Oh Copenhagen, you’ve done it again and captured a little piece of my heart. I first visited this stunning Danish city back in 2017 after a rather glorious 14 night Baltic cruise with P&O and now again here in 2019. The first time was in the depths of Winter when nothing seemed to keep me warm (or dry) and this time around, at the end of Summer with 27 glorious degrees. A stark difference, but it was the perfect way to experience this city over two different seasons.
After a short flight with British Airways into Copenhagen which thankfully experienced no delays, we took a short train journey from the airport to Copenhagen Central Train Station. From there, it’s quite literally a short 200 metres to the Andersen Hotel in the district of Vesterbro which is in my opinion, the centre of just about everything. Vesterbro, or Copenhagen V, is one of the city’s most lively and vibrant areas, with many restaurants, coffee shops and bars all within walking distance.
Check-in was incredibly quick and within moments we were in the lift from the main reception, up to our room on the first floor. The hotel itself is simple, modern, minimalist and perfect for a relaxing weekend break.
We were staying in what I believe was one of the Brilliant double rooms. Medium-sized, Brilliant is 17 m2 on average and if like us you prefer a quiet stay, you can request a room facing the courtyard. The beds are pillows were incredibly comfy here so you can be sure to expect a good nights sleep. One thing I love most about these rooms is the hotels CONCEPT24 which means the room is yours for 24 hours from check-in to check-out. Arriving at 5pm? You can keep your room until 5pm on the day of departure – at no extra charge! Though only condition is you must have booked directly with the hotel.
These Designers Guild styled rooms also feature large Samsung TV’s, fridge (filled with goodies) and minibar stocked with even more favourites. There is also free bottled water replenished daily in the room and if you run out, more to help yourself to on the reception desk downstairs. We found this a great addition and grabbed a fresh bottle each morning on our way out to explore.
As for the bathroom, it’s a simple affair, filled with bold colours and featuring lots of space. Expect Philippe Starck bathroom interiors, Molton Brown toiletries, bathrobe and slippers and Andersen’s very own yellow rubber duck – for you to take home of course!
Once we were all settled into our room, we took to the streets to begin our mini weekend escape and first stop was a spot of lunch at Bistro Royal on King’s New Square which is located at the end of Europe’s longest pedestrian street, Strøget. The restaurant, with plentiful outside seating for a spot of people watching, blends the best of French and Danish cuisine. As far as prices go, it was one of the best value restaurants we stumbled upon during our weekend and the menu was full of well-known classics which were all delicious. Especially their succulent burgers and steak tartare.
Bellies full, it was time to visit the sites and starting with Copenhagen’s most famous – Nyhvn! Electric scooters are incredibly popular here so we downloaded the app Lime and within moments, we were zipping off on our way around the city. If you prefer cycling, the hotel has them on site to hire. Nyhavn is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district which stretches from Kongens Nytorv to the harbour front just south of the Royal Playhouse and is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century townhouses, bars, cafes and restaurants. It’s such a beautiful place and a great spot for a beer or coffee.
Once you’ve finished getting that snap of those colourful building for your Instagram, seeing Copenhagen by boat is highly recommended and it’s from here at Nyhvn where it starts. We pre-booked our tickets online from Stromma which for just 95 DKK (approx £12) you’ll be taken on a multi lingual 1 hour boat ride through the canals. During the Summer the boats are open-topped to the glorious sunshine and during the Winter or wet weather, covered by glass roofs.
Admire the palaces of Christiansborg and Amalienborg, see the sights of the Nyhavn waterfront, and marvel at the financial centres, such as the Central Bank and the former Copenhagen Stock Exchange.
One of the most interesting places we discovered on our tour was Christianshavn. An area of small islands known for its hip cafe culture and canals lined with colourful houseboats. There was a bustling street food market, Freetown Christiania and some really interesting architecture, particularly some of the houses and apartments.
One of the most popular sites in Copenhagen is the famous Little Mermaid statue in Langelinie and seeing it from the water means you miss the crowds of tourists as your tour guide tells you the history of the statue without having to move from your seat. Heading back towards Nyhvn, we passed Copenhagen’s very modern glass opera house.
Back to our hotel for a quick freshen up, we arrived just in the nick of time for the very popular wine hour which is held on the ground floor reception and dining area ,which is full of cosy snugs and features an outdoor seating area for those hotter months.
The wine hour is held every day from 5-6 pm in the Andersen lobby lounge and delivers Danish “hygge” at its best. Enjoy a glass of your favourite tipple (for free of course), mingle, relax and share experiences with your fellow travellers and hotel team. The latter who really make this hotel special. After this sociable hour and before, the bar is converted into an honesty bar for those who want to whip up their favourite tipple at anytime of the day.
The next morning, it was time to fill up on breakfast which is held downstairs and is a lavish, continental style affair. There was so much choice and everything was of quality. Towers of freshly carved ham and cheese, smoked salmon, cakes, pates, salads – the list is endless. It was quite busy when we came down to breakfast, but we had no problems finding a table.
After a morning deciding on how to best plan our day, we ending up spending it in one place for most of it – Tivoli! Also known as Tivoli Gardens, this is an amusement park and pleasure garden like no other in the world. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, after Dyrehavsbakken in nearby Klampenborg, also in Denmark.
There is a whole host of restaurants and rides in this place, meaning you really can spend all day here and entrance prices start at just 130DKK (around £15). Part of Tivoli Gardens’ secret is that there is something for absolutely everyone. The scenery is beautiful with oriental architecture, historic buildings and lush green gardens. It’s even home to a five-star hotel!
At night, thousands of coloured lights create a fairy tale atmosphere that is so unique and so infectious. The smell of food from the endless restaurants, bars flooded with happy tourists and stages which come alive with live bands and musicians. We spent our evening dancing the night away, transported ourself to a corner of what looked like Chinatown and drank delicious cocktails under the stars. Tivoli really is the most unique theme park in the world and is well worth a visit.
After all that walking, dancing and rollercoasters, we stumbled upon a small French restaurant called L’Education Nationale which I think was one of our favourite finds. Located in the Latin Quarter neighborhood, this small French restaurant is full of charm, with its red-and-white checked tablecloths and menu full of classics. The freshly baked bread was utter heaven, omelette cooked to perfection and steak tartare which was every bit as good as it looked.
Just before catching the train back to the airport, we had just about enough time to visit one final place – City Hall Square. The building is situated on The City Hall Square in central Copenhagen, and was built in the years of 1892-1905. It was designed by the architect Martin Nyrop in the National Romantic style and drawing inspiration from the Siena City Hall in Italy. In recent years, The City Hall has been used for scenes in well-know tv series such as “The Killing” and “Borgen“. City Hall is a whopping 105,6 meters to the top of the tower is one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen. It’s free to visit and is well worth a stop.
We had such a magical time in Copenhagen and I honestly think that staying at the Andersen Hotel played such a key part in our enjoyment. The location was perfect, staff were incredibly friendly and the hotel felt all importantly “Danish“. If we come back to this amazing city, which will no doubt be soon, I know exactly where we’ll be staying – the Andersen Hotel of course!
