I grew up in rural Ontario, Canada, on a dirt road far enough from anywhere that the world outside felt almost fictional. As a kid, one of my favourite things was flipping through the pages of National Geographic, completely lost in the photographs. Vast landscapes, ancient cities, coastlines I’d never seen, people living lives that seemed impossibly far from mine. I would read the articles slowly, stare at the photos for longer than was probably normal, and dream about visiting places that felt as exotic and unreachable as another planet.
Europe in particular had a hold on me. I’m not sure I could have told you exactly why as a child, but something about it felt like the centre of the world. Old, beautiful, full of history and colour and a kind of civilised charm that small-town Ontario didn’t quite offer. I carried that dream for a long time.
I’m glad I did. Because now I actually live there.
After years of travel that took me to Patagonia, trekking through Chile and Argentina, to Australia twice, and to more places than I can count, I eventually made the decision to relocate my life from Toronto to Valencia, Spain. It was the move my inner child had been quietly lobbying for since those National Geographic afternoons. And one of the great joys of living in Europe is that everywhere else in Europe is suddenly a short flight away.
After visiting Sardinia in April, I found myself in Copenhagen for a few days. And I have to say, it was exactly as dreamy as I always imagined it would be.
The first thing that strikes you about Copenhagen is the air. I know that sounds like a strange thing to lead with, but it genuinely stops you. It just feels clean. Actually clean, in a way that cities usually don’t. The streets are immaculate. The parks are everywhere and genuinely green. Tulips line the pathways in bursts of colour. And instead of the relentless noise of traffic you’d expect in a capital city, there are thousands of people on bicycles, moving through the city as if it’s the most natural thing in the world. Because for them, it is.
The canals run through the heart of the city and the buildings that line them are something else entirely. Brightly coloured townhouses in terracotta and ochre and dusty rose, their reflections rippling in the water below. It looks like a painting. The most iconic stretch is Nyhavn, which you will have seen in photographs, but photographs do not fully prepare you for how good it actually looks in person, especially on a clear day with the boats moored along the waterfront and people spilling out of the restaurants and bars along the canal edge.
We wandered without much of a plan, which is honestly the best way to see Copenhagen. The city rewards slow walking and open eyes.
1. EAT
Dinner at Norrlyst was one of the finest meals of the trip. The restaurant focuses on pure, clean flavours built around high-quality seasonal ingredients, and you feel that in every course. We had a signature tartare that was exceptional, an onion tart that I still think about, butter-poached fish that was as delicate as it sounds, and finished with a plate of local cheeses. Calm, quiet, and a genuine delight. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kodbyens Fiskebar was busy, buzzing and brilliant. From their homemade bread to their fresh seafood and outstanding appetisers, it was the kind of dinner you don’t forget. And wherever you are in Copenhagen, eat Smørrebrød. The open-faced sandwiches are everywhere, they’re delicious, and they’re as Danish as it gets. Do not leave without trying them.
2. WANDER
Freetown Christiania is unlike anywhere else in the world. This self-governing neighbourhood operates entirely by its own rules and has done since the 1970s. It’s colourful, a little chaotic, and completely fascinating. From there, make your way to Rosenborg Slot and spend time in the surrounding gardens, which are beautiful and surprisingly peaceful for a city centre. Orstedsparken and Churchillparken are both worth a slow walk through. The Round Tower gives you a bird’s eye view of the city that puts the whole thing in perspective. And save time for the historic streets before you find your way back to the canals and Nyhavn.
3. EXPERIENCE
Two experiences stood out above everything else. The first was Louisiana, the modern art museum that sits right on the water outside the city. The building alone is worth the trip. It wraps around the landscape in a way that makes you feel like art and nature are the same thing. I walked in expecting to spend an hour and stayed for most of the afternoon. The second was descending underground into the old cisterns to experience Marina Abramovic’s Seven Deaths. I won’t try to explain it beyond saying it was one of the most intense, beautiful and genuinely disorienting things I have ever witnessed. If it’s still showing when you visit, go. Take a canal boat ride too. It sounds like a tourist cliche and it is, but floating past those coloured houses with the water moving underneath you is its own kind of magic.
Copenhagen did not disappoint. It was everything that child flipping through National Geographic on a dirt road in Ontario ever hoped Europe might be. Green, clean, beautiful, and full of the kind of quiet confidence that comes from a city that has figured out how to make life genuinely good for the people who live in it.
If you get the chance to visit, take it. Go in late spring when the tulips are out and the days are long. Hire a bike if you’re feeling brave. Eat everything. Wander without a plan. Let the canals do their thing.
Some cities live up to the dream. Copenhagen is one of them.
| COPENHAGEN QUICK REFERENCE
Eat: Norrlyst (fine dining), Kodbyens Fiskebar (seafood), Smorrebrod everywhere Wander: Freetown Christiania, Rosenborg Slot and gardens, Orstedsparken, Churchillparken, The Round Tower, Nyhavn Experience: Louisiana art museum, Marina Abramovic’s Seven Deaths in the cisterns, canal boat ride Best time to visit: Late spring. Tulips out, long days, city at its best. |
markmunroe
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