Copenhagen At Christmas: Top Things To Do
January 17, 2022
Denmark
By guy yefet
Discover the best things to do in Copenhagen at Christmas. Copenhagen Christmas Markets is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark is one of the best destinations you will find in Europe.
Copenhagen around Christmas is a magical time. Already from the end of November, when the snow begins to fall, the whole city is adorned along its length and breadth with many miles of spectacular lights, ornaments, twinkling lights that illuminate the entire city.
The diverse shops on the main shopping street, Store adorn their facade with bright lights, red decorations, Christmas posters, and elves and Santa Claus who receive the customers.
Many street musicians are joining the traditional music played from the stores that go on many sales ahead of the upcoming holiday.
In the historic district of Nyhavn, you will find a spectacular art market in honor of the holiday spread out along the canal.
The market takes place until the end of December, with a break on the eve of the holiday and the holiday itself.
Even in the unique Christiania district, you can find a market in honor of the holiday of a variety of accessories such as jewelry, mirrors, candles, clothes, and more, all of which are purely handmade by the residents of the Bohemian Quarter detached from the "official" city life.
And of course the Christmas market in Tivoli Gardens, Tivoli is not a Disneyland-style amusement park, but a magical urban park that includes diverse amusement facilities alongside spectacular flowering gardens, restaurants, and cafes.
The decorations and lighting in Tivoli gardens during the Christmas time have become a thing of the past thanks to their uniqueness and design - no less than 6.5 kilometers of bulbs and 1800 wicks adorn the prairie trees on the lakeshore and the conifers, along with colorful lamp chains that give a unique beauty.
A huge fir tree in the center of the garden gives a special and festive feeling to visitors and 70 types of "thimbles" decorate and add to the magical atmosphere.
Train and Metro: The most convenient way to get to the city center is by train, which is easily accessible: under the departure hall in Terminal 3 (where you will land), there is a train station, from which a train leaves for the city every ten minutes or so (weekdays).
Travel time to the central station in the city is only about 12 minutes.
The price of the trip to the city is 27 kronor and the ticket must be bought at the position before descending to the station floor.
Alternatively, you can get on the metro, which takes about 15 minutes to travel to the city, but keep in mind that the train stops at various stations along the way.
The metro station is at the end of Terminal 3. Tickets can be purchased at DSB machines - please note, the machines do not accept banknotes.
During the day the metro leaves every 4-6 minutes and in the evening every 15 minutes, until midnight.
On Thursdays-Sundays the metro works 24 hours a day.
Bus: A free bus service runs throughout the field, for transfer between the terminals, in case of transfer between domestic flights.
There are several bus lines, traveling between the airport and Copenhagen city center.
If you are heading to Sweden, some buses leave from the field directly to Malmo, traveling on the Oresund Bridge.
Taxi: You will find plenty of free taxis waiting for passengers outside Terminals 1 and 3.
Swedish taxis, which take you to Malmö, are only outside Terminal 3. However, Danish taxis will also take you to Malmö.
Copenhagen has a convenient and simple public transport system that allows you to get around the city easily.
The road systems in it are also very good, so the ride in the car is also comfortable.
However, as long as you travel around the city and do not leave it, you can take the burden off in finding parking and also the not low price that involves parking in the city center and travel by convenient public transportation.
Copenhagen is also accessible to other cities across Denmark or other countries.
It is linked by trains and buses to its Scandinavian neighbors and also to other European countries.
Its airport is international and flights from all over the world arrive or depart from it.
Bicycles: Danes ride bicycles in all weathers: summer, winter, storm, snow, hail - you can always see hundreds of thousands of cyclists on designated trails.
In Copenhagen, you can rent - for a guarantee only - bicycles for tours in the city.
Bicycles can be taken on regular trains and subways in marked carriages.
Copenhagen, as mentioned, has become synonymous with bicycles and efficient transportation and is considered one of the world-friendly cities for cyclists.
