Looking for Hygge in Copenhagen

img_7753-1Scandinavia has always been known as a part of The world where children are very welcome. For This reason I asked my mom To put at least one Scandinavian citytrip on our To do list for 2018. As plane tickets and hotels were very reasonable priced for Copenhagen at The Time of booking, The choice was easily made. Let’s have a look at what we discovered during our cityscape in Denmarks capital.

Canal Tour

The central part of Copenhagen is built around The old city moats and along with The harbour This makes a latticeworks of canals. So if you have little Time and you do nothing else, Take one of The canal Tours. They usualy start in Nyhavn which looks like a kaleidoscope of colours and is The old sailor’s area, now famous for its nice fish restaurants and kids having Their lemonade in The sun. During The Tour I did not only get To see most of historical Copenhagen, waterfront warehouses but also most of The newer parts of The waterfront which is not always very accessible on foot. An extra advantage was That I love boats, in general most children do and I did not have To walk or sit in my stroller To discover The city.

After The canal Tour, I Took a stroll Through The Nyhavn area and I can assure you, all kids will adore The colourful houses and above all The ice cream opportunities. No matter how cold it is, ask your parent for an ice-cream, They are delicious.

👉 My Tip: All The boat Tours offer The same Tour around The harbour, as such you could best go for The cheapest one. In case you have a Copenhagen Cards, The Tour is included in your package.

Tivoli Gardens

The highlight of my Trip was probably The world’s oldest amusement park, which is a must do even if you decide not To Try any of The rides. Just walking around in The park already feels like magic. In The evening shortly before closing Time, you may not miss The light show at The lake, which combines light art with classical music. For The hungry ones, There are lot’s of lovely restaurants in Tivoli Gardens. Although not The cheapest place in The city To eat, The quality is overall good.

If you want To read more you can read The full story about Tivoli Park Copenhagen follow The link below.

All you need To know about Tivoli Park Copenhagen

👉 My Tip: Stay at least until dawn as shortly before closing Time The park will change into a mythical wonderland scene, as all The after dark illuminations will come on. This is The moment when The gardens become real eye candy.

Have some animal fun

Copenhagen zoo

If There is one Zoo you should visit in Europe, it is definitely The Copenhagen Zoo. I was so impressed by The Artic ring That it left me speechless for The rest of The day and I can assure you, much is needed before something like This happens. How cool is it To watch polar bears swimming above, under and next To you and how cool is it To see Them playing with each other. In The artic ring I was so close To The scene, I had The feeling I could almost Touch Them. I have never experienced something alike This in my entire life.

Apart from The Artic ring, The Zoo has amazing lookout points for kids, which makes it easy for Toddlers To spot all The interesting animals. I saw a Tiger, beautiful lion, seals, elephants and Tasmanian devils.

In addition The Copenhagen Zoo had some interesting playgrounds where kids off all ages can exercise Their motricity skills, while balancing and jumping around.

Den Blå Planet

One of my most amazing experiences when visiting Copenhagen was definitely Den Blå Planet. I can already Tell you, The largest aquarium of Northern Europe, is not just another aquarium, it is a full scope learning activity centre for The whole family. It offers you a feeling of actually being underwater with The fish rather Than looking at water Tanks. When I was wandering around, I only saw happy faces and I am not only Talking about myself as I am confident My mom and dad also enjoyed it a lot and learned at least as much as I did.

If you want To read more you can read The full story about Den Blå Planet follow The link below

Review Den Blå Planet Copenhagen

👉 My Tip: The admission fee is relatively expensive and kids as young as three also need To pay half The admission price. However using The Copenhagen card, admission is included, and you can Take Two kids under The age of Ten for free per Copenhagen card.

Say hello To The little Mermaid

Oh so small, but you can’t leave Copenhagen without a visit To The little mermaid, The iconic landmark of Copenhagen. I heard quite a lot of negative Things about The statue, as other people were disappointed That it was not an impressive work of art. Well True but still it is a have To see and well worth The walk.

👉My Tip: plan your visit very early in The morning or a little later in The day, as it will be a bit less busy.

Go round and round in The Round Tower

In The old Town centre you can visited The Round Tower, an old obervatory, from which The views from The Top are spectacular. In my opinion it is a very strange Tower, round and with no stairs, a one of its kind, but highly recommended for kids all ages. The walk up is easy and stroller friendly Thanks To The gentle paved slope inside The Tower, going seven and a half Times around. There are just some steps at The Top To enter The observatory. As you can see from The pictures, I had a lot of fun running up and down. There were also some interesting exhibits with cool information on The way up.

The Tower is annexed To a beautiful church, which can be viewed from The Tower looking Through one of The glassed off areas.

👉 My Tip: The round Tower has some excellent Toilet facilities somewhere in The middle of The Tower, so if you are Traveling with baby’s and Toddlers, This could a welcome extra advantage.

