Mike's CPH to do
This page is a response to the many guests on my bike tours asking for inspiration of what to do, where to go and stay and dine when visiting Copenhagen.
Below are a few suggestions. Common for all are, that they are places I appreciate myself. Things I like to do.
The structure on the page is: 1/ A day in Copenhagen. 2/ Places to eat. 3/ Places to stay. 4/ Other stuff. 5/ Leaving town.
A day in Copenhagen
You will not be surprised I am sure when you read my agenda for a great day in Copenhagen:
Morning - On your walk to Bike Mike make sure you have time to sit down and enjoy a coffee at one of the many cafees and take in the morning of Copenhagen life in front of you.
Then Bike with Mikes City Tour, that will take you around to all the great sights plus many other spots, all together providing a fine impression of the city and doing the way the locals to it: by bike!
Lunch - Enjoying a few of the classic "Open faced sandwiches", delicious and the only Danish food truly unique. Several good places to choose from close to Bike with Mike departure/arriving point.
Afternoon - Maybe a museum, if so, I would visit either:
1/ Glyptoteket, Museum of ancient and modern art,
7 Dantes Plads (next to Tivoli Garden), open: 10-17
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum of international stature in the centre of Copenhagen. The Glyptotek houses over 10.000 works of art divided up into two principal collections. One is of works from the Mediterranean cradle of Western culture, the other of Danish and French art from the 19th and 20th centuries.
http://www.glyptoteket.dk/
2/ Copenhagen City Museum, 59 Vesterbrogade - open: 10-17
Excellent display of the history of Copenhagen including a permanent special eshibition on Søren Kierkegaard. Untill June 27th 2010 also an exhibition titled: Copenhagen by bicycle.
http://www.bymuseum.dk/en/
3/ Danish Design Centre, 27 HC Andersens Boulevard (across from
Tivoli Garden and Glyptoteket), open: 10-17
Not a museum, but a fine exhibition introducing aspects of Danish design.
http://www.ddc.dk/besoeg
4/ Danish Museum of Art & Design, 68 Bredgade, open: 11-17
The Danish Museum of Art & Design is one of Scandinavia’s central exhibition forums for Danish and international industrial design, decorative and applied arts.
http://kunstindustrimuseet.dk/en
5/ The Davids Collection, 30 Kronprinsessegade, open: 10-17
The museum comprises three permanent collections whose nucleus dates back to the days of its founder, C. L. David: the Collection of Islamic Art, the Collection of European 18th-Century Art, and the Collection of Danish Early Modern Art. The Collection of Islamic Art – internationally, the museum’s most important one – today encompasses so many and such important works that it enables the visitor to form a fairly comprehensive impression of art from this cultural sphere.
http://www.davidmus.dk/en/information
Please notice museums are closed Mondays.
Following the museum visit a walk through some of the inner city historical and often cobblestoned streets like Lars Bjørn Stræde, Læderstræde with all the inviting boutiques for speciality shopping. If time allows also visit the Illum Bolighus on Amagertorv - http://www.illumsbolighus.dk/main.asp - for a fine intro to Dansih furniture and interior living.
After dinner - a visit to the amazing Tivoli Garden or hop back on the bike for the awesome Bike with Mike Back Door Tour!
Places to eat
Bento, 16 Helgolandsgade, Vesterbro - close to Main Train Station.
Fresh japanese food at very affordable prices. Sushi and traditional.
Excellent service, operated by a japanese family with three generations present. My favourite Copenhagen restaurant!
http://www.uki.dk/169-information.htm
Dim Sum, 16 Sankt Annæ Plads - close to Nyhavn.
Modern and innovative chinese cooking, set menu with 15-16 tastes, extrodinaire quality in cooking and atmosphere. A little expensive, but definetely worthwhile. My second favourite one in Copenhagen.
http://www.restaurantdimsum.dk
Les Trois Cochons, 10 Værnedamsvej, Vesterbro.
Danish/french inspired kitchen, great food at reasonable prices. Good, local atmosphere.
http://www.cofoco.dk/ltc.php
BioMio, 19 Halmtorvet, Vesterbro - close to Main Train Station.
Organic, healthy cooking at good prices, local, trendy atmosphere right in the lively Meat Packing District.
http://biomio.dk/?page_label=cms_content&cms__content_label=kontakt
Cafe Oven Vande, 44 Overgaden Ovenvandet, Christianshavn
Cafe/bistro food, best burgers in town, wonderful views and atmosphere
when sitting outside on the sunny days,
http://www.cafeovenvande.dk/8.php
Bastionen og Løven, 50 Christiánshavns Voldgade, Christianshavn
Wonderful setting on the centuries old rampart of Christianshavn, the garden is romantic for dining on a light summer eve, classic meals includes Danish open faced sandwiches at lunch time.
http://www.bastionen-loven.dk/?Adresse_og_kort
lele-nhahang, 40 Vesterbrogade, Vesterbro
Refined Vietnamese street-kitchen, excellent noodle soups plus all the classic Vietnamese tastes. Funky atmosphere, reasonable priced. Very popular with young Copenhageners. Another top one of personal favourites.
http://lele-nhahang.com/
Cafe Alma, Isafjordsgade 5-7, Islands Brygge
If you find yourself on Islands Brygge looking for a bite to eat try this cosy cafe and local icon with well prepared bistro food of fine quality.