The system of bicycle paths in the city is one of the most comprehensive in the world and the cycling culture there is far beyond bicycle paths.
Beyond that, there is something pleasant in the city - it is flat and easy to get around.
Although the winter is colder and wetter than the peak tourist months of the summer, Copenhagen has a lot to offer in the winter as well.
Try some of these activities and events to make most of your time in this city beautiful, no matter the season.
During December in Copenhagen, the average temperature in Copenhagen drops to an average of 4 degrees Celsius.
Although the daylight hours are few, the Danish peoples are well trained and know how to turn their cold season into one big celebration, especially around Christmas and the New Year.
The sunlight that visits only for a few hours a day is replaced by a great many colorful lights in the streets. The heat comes through good heating and also hot and pampering Coffee and hot chocolate.
Tivoli Gardens Christmas Market
Starting in November, Christmas markets are popping up all over Denmark.
These charming atmospheric markets are the perfect place to find souvenirs and gifts or do some window shopping while sipping on a glass of wrought wine.
The Christmas Market in Tivoli Gardens, a 19th-century theme park in the heart of Copenhagen, is especially not to be missed.
Enjoy riding during the day and then stay around for the dazzling light displays after dark.
Location: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København V, Denmark
When: 19 Nov - 2 Jan
Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday: 11.00 - 22.00
Friday - Saturday: 11.00 - 23.00 / 31 December: 11.00 - 00.30
For more Information: official website
The legends of Hans Christian Andersen, the renowned Danish children's author, are being revived in a small and unique Christmas market called Andersen Christmas Market.
All the stalls are named after Andersen's stories and heroes (from the ugly duckling to the thimble) and alongside the festive decorations and colorful lights, you can also spin in a nostalgic carousel-like before.
Location: Nytorv, 1450 København, Denmark
When: 12 Nov - 21 Dec
Opening Hours: daily from 11:00 - 19:00 (20:00 on Friday and Saturday & 18:00 on Sunday)
For more Information: official website
The Nyhavn Canal area is the city's main entertainment area.
The narrow and picturesque canal connects the port of Copenhagen to Kongens Nitorb Square.
On the sides of the canal, there are ancient houses painted in a variety of colors and small boats moored in the water.
This is a great area for a walk and along the canal, there are lots of cafes, upscale restaurants, and trendy bars.
If the prices are too expensive for your taste do as the locals custom, buy a beer at one of the nearby shops and sit on the pier in front of the view.
Location: K, København, Denmark
When: 12 Nov - 22 Dec
Opening Hours: daily from 10:00 to 19:00 (20:00 on Friday and Saturday)
Copenhagen has a large number of outdoor rinks that offer excellent ice skating and excellent views.
Ice skating in Frederiksberg Runddel is free and open every day in December.
Bring your skates or rent a pair up to an hour before closing.
Located near the entrance to Frederiksberg Gardens, the hotel offers a great environment when you warm up with vigorous activity. Just be sure to slide counterclockwise to avoid crashes.
If you are planning to be in Copenhagen in the new year, there will be a lot of celebrations to enjoy.
From December 26th to 30th, the Tivoli Fireworks Festival illuminates the sky every night with fantastic fireworks displays centered around a different theme each year.
On New Year’s Eve, head out on to many restaurants, or try drinking specials and cocktails later in the evening when the clubs go out.
Finally, gather together with the crowds in City Hall Square before midnight to count to the New Year and hear the bell tower.
When it's too cold to stay outside, you can visit one of the museums in Copenhagen.
The Hirschsprung collection has a large selection of paintings by Danish coaches from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Down the street is the National Gallery of Denmark, which holds nearly 9,000 paintings and sculptures.
If modern art is more in your style, try the Dan Perry Center for Contemporary Art or the ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, located in a nearby suburb just outside Copenhagen.
If you prefer something a little more offbeat, check out the Medicinsk-Historical Museum and a collection of fascinating artifacts from medical history, or explore the Cisterns, an underground museum of modern glass art.
