We checked into our hotel in Marriott Copenhagen some 30 hours after departing Auckland. The Marriott is located close to the heart of the city overlooking the picturesque waterfront. However we weren’t jetlagged but invigorated – keen to get put and explore this beautiful city. After dropping our bags I headed out and joined my cousin and ventured out into the markets and Geoffrey stuck on his running shoes to jog around the promenades surrounding the canals.
Copenhagen is best explored by foot or even better by bicycle. It seems that the city is built for cycling – there is an extraordinary 350 km of cycle paths and lanes in the city and has been the best cycle city in the world. You can rent a bike from the hotel but there are plenty of bike rental shops scattered around the city.
In any major list of top liveable cities in the world you will find Copenhagen in the Top 10. The major reasons why it consistently ranks so high is safety, air quality, urban infrastructure. The World Bank uses Copenhagen as an example case study for urban planning excellence.
The best thing is that most of Copenhagen’s most popular attractions and sights are within walking distance, running distance (if you’re a runner like Geoffrey) and definitely within cycling range. A great place to start is the famous Nyhavn district – lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses, bars, cafes and restaurants.
What struck me was the friendliness of the people and it was so easy to interact with them as English is so widely spoken.
It was extraordinary how much of the city we were able to see in just the 3 days we were there. Of course you would require much longer to more explore all that piqued your interest – but getting around was such a breeze on the bikes.
I’m not going to list every sight we saw as that is for every individual visitor to choose. But for something out of left-field, perhaps consider spending an hour in Freetown Christiania – a commune of around 1,000 residents. Look it up here – it’s just something that one wouldn’t normally expect in a place like Copenhagen.
Definitely one of the most interesting cities I have been to – not too big, not too small, just right!
If you would like more information about this destination please do not hesitate to contact me.
