Copenhagen is one of the most picturesque cities of Scandinavia. New Nordic tables are illuminated by modernist lamps, cyclists move across bridges, and eye-catching locals plunge into pristine waters.
Copenhagen has transformed from a dining heiress to a culinary powerhouse in just over ten years. The capital of Denmark is the only Scandinavian city to have at least 15 Michelin-starred eateries. In recent years, sous chefs from various renowned kitchens have opened a number of exciting new restaurants where culinary prowess is available at more affordable prices. A wave of restaurants are serving pure, organic vegetables from their own greenhouses, gardens, and farms across the city. The reincarnation of New Nordic outlaw Noma is one of them. Visit Copenhagen enquiring and hungry.
The early surge of cyclists only seems more like a fashion show on wheels here. Forget Milan; it’s difficult to match the inhabitants of Copenhagen in terms of elegance. Few people possess such a natural sense of cool, inspired by a love of subtle elegance, fine detail, and simplicity. These principles inform everything produced in Copenhagen, from its egregiously cool streetwear brands to its renowned furniture and lighting to its homegrown ceramics and glassware. Together, they have built a city that offers unending visual stimulation, where even the most routine routines are tinged with a sense of calm surprise and delight.
Cities frequently turn to Copenhagen for enlightenment. The Danish city consistently ranks at the top of liveability rankings because it is the hometown of architect Jan Gehl, one of the foremost experts on sustainable urban planning in the world. This is after all one of the world’s greenest, cleanest, and most sustainable urban centres, where cycling is a major mode of transportation, where buses and the metro run often and around the clock, and where the harbour is pristine enough for a brisk plunge. Copenhagen smartly maintains everything compact and accessible, leaving the sprawl to cities like Melbourne and LA, making it an incredibly simple destination to explore.
Copenhagen’s cultural attractions are diverse and extensive, ranging from Viking artefacts in a former prince’s house to iconic Danish chairs in a former baroque hospital. Explore royal mansions stuffed to the gills with priceless artwork and jewellery, ponder the biggest collection of Danish paintings from the Golden Age, or get up close and personal with the best collection of ancient Egyptian sculpture in northern Europe. Did we also mention the largest collection of Islamic art in Scandinavia, which is hidden away in a collector’s neoclassical mansion? Who cares if the weather is a little unpredictable when there are so many miracles indoors.