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Travel Green to Copenhagen

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Many restaurants are organic and sustainable, and there's light rail, bus, and more bikes and bike lanes than you can imagine to get you around this city, routinely ranked one of the world's most livable and most green. The city even won the European Environmental Management Award for its environmental planning efforts.

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Author: JennyMM

Day 1 - Copenhagen

The AXEL Hotel Guldsmeden is known for its commitment to ecologically responsible practices, including 100% organic cuisine and toiletries, eco-friendly cleaning products, and furniture made out of sustainable materials. Near central Copenhagen and just 2 minutes from the central metro line, this is also a charming boutique hotel in an excellent location. An unusual and totally fun way to get your first tour of the city is by kayak with Kajak-Ole, a tour company that will outfit you with a kayak and then take you out to tour the harbor and canals of the city. Once you're back on land, walk around some of the interesting areas in Christianshavn. One particularly fascinating neighborhood is Christiania, completely car-free and largely self-sustaining. You can take a guided walking tour if you want some verbal history, or just bring a guide book and wander around on foot or bike for awhile. Although it can get a bit busy during tourist season, this is an interesting part of Copenhagen's history... and you'll definitely see some remarkable graffiti. There are also a number of interesting churches around the city, each different and with its own history. The Christians Kirke looms large in Christianshavn, and the nearby Vor Frelsers Kirke is also worth a visit. A greener area on Christianshavn is Holmen, which now houses several churches, the opera house, and is a quiet place to take a walk and enjoy the island scenery. One of the most fun cultural events to experience during the summer in Copenhagen are the open-air productions put on by the Det Kongelige Teater, or Royal Danish Theatre. Ballet performances and concerts are put on throughout the summer in various outdoor locations. Bring along a bottle of wine and enjoy the music in the sunshine. If there aren't any shows going on while you're in town or you're not visiting in summer, you can still go see an evening show of the Royal Ballet or the Symphony Orchestra at the Teater itself. As you get hungry for dinner, head back across the river for some fresh seafood, which is particularly good at Cap Horn in Nyhavn, but all the innovative food here is tasty. Organic, seasonal, and local, this is the best way to experience Danish cuisine.

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AXEL Hotel Guldsmeden

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Helgolandsgade 11
1653 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3331 3266

Cap Horn

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Nyhavn 21
1051 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3312 8504

Kajak-Ole

Location:

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Havkajakvej 8
2300 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 4050 4006

Christianshavn

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Christianshavn
1410 Copenhagen, Denmark

Christiania

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Christiania
1407 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 7022 2442 (Tourist Information)

Christianskirken

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Strandgade 1
1401 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 70 22 2442

Vor Frelsers Kirke

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Location:

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Skt. Annægade 29
1416 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3257 2798

Holmen

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Prinsessegade
1436 Copenhagen, Denmark

Det Kongelige Teater

Location:

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Kongens Nytorv
1017 Copenhagen,

Phone:

+45 3369 6969

Grønnegårds Teatret

Location:

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Bredgade 66
1260 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3316 2212

Day 2 - Copenhagen

Take a morning walk around Faelledparken, one of the city's larger parks and the site of many concerts and festivals throughout the warmer months. Time it right, and you can enjoy a picnic in the park complete with live music. Another interesting place to visit is the Assistens churchyard. Copenhagen's residents are quite at home lounging in and around the cemetery, and you'll most likely see some sunbathers if you visit when it's warm out. You can also visit the grave of some of Copenhagen's more famous denizens, including Kierkegaard and Hans Christian Andersen. In the afternoon, visit the palace museum at Rosenberg Slot to get a glimpse of what royal life was like, and then take a walk around the gardens and botanical gardens, which are a big of a break from the sun and city streets. When dinnertime rolls around, stroll to nearby Geranium, a restaurant dedicated to ethically produced and raised ingredients. It also happens to be one of the city's best restaurants. Everything here is carefully thought out and the execution, service, and ambience are spot on.

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Fælledparken

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Fælledparken
2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 7022 2442 (Tourist Information)

Assistens Kirkegård

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Nørrebrogade/Kapelvej 4
2200 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3537 1917

Rosenborg Slot

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Øster Voldgade 4A
1350 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3315 3286

Geranium

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Kronprinsessegade 13
Kongens Have
1306 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3311 1304

Day 3 - Copenhagen

Take the train north of the city today to pay a visit to a slot (castle) or two on the northern end of Zealand. Fredensborg is on the short of Lake Esrum, and is the location of a number of events as a part-time residence for the royal family. There is also a huge Baroque-style garden at Fredensborg, with paths through forested areas and statues galore. A bit closer to the city is Sorgenfri, a smaller castle where several royal family members were born and some currently reside. You can take a stroll through the gardens here, or travel nearby to Dyrehaven, a large nature area just outside the city. A former hunting site, you can still spot deer when walking along the trails that traverse the park. This is definitely one of the area's prettiest nature areas. Take the train back into the city in time to arrive a bit early at Groeften so you can enjoy the sunset among the greenery of Tivoli on the patio. Try a Danish classic, smorrebrod, which is similar to an open-faced sandwich but have delicious Scandinavian flavors, such as potato and herring on rye.

