Earlier last week, I was lucky enough to find a cheap flight and hostel to Copenhagen, Denmark for the weekend! Copenhagen was a top destination since I originally wanted to study abroad there. Yet due to Denmark's expenses, I decided a nice weekend trip would have to fulfill my curiosity of Scandinavian cultures and countries. I was super excited and nervous for my first solo weekend of traveling but I was feeling prepared and confident to dive into the experience!
I eagerly woke up Saturday morning, grabbing my backpack and eagerly awaiting departure flight from Edinburgh. Arriving at the EDI airport from Uni was bit of an adventure within itself though. From the bus to the train station to the tram and finally to the airport, I am glad I gave myself extra time to figure out the way. I settled in at a cafe in the airport, grabbing breakfast and waiting for my gate arrival. I was lucky enough to avoid the middle seat during my random seat selection for my flight as well. After landing in Copenhagen and adding another stamp to my passport, I grabbed the metro to make my way into the downtown!
With the sun still up, I decided it was a perfect opportunity to explore the city a bit and get my bearings as a solo traveler. I loved looking at the colorful architecture and bright buildings of the city. I believe it helps set the tone and vibe of every city since every city has their own style. Copenhagen is also a very safe city so I felt comfortable walking around on my own, especially with the busy bustle of people on a Saturday afternoon. After taking only one or two wrong turns, I checked into my first hostel, the Urban House, and settled in my dorm to find a spot for dinner. I made my way to Paludan Bogcafe, an adorable cafe filled with walls of books and crystal chandeliers. I stuck to a classic caesar salad and delicious brown bread and butter for dinner that night. Afterwards, I stopped at the plaza down the street to grab ice cream and make my way to a pub crawl. Copenhagen Free Walking Tours offers a pub crawl every Saturday night and I thought it was a perfect opportunity to meet people from across the world. I stopped at three different bars, making sure I tried Tuborg, a popular Danish beer, and met people from Sweden, Australia, Germany, and America that night! When grabbing a drink in Denmark, always make sure you say "skull" or cheers in Danish with a group of friends before drinking! I made my way back to my hostel for a clean shower and hopefully a good night's sleep for a busy day tomorrow. Its amazing how different a shower can make you feel after a day of traveling.
After an early morning wake-up call from a girl's 15-minute alarm, I decided to get up and start my busy day ahead. I walked through Strøget Street, one of the the longest running pedestrian shopping streets in the world, passing by a stumbling group of drunk students at eight in the morning. It was amazing how quiet the street was since most shops and restaurants don't open until 10 in the morning. I stopped at a local bakery to grab a delicious chocolate and sugar glazed cinnamon pastry and a roll of bread and butter as a snack. I stopped at Kastellet Military Park and walked around the beautiful trails by the pond and stopped to take a peak at an elegant chapel.
I was lucky enough to stop by the infamous Little Mermaid Statue on a quiet morning and I sat on a bench to nibble on my bread and people watch. Next, I walked through Amalianborg Palace, the winter home of the Danish Royal Family and made my way to Nyhavn Harbor. I absolutely fell in love with Nyhavn! The moment felt surreal to finally be seeing one of the most famous spots in Copenhagen, but this time it wasn't on a computer screen. I walked around the harbor, checking out the restaurants and souvenir shops and snapped a few photos along the way. Afterwards, I made my way back to Amalianborg Palace to watch the oldest changing of the guards ceremony in Europe. It was a very cool experience to witness.
I took another walk down Strøget Street and ran into a friend from the pub crawl the night before. We ended up grabbing tea at a local cafe and sat outside and talked for nearly two hours. It was nice having a break from walking. I made my way to Christiansborg Palace, home to Denmark's Parliament and was about to head to the top of the tower until I realized there was a queue. After some sightseeing at Christiansborg Palace, I made may way over to Church of Our Savior. It was a beautiful brown brick church with a gold and black spiraled top, My destination was to the top of the spiral for a bird's eye view of the city of Copenhagen.
After hearing many suggestions, I made my way to Freetown Christiana. Freetown Christiania is a compound town separate from the laws and rulings of Copenhagen and even the EU. I admired the unique artwork and buildings of the town and was glad I made me way through during the daylight with lots of other tourists around! Afterwards, I made the trek back to my hostel to refresh and grabbed dinner the the friend I saw earlier. We had a delicious chocolate mouse and a pistachio ice cream for dessert. I have been craving pistachio ice cream since! I made the short walk back to hostel for a soundless night of sleep for my last day in Copenhagen the next day.
After packing up my belongings, I checked myself out of my hostel and made my way to a delicious bakery called Skt. Peders Bageri. I grabbed a fantastic cinnamon roll and a warm, pizza pastry for later on. I met another young solo traveler in my dorm, Hannah and we decided to spend the day together due to our similar plans. We knew we picked a good spot for breakfast with the large crowd of locals coming in.
After eating our pastries, we walked around the free Botanical Gardens. The gardens were gorgeous, you can definitely tell fall was on its way. We walked around the loch and explored the windy pathways of the gardens, even spotting an endangered red squirrel! Next, we made our way to Rosenborg Castle. The castle was breathtaking, with intricate detailing, artwork, and craftsman's ship located throughout. The Great Hall was a personal favorite of mine, and Hannah and I were able to catch a glimpse of the Royal Jewels, Crowns, and the 400-year old Rosenborg Wine. We walked around the Rosenborg Gardens until making our way to Nyhavn Harbor, which I gladly saw for a second time.
Next, we ended up walking around Copenhagen and sat to people watch and eat the remains of our pastries from the morning. We walked our way over to Islands Brygges, a popular summer swimming spot in Copenhagen to explore the area and sat down by the canal for some additional people watching. I even spotted a little jellyfish swimming along the waters! Hannah and I both believed it might have been a bit lost.
Afterwards, Hannah and I walked through Strøget Street to make our way to the "Bastard Cafe." The Bastard Cafe was a fun cafe filled with walls of board games where you could hang out and play with friends. It seemed like a popular spot for the local students. Hannah and I grabbed a beer and I tried another popular Danish beer, Carlsberg. Sadly, Hannah and I parted ways as I took the long way back to the metro to get a final glimpse of the city. I hopped on the metro to the airport to make the trek back to Stirling. It was definitely bittersweet leaving, but I am hoping to make my way back one day! I can definitely see why the Danish people are considered some of the happiest people in the world though.
With just a slight delay in my flight, I safely landed in Edinburgh and waited for the bus back to Stirling. I had the entire bus to myself on that Monday night. Having no classes on Monday was really useful for additional travels and adventures every week. After I safely made my way back to my flat, I could easily say my legs were dead. I walked everywhere during the trip.
As my first solo weekend of traveling, I would say the experience was extremely rewarding and fulfilling and I have discovered that you must learn to trust yourself while traveling. It is always okay to trust your directions and maybe ask someone for some confirmation if needed. I did fall in love with Copenhagen this past weekend and I am so excited to see what my next European adventure holds for me. Be sure to keep checking in for my next Scotland adventure!
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