Curator’s statement
Feeling extra adventurous on our last trip to Europe, visiting Paris and London, my boyfriend and I decided to add in a long layover in Copenhagen on our way home. Although we spent less than 24-hours there, it was our favorite destination of the trip. I left firmly believing that Denmark is truly the happiest country in the world. It must be the delicious food or the fact that they serve espresso martinis in their coffee shops... I mean, come on!
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We had a lot we wanted to pack in during our 24-hours in Copenhagen, so we needed to go in with a game plan. I love traveling with a loose itinerary that allows for a detour into a cute coffee shop you pass by or extra time to check out a cool thrift store. But when you've only got a day to explore, you really need to do your research beforehand. To make the most of our time on the ground, you should narrow down the location(s) you want to explore (we struck around the Meatpacking District and Nyhavn), and decide what your priority is (for us we explored through cuisine, so food was on the agenda).
After checking into our hotel for a quick nap, we made our way via train to the Meatpacking district for a coffee at Risteriet Coffee to get the day going, and a surprise early morning espresso martini (no judgment for early morning drinks on vacation!) We walked over to Hija de Sanchez for a taco appetizer, before heading to Warpigs for some of the best BBQ outside Texas.
Needing a food break, we took the train over to the Nyhavn Canel for some sightseeing and people watching, before popping into an ice cream shop on the waterfront. And because we were delirious for all the traveling, we ended up at the Espresso House for a coffee before ending the night at Italiaans Restaurant IL Rosmarino for some incredible scallop pasta!
Need to know
If you've only got 24=hours to squeeze Copenhagen into your travel itinerary it is totally worth it!! But it's definitely a city worth spending a few days exploring! The energy of the city is mellow, the streets are clean, the locals are kind, the food is incredible and the transportation makes it easy to explore.
This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Copenhagen. In need of further inspiration? Check out Nicola Volpi’s guide, A Local's Guide to Copenhagen.
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Jennifer Lee
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