As a first time visitor to Copenhagen, I tried to do a lot of the recommended biggest hits. Copenhagen, though it was rainy, is a clean and gorgeous city with castles, grandiose museums, delicious food and incredible fashion. Here are my top spots for a first time visitor and make sure you stay out of the bike lanes!
The most gorgeous museum in the city is the Glyptoteket. An expansive building with gardens that include a version of The Thinker outside, and a gorgeous garden area indoors near the cafe. Permanent exhibits range from sculpture through Rome and Egypt to iconic art pieces. The temporary exhibits during my visit included Degas’ Obsession (with Dance), Impressionism, Animal Sculpture and an exhibit on the architecture of the building itself. There are tons of great photo spots, places to think and take in the art and each room is breathtaking.
If you have the chance to take the train out of Copenhagen, the Louisiana is a stunning museum on a gorgeous hillside overlooking the water. The museum spans several interconnected houses or villas. Current exhibits cover Elizabeth Taylor, Lucian Freud and the Louisiana is home to Yayoi Kusama’s Gleaming Lights of the Souls. The cafe overlooks the water, and was absolutely delicious. I had the onion tart with burrata! The gardens also feature numerous sculptures, seating areas and are beautiful on these summer days. The store also has a vintage fashion section as well as sustainable goods.
The National Museum of Denmark covers Natural History and shows the evolution of humans throughout the years, with a highlight on Denmark. Special exhibits include learning about the Vikings, the value of money, and honest conversations about slavery and the treatment of other groups through colonization done by Denmark. The immersive exhibits were spectacular, namely the Viking exhibit on Völva where your motion within the exhibit triggers bluetooth headsets to tell you about her legacy and standing near certain artifacts trigger audio explanations.
We loved the shopping district in Elmgad in Norrebro which had tons of vintage shops and also great Danish fashion houses. The stores all had something different and didn’t sell any of the same brands, so they had no competition. Staff and owners were extremely friendly and kind.
No trip is complete without food. Copenhagen is best known for their BMO sandwiches, consisting of bread, meat and butter or cheese and butter. While so simple, the quality of these ingredients and the strength of the cheese or meat paired with the creaminess of the butter had me coming back for more – plus their are cheap!
The hot dogs in Copenhagen are also legendary. Mine was a more standard all dressed hot dog wrapped in bacon and it will never compare to a North American hot dog.
For finer dining, we chose Michelin Recommended Radio and indulged in their 7 course menu. There is no choice between options but each dish is portioned so that you feel perfectly full by the end of your meal. This meal had asparagus cooked in ways unimaginable, a raviolo I still think about and some delicious pork. Guests can enjoy their wine pairing or delicious mocktails.
Pluto also offered delicious comfort food. I had their short-rib pappardelle with an unctuous sauce and shared with my partner a rhubarb trifle. Pluto seemed like the kind of place where you can get a delicious meal, but the crowd was somewhat young with people doing shots and having a great time – so you can choose which way you want your night to transpire.
Hillary LeBlanc
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