shopping streets with old buildings and old historical cafes. In this part of town, you find many young families with their dogs enjoying ice cream, walking towards one of Copenhagen’s oldest parks nearby.
City Centre of Copenhagen is where you will be able to find a variety of attractions. You will see our Rådhuspladsen (large clock tower and political building), Strøget (the largest shopping street in Denmark), Tivoli (one of the oldest amusement parks in the world) and Nyhavn which is a colourful part of town next to the Kings Garden where you can find many restaurants and cafes. If you are walking around this area, you can also find the Botanical Gardens which is in fact free to enter and makes for a very nice day time activity. While in this area, you may be curious to visit the Queen’s residence called “Amalienborg”, where you can see two of the four separate palaces within the grounds and see the changing of the guards that happens every day at 12 noon.
You might also try to find the Christiansborg palace on your walk around town, which is home to the Danish Parliament, and The Royal Library Garden which is one of the most hidden gems in the city and such a beautiful outing. Close to this area is Christianshavn, which is a small neighbourhood by the canals and resembles Amsterdam slightly with its colourful houses and charming boathouses. Here you can find great cafes, restaurants and what we call “Christiania Freetown” which is a community by the lakes where you can listen to music, meet with friends in the sun, and experience a “hippie” community.
Amager is the neighbourhood across the harbour and is on the outskirts of the city and is becoming more and more popular amongst the young locals as it offers affordable rents. Amager hosts the beautiful beaches, cute spots to meet and various green oases. Amager beach is a favourite amongst locals as it’s the closest beach within the city that you can get to by bike. Here you can do various water sports including Kite surfing which is by far, the most popular amongst the Danes.
Amongst the many places to visit, you can try outdoor swimming, go on a food adventure at Reffen Street Food, visit the famous opera house on the canal, or if you are feeling very adventurous, go visit the Copenhill where you can go down an artificial ski slope.
One of my favourite places to visit in Amager, is this hidden gem called “La Banchina”. It is a dock by the water where you can have food and drinks after swimming and during the winter you can experience a hot sauna after taking an ice-cold dip.
I hope this breakdown was insightful into the different areas of this trendy city and gave you enough information to go on for your next adventure to Copenhagen. Let me know how you like the areas that you visit, and if you recommend anything to other members who might visit.