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Despite the cloudy skies and ever-present rain, Copenhagen is still quite beautiful. We spent our third day in the city exploring stunning views of the city and some of the art culture it offers.
Just around the block from our hostel we found plenty of architecture and design to marvel over.
Almost everywhere you look the scenery is beautiful.
Seeing Copenhagen from above was a must-do, so we visited the 110ft+ high Rundetaarn (“round tower”) and climbed the unusual spiral passage to the observatory.
After seeing the magnificent Copenhagen cityscape we ambled over to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an impressive museum filled with paintings, sculptures and ancient artifacts.
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Often our excursions took us down Strøget – one of the longest pedestrian-only streets in Europe – the Fifth Avenue /
Champs-Élysées / Bond Street of Copenhagen with a splash of Melrose Place. Up and down Strøget are shops, restaurants and boutiques hailing from many countries ranging from the most upscale like Gucci to more wallet-friendly options like Zara: a shopper’s paradise. Side note: the Danish are really tall; at 5’1″, I feel like a toddler clumsily climbing onto stools that are too high and ducking the flailing hands of passers-by in conversation.
For dinner that evening, we opted for a Danish meal at a restaurant within the freetown of Christiania, Spiseloppen. To say that the restaurant’s location is sketchy would greatly understate the level of anxiety we felt as we climbed each narrowing step, rising higher and higher away from safer ground, bypassing a group of thuggish-ruggish looking twenty-something men I named the “Danish Get Fresh Crew,” one of whom whistled at us as we passed by. Happily, we avoided our own Law & Order: SVU-type tale when we opened a heavy-wooden door to a perfectly respectable-looking restaurant with an affable host/server and warm and comforting dishes.
At the end of our meal, our server informed us that it was the last night the restaurant would be open until January 17th. “We’re taking a much-needed break for the holidays.” I told my friend I couldn’t imagine a restaurant in the United States closing for almost a month to give everyone time off. We’re opening up shops on Thanksgiving Day now for goodness’ sake!
In honor of the occasion he comped us free pints of the Danish seasonal holiday beer, Tuborg Julebryg, along with a traditional Danish Christmas dessert or rice pudding topped with a cherry sauce. Tuborg, isn’t my favorite. I must admit, I prefer German and Belgian ales and lagers, but the gesture was kind nonetheless and a lovely way to end a great day.
Tuborg Julebryg, seasonal Tuborg brew
I'm Keisha ("Kee-shuh", not to be confused with 
December 28, 2014
Ah, climbing the Round Tower is a great way to see the city. Our kids literally sprinted up the ramps and hid around very turn as we made our way down. Thank you for the memories. I chuckled at your comment about all the tall women. So true! I am 5’10” and my husband couldn’t believe how many women made me look short! The restaurant experience sounds amazing. Safe travels!
January 14, 2015
I missed this comment, sorry! The Round Tower is perfect for kids – so much fun to be found! Thanks for the well wishes. I’m safely back in the US where I can more easily find things for short people again. :p
December 27, 2014
So beautiful, I so miss the history of Europe. One of my favorite vacations was going to the East Coast and seeing some history there. How cool to get to eat at the restaurant for thefts time this year. In Spain and most Mediterranean countries they take 2 to 4 hour naps in the middle of the day!!!! So different there than here.
December 28, 2014
I remember my first trip to Europe, the first city I visited was London and it really made it so apparent just how young the US is as a country. Buildings and institutions go back centuries and centuries in Europe! Quite different indeed.