The Strøget pedestrian precinct is the longest pedestrian precinct in Europe and the oldest pedestrian precinct in the world.
The pedestrian zone stretches for 1.1 kilometers from City Hall Square to Kongens Nitorb Square, home to the National Theater and Charlottenburg Palace.
This is the city's main shopping street, where you can find upscale designer stores alongside popular chains.
Along the promenade, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes and many street performances take place.
The Danish royal house is one of the oldest in the world and accordingly, the city has many palaces.
The best known of these is the Amalienborg Palace, the winter residence of Queen Margaret II, built in the 18th century.
The complex consists of four separate palaces, built in the Rococo style, and between them a beautiful square. T
he general public can visit two of the four palaces.
Every day, at noon, you can watch the Queen's Guard replacement ceremony. When the queen is present (and this can be known if the flag in the courtyard is raised to the top of the mast), the ceremony is especially solemn and accompanied by music.
The beautiful Rosenborg Castle, located in the center of Copenhagen, was built by the Danish King Christian IV between 1634-1606.
The castle, in the style of the Dutch Renaissance, was considered the king's favorite castle.
The castle served as the royal residence until 1720 and every king left his mark on it.
In 1838 the castle became a museum with objects related to the Danish royal family. The museum houses the royal treasure's jewelry and crowns and also has a collection of works of art and portraits of members of the royal family. Maori Castle has beautiful gardens.
The round tower (Rundetårn), 34.8 meters high, was built by King Christian IV between 1642-1637 as an observatory.
From the top of the tower are the most beautiful views of the old city, including the spires of the churches and the red-tiled roofs of the houses.
At night you can watch the stars from the telescope in the dome of the tower, and from time to time there are exhibitions about astronomy.
The beautiful library hall now serves as a gallery and hosts rotating exhibitions and concerts. The top of the tower can be climbed by spiral stairs.
The bronze statue that has become a symbol of Copenhagen and one of the most famous sculptures in the world, was created by the sculptor Edward Eriksen inspired by the legend of the most famous Danish writer - Hans Christian Andersen.
The statue has stood in the city since 1913 and has known many upheavals, including the beheading of the mermaid in 1964 as an act of political protest.
August 23rd celebrates the little mermaid's birthday. Hundreds of people gather in the afternoon on the harbor promenade near the statue to pay homage to the national emblem. The event includes ointment, speeches, music, and inflating balloons into the air.
Christiania is a neighborhood in the heart of Copenhagen that is a kind of city as a city. The neighborhood, also known as the "City of Liberty", is a kind of autonomous commune established in 1971 by the hippies, on the ruins of a military camp.
The neighborhood is home to about 1,000 residents in total, but about half a million visitors come to it every year.
It is a colorful and controversial neighborhood in Copenhagen, mainly due to the free access of its residents regarding drug smoking (hence it is also known as Little Amsterdam) and due to the anarchist tendencies of some of its residents.
Either way, it is highly recommended to visit a neighborhood where the atmosphere of the seventies prevails.
Many of the residents of the neighborhood designed their homes themselves and the result is interesting and colorful.
Beyond architectural interest, the neighborhood has many vegetarian restaurants, cafes, galleries, workshops, and music performances.
To get to know the neighborhood in-depth, you can join the guided tours that take place in the neighborhood every day during the summer and are conducted by the residents of the neighborhood. Y
ou can come, wander, be impressed by the bars, the music, the stylists, and the art, but you can't take pictures.
Check out the Christiania Christmas Market. Founded in 1971, when nearby residents took over the abandoned military territory, Christiania is an autonomous commune with anarchist collectivist roots.
The Christiania Indoor Christmas Market offers many shops with unique gifts and delicious snacks.
Frederik's Church, also known as the Marble Church, is one of the most impressive churches in Copenhagen.
Its green copper dome is one of the largest in the world and offers a wonderful view of the city.