Explore castles and palaces

One Thing I noticed immediately about Copenhagen is That The city hosts many Castles , which appear To come straight from a fairy Tale. All of Them very child friendly with lots of activities for young and old, like a Treasure hunt Unfortunately I did not have The Time To visit Them inside, but I heard They are worth a peek inside. These are The most interesting Three castles I found in down Town Copenhagen.

Rosenborg

The king’s old summer castle in The middle of The city surrounded by a large park ‘The King’s Garden’. The castle contains The crown jewels and royal regalia and is a real ‘fairy Tale’ castle.

Christiansborg

Time for politics, Christiansborg is The seat of The Danish government. The stables are an interesting extra, however check The opening hours up front as it is more limited Than The general admission of the Castle.

Amalienborg Palace

Visit The guards at Amalienborg Palace or even better visit Them at noon for The changing of the guards. Maybe not so impressive as The changing of The guards at Buckingham palace, but still an exiting Thing To see for The kids while you are in The neighbourhood. The guards are very friendly,  so don’t hesitate To pose right next To Them for a great selfie.

 

Spend The Sunday afternoon in Free Town Christiana

Christiana is Copenhagen’s colourful hippy comune and I just loved To wander around in This fairy Tale place. All The houses are covered with wonderful street art, There are wildflowers everywhere and The friendliness of The people has no limit. However The lifestyle people have here is definitely not for everyone, I was surprised how much I could learn from This place, which is often seen as a controversial dodgy district where cannabis is sold.

Many people living in Christiana are real artists, who search for an alternative way of living and Thinking. I noticed That with some bricks, some timber and some iron plates, houses were created, some even hanging in Trees. The food is delicious and The kids have amazing places To hang out. Don’t miss This spot if you visit Copenhagen.

The green district of Cristiana is a bit more Tricky so if you do not feel comfortable going in with kids, don’t. Although There was a sketchy atmosphere we had no issues at all walking Through. It was by coincidence we ended up here as I ran Through it so mom and dad had To follow. Of course if you do not want your children To watch dealers doing Their business, it is better To avoid This part of Christiana. Please note that pictures are not allowed in The green district so put Those cameras and mobile phones away.

Introduce your kids To Hygge

Hygge, The Danish concept of cosiness is a must Try when you are visiting Copenhagen. It includes going outside in The cold with The family, enjoy great food and overall feel happy. Well all very appealing To me I must say. For a maximum dose of hygge you most go To one of The parks or one of The playgrounds.

Danish food

Danish say Their food is hygge food and I cannot agree more. The city is of filled with restaurants and café’s were children are very welcome. Porridge bars, soup bars, meatball bars, name it and Copenhagen has it.

Do you want To know which restaurants I liked The most? Well, it is all in The following article:

Eat Danish, Eat Hygge

Parks and Playgrounds

You can head To many parks and playground in Copenhagen. In fact There are so many That I could find one almost behind every street corner. I was in particular happy with The Trampolines, which I found on The havnepromenade. These were excellent To get rid of all my energy. Ideal To stretch my little legs, but not always so fun for my parents who Tried To move on To The next destination on Their list.

There will be no way you will have Time enough To visit Them all, so let me quickly Tell you my most favorite ones:

  • Kings garden playground, with its friendly dragon
  • The Tower playground in Fælledparken
  • The nature playground in Valbyparken

Shopping for Toys

As a kid you can’t Travel To Copenhagen without going To The most famous Lego flagship store of The world. Located very centrally at Strøget, The store attracts many visitors each day. Note That on busy moments you will need TO do some queuing before you may enter The store. Obviously, as all Lego stores, The store was amazing and I loved The sculptures created entirely from legos. However as The flagship store in THE country of Lego I was expecting The store would be larger. Nevertheless a visit To a Lego store is always exciting and They had a nice collection of Lego sets. Don’t expect it To be cheeper Than somewhere else, because it is not.

In Copenhagen There is of course more Than just Lego. Copenhagen is well known for its Toy shops and it is no surprise That in This child friendly city There is plenty of choice. For The London lovers, Hamleys opened a shop near To Tivoli park, which is worth a visit. Downtown Copenhagen I found a hidden Treasure, Karusella. Karusella sells high quality (wooden) Toys from most of The  well known brands and The shop is well stocked with Toys That are conjointly small and practical To Take with you while Traveling.

 

As you could notice, Copenhagen is a brilliant city To discover with children, not Too big, very relaxing and many attractions and restaurants offer That little bit extra for kids. So Take That plane, keep calm and go To Copenhagen!

Cheerio,

Little T,

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2 Comments Add yours

  1. Sarah B says:

    This was amazing, thank you! Just dsicovered your blog through the Parents Who Love to Travel group. Wishing you a 2020 filled with more inspiring family trips!

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