Fair prices.
http://www.cafealma.dk
Rio Bravo, 86 Vester Voldgade, City - close to Tivoli.
Classic Danish "Grandma" food of yesterday including the all time favourite: "stegt flæsk med persillesovs" which comes to "panfried pork slices served with potatoes and parsleysauce". This dish comes at Dkk 108 for all you can take aboard!
http://www.riobravo.dk/2uk.html
Streets/areas like Nansensgade (next to Bike with Mike), Halmtorvet, Værnedamsvej, Skt. Hans Torv, Nyhavn (expensive) and Christianshavns Kanal are places with lots of choices for having a good meal.
Places to stay
Hotel Carlton Guldsmeden, 66 Vesterbrogade, Vesterbro
Lovely boutique hotel. Stylish and homy. Situated in lively Vesterbro with many good restaurants next door and 10 mins. walk to City Hall Square. Medium price bracket.
Right across from the City Museum.
http://hotelguldsmeden.com/explorehotels/carlton.html
Ascot Hotel, 61 Studiestræde, City
Medium price range good hotel 1 min. walk from City Hall Square.
http://www.ascot-hotel.dk/front-page.aspx
Marriott, 5 Kalvebod Brygge, City
Coorporate luxury right on the waterfront (thats what I like best here), 10 mins. walk to City Hall Square. Excellent service. Expensive.
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/cphdk-copenhagen-marriott-hotel/
Carstens Guest House, 28 Christians Brygge - 5th floor, City
This guesthouse catering for the gay/lesbian visitors is awesome situated right on the waterfront only few minutes walk from City Hall Square. Fantastic roof garden with great views, many kinds of accomodation, cool and tasteful decor.
http://www.carstensguesthouse.dk/index.htm
Copenhagen Downtown Hostel, 5 Vandkunsten, City
For hostellers, this is a good one, noisy of course, comes with hostelling. But nicely situated in the very oldest part of town right on the cosy "Vandkunsten" square. Only a few minutes walk to everything.
http://www.copenhagendowntown.com/uk/
Grethe Hein Private Acc., 102 1.tv. Ovengade over Vandet, Christianshavn.
Budget travellers, this is a great one. Fantastic location right on the canal of Christianshavn (my own part of town). One room only comes at less than Dkk 500,00 for a couple. 100 m. down the canal you can enjoy breakfast at Denmarks best baker: Lagkagehuset on the Square of Christianshavn with metro, buslines or just walk across the bridge to the city.
http://www.bedandbreakfastoverblik.dk/ehus.asp?Id=566
Other stuff
DGI Byen / DGI City, 65 Tietgensgade - right behind the Main Train Station.
The spa makes up a wonderful retreat for nourish body and mind in quiet surroundings with saunas, steams, etc and a visit includes exoctic teas and fruit cocktails. Make sure you try out one of the "sauna-themes". This is a favourite Bike Mike hang out in Copenhagen!
http://www.dgi-byen.com/spa
Harbour Pools, 1/ Islands Brygge or 2/ Fisketorvet.
Take the plunge into the clean waters of the Copenhagen Harbour from one of the above harbour pools. The one on Islands Brygge - across from the Marriott - is centrally situated in an old suburb with a young population, comes very lively at night. The pool at Fisketorvet is namend "Copencabana"!
Baisikeli Rent-a-Bike, Turesensgade 10 - see map below.
Baisikeli is your answer for all in bike rentals - including long term stuff.
http://www.baisikeli.dk/
Christiania - "The Free Town" & Our Saviours Church, Christianshavn.
On Christianshavn you will find Christiania, a settlement of mainly folks seeking to live lives a little different to mainstream Denmark. A walk through is interesting and make sure you visit the "Moonfisher" cafe - great place - for a coffee or whatever you like to drink. Also pop inside the "Christiania Bikes" shop to see how the three-wheel tray bikes are coming together. Many other crafts- and artshops.
Christiania is right next to the landmark building of Christianshavn, Our Saviour Church. Walk the four hundred stairs to the top - 96 m. above street level - and take in the finest view of the city and surroundings provided anywhere in Copenhagen.
Modern architecture.
Hop on the metro and get off at DR Byen where the ultra modern Concerthall of Radio Denmark head up the headquarters for the Denmarks national tv station. Jean Nouvell designed the Concerthall to an outstanding piece of architecture. Back on the metro and a few stops onwards at Bella Center station you will find the VM Mountain - a building complex inspired by Mt. Everest by the Danish design studio PLOT. The VM Mountain is a residential complex and it took the top prize at the World Architecture Conference in 2008. The area along the Vest Amager metro line is named Ørestad and is loaded with lots of many other exciting pieces of the finest of Nordic architecture.
Leaving town
Ystad in southern Sweden - only an hour away on the train from Copenhagen - is a beautiful, little town with rich history. and home of the Mankells fiction stories with police commisioner Wallander. Situated on the Baltic it also offers excellent beach time. Staying in Ystad at the Saltsjøbad Spa Hotel is worthwhile a journey itself, its a fabulous hotel with a great kitchen and soothing spa fascilities. Dining in the Nero Bistro while enjoying the view of the sea and the beautiful Nordic light is Scandinavia at its best.
http://www.ysb.se/?l=en
For more Copenhagen to do inspiration, please check this site:
http://ispot.wonderfulcopenhagen.dk/info
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