The Glyptotek Art Museum was founded in 1888 by Carl Jacobsen, owner of the Carlsberg Brewery.
The impressive museum has two main wings: a wing of antiquities and a wing of modern art.
The Antiquities Division has a fine collection of Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman art.
The wing dedicated to modern art focuses on Danish and French paintings and sculptures.
Among other things, it has many works by French Impressionism, over 40 works by Gauguin, and an impressive collection of sculptures by Degas and Rodin. On Sundays admission is free.
The old Carlsberg Brewery, founded in 1847, has been converted into a modern visitor center covering an area of 10,000 square meters.
At the center, you can be impressed by interactive displays and the largest collection of beer bottles in the world and participate in tours that follow the process of brewing beer, at the end of which visitors are invited to a tasting.
The tours last about an hour and a half.
Kronborg Castle is located in the town of Helsingør, on the Strait of Øresund.
Beyond it lies the Swedish city of Helsingborg, on a clear day it can be seen from here.
The beautiful castle was built, in the Renaissance style, in the late 16th century by King Frederick II, to oversee the collection of taxes from Sweden, which was then under Danish rule.
The castle displays historical items, ancient tapestries, weapons, and among its wings is also a knights' hall, which is 62 meters long - one of the longest in Europe.
The castle is known all over the world, mainly because Shakespeare's "Hamlet" plot takes place there.
The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is located in the town of Humlebæk, about 40 km north of Copenhagen.
It is one of the most important museums of modern art in the world.
The museum is housed in a rich architectural complex surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Copenhagen is an expensive city so if you travel on a budget it's better to stay in a hostel. The hostel was fantastic with really friendly and helpful staff.
I stayed in the steel house hostel in a shared room with 6 beds.
The facilities were excellent including a shared kitchen if you want to cook and the location is just a 5 min walk to the town.
Great hostel filled with not just backpackers but families alike. Nice chilled atmosphere! really clean rooms with pods add a sense of privacy.
Highly recommend!
A great option for huge savings in Copenhagen is the Copenhagen Card, a particularly worthwhile ticket that gives you free admission to seventy museums and attractions around the city, including the Design Museum, the Queen's Palace, and Tivoli Gardens (note that the card gives entry to the park, but you will have to pay separately).
And that's not all: with the Copenhagen Card, you can travel freely by train, bus, and metro around the city, as well as to and from the airport.
The card also offers discounts of tens of percent at restaurants, car dealerships, sho, s and various sites around the city.
For more information on the card visit the official website.
1/ Compared to other European city breaks, Copenhagen is expensive.
2/ Some museums have free entry on certain days. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek gallery is free on Tuesdays while the Museum of Copenhagen is free on Fridays.
3/ The Copenhagen Metro runs without a driver. It is recommended to sit in the front where a large window is exposed to the rail. Feel for a moment like a locomotive driver. A fascinating experience.
4/ In Copenhagen, tipping is not a tradition. People have gotten mad at me for doing so since the minimum wage is already quite high to begin with. Only do so if someone really did go above and beyond.
5/ Many words are hard to pronounce in Danish since there are a lot of silent letters. I recommend writing them down rather for people to read rather than trying to pronounce them yourselves.
6/ If you want to do some shopping It is worth knowing that the shops in Copenhagen close in the early afternoon, between 17:00 and 18:00. The same is true in a large number of shopping centers.
My experience in Copenhagen was amazing during Christmas time.
It was my first visit but I'm sure not the last.
Yes, it's colder compared to summer and it can be rainy or even snowy, but the atmosphere is something else. Especially at Christmas time with all the colors and decorations on every corner of the street and the lovely Tivoli Gardens.
For those who visit Copenhagen in the summer, I highly recommend coming to Copenhagen in winter, because it always has something to see and each experience is different in itself.
Christmas in Copenhagen will be remembered for me as one of the most impressive, interesting and fun experiences I have had.
Enjoy from Copenhagen at Christmas :)
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