There is one thing I miss every time I leave Minneapolis. I won’t miss watching the Vikings lose, or even the Minnesotan accents (don’t yah know…), and I certainly don’t miss the weather. What I do, and will always, miss though are the lakes. There is something wonderful about living in a city with access to the water. Even a small lake can make your average afternoon walk feel like an escape. A quick dip on those hot days can be one of the most refreshing things. Nature lovers can usually get their fill of small creatures that love the lakes as much as I do. A city without water, is like ice cream without a cone.

 Lucky for me, and my summer, Copenhagen does not fall short when it comes to the water. The city actually sits near the near the middle of the Oresund Sound, where the waters of the North Atlantic push towards the Baltic Sea. Copenhagen began as a harbor town centuries ago, and remains a harbor town today. On warm summer days and cool evenings tourists like me, and locals alike, flock to the Copenhagen’s harbor side streets and walkways.

The harbor waters, run the length of the city and beyond, creating a mass of interconnected public space that brings together many different city neighborhoods. The water’s edge is lined with shops, café, an exercise park, even the odd trio of trampolines. The waters themselves are filled with sail boats, tour boats, fishing boats, incredibly massive cruise ships, and the odd billionaire’s yacht. Even more impressive for such a busy harbor, the waters are clean enough to swim in, and you better believe I jumped on that opportunity.

Annie and I have ended many nights here with a walk by the harbor, taking in the sights and sounds of the evening. On June 24th, we were able to take in the Midsommar celebrations and a bonfire on the water. We love to gawk at the incredible boats, we even got a peak at the massive yacht of a man, who it turns out is a close friend of Vladimir Putin.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the harbor has been simply bringing a bottle of wine to share by the water.

Taking the time to enjoy the harbor, and all the outdoor activity it has to offer, is an absolute must when visiting Copenhagen, and there are many ways to do it. If you are interested in hearing more about it, or are traveling here one day and need some ideas read on for a more detailed look.

Nyhaven

This is a great starting point for your tour of the Copenhagen Harbor. It is also one of the most famous sites in the city. Nyhaven is a small canal off the main waters lined with small sail boats and a set of colorful and picturesque townhomes (one of which, #20, Hans Christian Anderson lived in at one point). Here you can grab a drink in one of the many cafes, our just around the corner grab a craft beer at the Tipsy Mermaid (a boat with seating on the boat itself, or if you not into rocking around while drinking your beer, they also have seating just off the boat). Where Nyhaven meets the more open water of the harbor, is a great place to marvel at old Copenhagen, while watching the boats, oodles of tourists, and local bicycle commuters as they cross the Inderhavnsbroen, a combined walking and bicycle bridge.

From Nyhaven you can start off on a walking tour on either side of the canal, though I would recommend not crossing the bridge immediately (unless you are hungry, then by all means head right over and grab something tasty at the street food stalls just across the bridge).

The Harbor Baths

If it’s a nice sunny day, you are likely to come across many locals diving into the harbor waters. You’ll notice apart from the most motivated kids, most do it just once and then retreat to their beers and bottles of wine (drinking in public is completely legal in Copenhagen and a bottle of wine by the water may be one of the more enjoyable experiences during a trip to Copenhagen). The waters are by no means warm. 

Locals and tourists have been swimming in the harbor waters for many years now, as it is some of the cleanest water you could ask for in a fully functioning city harbor. While many locals are content to jump in from the highest points (near a ladder) they can find, there are a few places known as the Harbor baths that are officially designated as swimming areas.

Islands Byrgee is a hotspot for the college and younger set seeking to tan in the sun just outside the bath itself. Here you will find groups of locals gathered together with their oddly large speakers picnicking by the waters. There are also many restaurants and spots to grab a drink, though I would recommend just bringing your own.  The actual bath itself is great both for kids, as it has small shallow water sections, and great for the braver swimmers who want to jump in from big heights (a diving platform provides three different levels).

As you walk around the harbor though you will notice many other, most likely, calmer spots spread around where you could enjoy a quick dip to cool off on a hot day, or simply for the experience. My personal favorite was a small roped off space that I found just across the street from the Michelin Star restaurant Amass.

From the Water

After your walking tour of the spaces surrounding the water, now it’s time to actually get on the water. One of the best ways to get a look at the harbor, and at Copenhagen itself, is to rent a boat and drive it around yourself for a couple of hours. There are a couple of services that let you do this, but we chose one called Friendships. These boats are powered by electricity, keeping the harbor clean and allow you to enjoy a picnic in the middle of the water. Just watch out for the massive, fast moving, and on a mission tour boats.

Actually, if you are on a budget, or just can’t get enough of the water after your personal trip, the tour boats are another great way to experience the water, all the while getting some information on the city.

If you want more of a workout while you are touring the waters, there are also kayak rentals. One in particular has caught my eye, though I haven’t tried it yet, are the Green Kayaks. These kayaks are available for two hours, for free, as long as while you move around you pick any garbage you come across up and bring it back for recycling or disposing. More on this once I give it a try.

So, if you are like me and love a city with water access, Copenhagen does not disappoint. From seaside strolls, beaches, and boat trips the waters here will keep you busy and entertained.

When my wife told me that she wanted to take a few months of work off to take an unpaid internship in Copenhagen (which by the way is one of THE most expensive cities in the world) my anxieties kicked into full gear. A teacher and a social worker’s salary do not exactly scream summers in Europe.

The idea first popped up about two years ago, and as time passed I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. The budget would be an issue. We didn’t know the chances of Annie being accepted by the World Health Organization as an intern. There were just so many things that could have stopped us from getting here.