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Sorgenfri Slot

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Kongevejen 6
2800 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3392 6300

Grøften

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Vesterbrogade 3
1620 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3375 0675

Day 4 - Copenhagen

Head out for a morning walk along the harbor in Langelinie, a lovely marina and park area. There are a number of big buildings across the water, including the opera house and the Queen's palace. There are also lots of statues and memorials in the area around the wharf. Nearby is Kastellet, a well-preserved fortress that now serves as a museum and a park. A windmill still turns on the grounds, and there are animals and birds that live throughout the surrounding park. Just a bit south is Sankt Pauls Kirke, a lesser-visited but remarkable church with unusual architectural design. For a quick, organic healthy lunch, stop into Den Groenne Kaelder, a long-standing vegetarian restaurant famed for its hummus. Then in the afternoon hop on the Mermaid and/or Carlsberg City Hop-on Hop-Off Tours, which take place from a charming open-top tour bus and are a great way to see some more of the sights around Copenhagen in a small amount of time, and get some historical background from the tour guides to boot. Stop back at the hotel to get into more formal dress, and then head back out for a night at the opera. Take a stroll through the Kongens Nytorv square to see people dressed up in their evening finest, and then head into the magnificent opera house, one of the world's most unique and modern. Grab a late dinner after at Soeren K. Located inside the Royal Library and boasting a great harbor view, this is one of Copenhagen's hidden treasures. Opt for the five-course seafood menu, or one of the several scrumptious vegetarian dishes. This is the best of healthy Scandinavian fusion fare in the city.

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Langelinie

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Fra Esplanaden til Langeliniekajen
2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Kastellet

Location:

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Kastellet 68
2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3311 2233

Sankt Pauls Kirke

Location:

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Gernersgade 33
1319 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3312 9945

Den Grønne Kælder

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Pilestræde 48
1112 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3393 0140

Copenhagen City Hop On, Hop Off Tour

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Copenhagen, Denmark

Søren K

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Søren kierkegaards Plads 1
1221 København K
1221 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3347 4949

Kongens Nytorv

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Kongens Nytorv
1050 Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen Opera House

Location:

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Ekvipagemestervej 10
1438 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3369 6969

Day 5 - Copenhagen

Get out on the morning City and Harbour Tour, which lets you see the city from a different angle. You'll get a glimpse of the green of Tivoli, the Little Mermaid, and lots of royal buildings and other landmarks that lie along the harbor. Then, spend the afternoon exploring the area of Frederiksberg Have, the site of a former royal summer palace and chapel. The palace is surrounded by acres of grounds, and there are winding paths, canals, and gardens. You can also take a walk through the less groomed park of Sondermarken nearby, or the Havesekskab garden (Jutland Garden Society), which is just as groomed but filled with unusual and remarkable plant species. When you start to get hungry, Cofoco is a great restaurant in Copenhagen that is on the lower end, price-wise, and has a simple menu with delicious fresh and interesting Scandinavian dishes.

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Frederiksberg Have

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Frederiksberg Runddel 1
2000 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 7022 2442 (Tourist Information)

Det Kongelige Haveselskabs Have

Location:

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Frederiksberg Runddel
2000 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 36 44 98 99

Cofoco

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Abel Cathrines Gade 7
1654 Copenhagen, Denmark

Phone:

+45 3313 6060

Day 6 - Copenhagen

You should just spend the last day of your trip strolling around downtown Copenhagen, as you'll probably discover some sights that you'd never see on a guided tour. Here are some particularly interesting landmarks around town: The Borsen, or Stock Exchange, is in the beautiful old Renaissance-style, and is one of Copenhagen's more famous buildings. In the city's main shopping area is Helligandskirken, which is one of the oldest churches in the area but is quite well-preserved. Sankt Petri Kirke (St. Peter's Church) is another one of the oldest and best-preserved churches in the area, which served as a meeting place for the German speaking population. The Christiansborg Slotskirke is part of the Christiansborg castle complex, and still serves as the church of the royal family for particular events, including funerals for monarchs. In addition to churches and royal buildings, there are also some smaller galleries and art exhibitions around town. Galleri Norby focuses on ceramics, and others in the area include the Nikolaj Contemporary Art Centre and Galleri Huset, which has rotating sculpture and painting displays. There are also several along Bredgade, in the financial district. Don't miss Radhuspladsen, the city's most famous square, and also the site of the town hall. At the end of the day, walk over to Noma for dinner. If you're going to one restaurant while visiting Copenhagen, this is the one you have to eat at. It's frequently ranked as one of the world's best restaurants, but Noma is surprisingly casual and unpretentious, and the superb Nordic cuisine is crafted from local ingredients and is truly unforgettable.

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