I don’t love Copenhagen the way I love Paris…but I love it in the way I love home…
It has its shitty moments and shitty parts. It can be touristy AF & sometimes you just want to hit those tourists with your bike (preferably a motorized bike)…
But it’s still home. You’ve got your bar where everyone knows your name. You know which bus line has the asshole drivers that won’t let you off even though 1.) you did, in fact, hit the button and 2.) they stopped there anyway so why does it matter? You know that Noma & Barr are stupid expensive & should be saved for EXTRA special occasions, but you also know that weekly date nights can still be romantic at the street vendors by the water for way less than half the price.
No, you don’t need a full week to experience Copenhagen. The key tourist things can be done in about 3 days. But to love Copenhagen? You simply need 4. Skip the touristy places to eat & find the local spots. Fall in love with a bartender. Find the place where the swans go for lunch & be forever amazed by how many can be in one place at a time.
Copenhagen can be rough. There are pickpockets at Nyhavn and Copenhagen Central Station. You’ll get beyond ripped off by the restaurants on the canal and places like the ruins at Christiansborg will be a major disappointment.
But go 10-20 meters off the tourist strip? You’ll be blown away. Give Copenhagen the chance to properly seduce you. I promise, you will not regret it.
I don’t believe that Copenhagen was made to be a tourist city. I believe that it was made for residential love affairs; an opportunity to cheat on your hometown or current place of residence with its Scandinavian counterpart.
The tourist stuff is fine, but the people, the food, the drinks, and the hygge are the true “attraction”. If you’re looking for history, then feel free to pass on this city or only give it a weekend. But, if you’re looking for a life changing event? A life lesson you didn’t realize you needed? Go to Copenhagen. Buy the ridiculously low priced plane ticket and just go.