But here I am writing in Copenhagen surrounded by its grand palaces, old cobble stone streets, complete with modern contemporary design mixed in. I should have never doubted Annie’s determination and drive to get here. So, while she is spending her days at the World Health Organization, I am wandering the city, hanging out in the parks, and trying to take it all in before we have to return to Minneapolis.

Before coming here, Copenhagen, of all the Scandinavian capitals, had held the least interest to me. In my mind it was all about Stockholm and Oslo, and lesser so Helsinki. Denmark and its capital just didn’t make it on my radar. Now I know that was a mistake, and leaving this place is going to be tough.

They say first impressions are important, and Copenhagen has made a great first impression on me. The city is full of impressive architecture from hundreds of years ago, yet feels modern at the same time. You don’t have to go far to find well enjoyed parks and public use spaces. The food and drink is spectacular (but that’s to be expected in the home of Noma. The people are friendly and multi-lingual. Not too mention how easy it is to get around. Copenhagen is true marvel of a city.

Grand Palaces and Modern Design

Moments after getting off the train from the airport, I was greeted with the sites of the King’s New Square (Kongens Nytrov). The square was designed in 1670 and sits just hundreds of yards from one of Copenhagen’s most famous sites, Nyhavn, a waterfront street surrounded by colorful 17^th and 18^th century townhouses, most holding restaurants now. Also, in the square are an imposing and beautiful theater built in the late 1800s, the famous Hotel D’Angleterre, and the modern chic Magasin Du Nord.  Just 15 minutes after landing this square woke me up to the city I was about to spend my summer in.

Bikes, bells, and the Hovding.  

Like many of us, I had heard that Copenhagen has an incredible number of bicycles, even to the point that they may have more bikes than people. It didn’t take me a long time to see that this was entirely possible. Wherever I have been inside the city and just outside I have never been far from a bike.

The streets are designed with well thought out bike lanes, even traffic signals for those lanes, and bikers make full use of them. In fact, these bike lanes are more likely to contain traffic jams than the actual roads they take space in. Rush hour in the bike lanes is a thing to behold, and enough to make an American bicycle commuter a little nervous. “Shoulder-to-shoulder” traffic must make for an invigorating commute.

With all this bike traffic Copenhagen residents have a lot of great biking innovations that I would love to bring back to the states. Commuter bikes for the whole family. Pickup like beds for transporting all your stuff. Locks that never need to leave your bike wheels. 

But my all-time favorite

Danish biking trend is the airbag.

You might think with all the bike traffic a lot of people would be wearing helmets. Well you would be wrong. It seems while Danes are serious about their biking, they are just as serious about their style, particularly their hair style.

Cue the Hovding. To protect their hair-dos, Danes have innovated away from the classic bicycle helmet and replaced it with an airbag of sorts contained in a round the neck, brace like, contraption. In the event of a crash or wipeout, the Hovding senses its need and springs out like an airbag to enfold the wearers head in a cushion that is advertised as being much more protective than traditional skull protection. It truly must be seen to be believed. Check it out here.  Two major downsides though, first it costs nearly 300 Euros, and it’s usable only once.

The King’s Garden, outdoor spaces …….and casual public nudity

The Danes love their parks . It’s really no wonder, with 1/3 of the people living in apartments, and the grey, dark, and long winters, but it still seems to me at first glance that they seem to appreciate their spaces even more than outdoor loving Minnesotans.

I have already spent a lot of time in one park, called The King’s Garden, which surrounds the Rosenburg Castle. Each time I am surrounded by sunbathers, readers, groups of picnickers, and groups playing games like bocce ball or the super popular Kubb. The only thing that they don’t have on Minneapolis parks, is hammock culture. I set mine up one day, and literally within a minute a random Danish guy came up to me and told me “that is the most genius thing I have ever seen.”  I’m hoping to start a trend.

One other thing I have learned in all these public spaces is that Danes are not a shy people. In any public space it seems likely to see numerous people in various states of undressing, sunbathing in close to nude, or simply wearing see through clothing. The guys also wear the shortest of shorts to the point that even in my “shorter” shorts, I feel like I am wearing baggy jeans. All this in family settings without any second glances. Certainly, this might tell us something about the repressed, overly embarrassed American mind, but it isn’t something I have talked to anyone about at this point.

Another aspect of life that the Danes are much more relaxed on is drinking. Everywhere we go someone has a bottle of wine, or a six-pack of Carlsberg and are relaxing with a drink out in the fresh air. Seems to not even be a question that this should be just fine.

Speaking of beer…

When it was finally official that I would be spending my summer in Copenhagen, a silly thought entered my head, “but where would I get my craft beer from.” I needn’t have feared in the slightest, I just should have saved more money.

Craft beer is booming in Copenhagen. From the now international Mikkeller to Amager who collaborated with Surly to put out one of my all-time favorites “Todd the Axeman ”. Beer lovers are sure to find more than enough to drink. My new favorite is To Ol, a brewery which until recently was gypsy brewing wherever they could. The two head brewers learned the trade in high school from their physics teacher (see they are much more relaxed) none other than Mikkeller brewer and founder, Mikkell Borg Bjergso.

Sadly, a beer will run about $10 a bottle here, with no real liquor store discount. Not to mention the only real six packs available are varieties like the ever-present Carlsberg and Tuborg. Even a single bottle of Budweiser ( blech….) will run you at least $3. Bring your cash.

It’s been a great two weeks in Copenhagen. With a little more than a month to go I am hoping to see and experience a lot more that I will hope to share with you, so stick around.  

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