[trip style = urban]
As soon as I arrived in Copenhagen, I noticed the bicycles—hundreds of them leaned up against fences, seemingly free from cumbersome locks. I wondered: does no one lock their bike because of the sheer volume of bikes in the city? Have I stumbled upon the safest and friendliest city in the world, where people don't just greet you with a single "Hi" but with a twice-as-nice "Hi hi"?
Upon closer inspection, I noticed a small round lock built into the frame above the rear wheel. This genius device allows Copenhageners to park their bikes anywhere, so it's not uncommon to constantly step around bikes perched on the sidewalk in front of shops.
All their cycling must make the healthy, beautiful and fashion-forward locals hungry, so it's a good thing they live in a city known for its food. Last week I covered where to drink and shop and today I'll recommend what to eat and do. I already can't wait to go back for more than a weekend; perhaps in the winter if only to verify that the Danes really do ride their bikes in the snow like they say they do.
Eat
Copenhagen is the epicenter of New Nordic cuisine, and their most hallowed ground is Noma, recently named the best restaurant in the world for the third consecutive year. At this prix-fixe restaurant, fine dining meets foraging and you have to call months ahead to get a table. If you haven't planned ahead, or reindeer moss and sea urchin toast isn't your thing, try one of the city's other adventurous restaurants—Radio, Relae, Geist, Host—whose chefs often come from Noma.
Trip Styler Tip: Copenhageners eat on the early side, so expect most restaurants to stop serving food between 9-10pm.
Torvehallerne
Try traditional Danish foods like smørrebrød {open-faced sandwiches}, pickled herring and rye bread, or go for modern options like cold-pressed juice, pour-over coffee and a Paleo omelette wrap at Torvehallerne, Copenhagen's vibrant market hall. More than 60 shops and food stands crowd the upscale market complex, made up of modern glass sheds on a cobblestone square. Prefer organic food? You're in the right place; Copenhagen is Europe's largest consumer of organic produce.
Trip Styler Tip: Expect everything to cost 1.5-2x as much as you're accustomed to at home.
Grød
Porridge probably isn't the first food that comes to mind when you think about eating out. But this porridge is less Orange is the New Black and more gourmet comfort food. Their goal is to redefine the concept of porridge and prove that it can be delicious, healthy and cheap. Porridge options include oatmeal with dulce de leche, apple and toasted almond for breakfast; risotto with tomato, parmesan and basil for lunch; and congee with chicken, ginger, peanuts and scallions for dinner. This is the type of restaurant I wish I had in my own neighborhood. Get ready New York—Grød is coming for you in 2015.
Do
Superkilen
A kilometer-long park in Copenhagen's Nørrebro neighbourhood, Superkilen's design was a collaboration between Danish architects Bjarke Ingels Group, art group Superflex and Berlin landscape architects Topotek1. Three zones—red, black and green {shown above}—form the urban park, which was created to unify a socially and ethnically diverse community. This park was the most pleasant surprise of my trip {and only a 10-minute walk from Jaegersborggade, one of the hippest streets in Copenhagen and home to Grød and The Coffee Collective}.
Christianshavn on two wheels
If you're brave enough to ride alongside the locals, rent a bike and cross the bridge from Copenhagen K {downtown} to Christianshavn and begin your cycle tour in "freetown" Christiania, founded in the early 70s as an alternative society with its own set of rules. In an episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown, he called it a "well-established enclave of hippie anarchist squatters [which] sounds about as attractive as being sentenced to life at a Phish concert." Ride past creative ramshackle homes, galleries and world-famous Pusher Street a.k.a. the green light district.
From Christiania, ride along the water to the Copenhagen Opera House, a striking glass and steel building that locals—and apparently architect Henning Larsen himself—call the toaster. Stop at nearby Paper Island for coffee or lunch before finishing at Church of Our Saviour, where for a small fee you can climb 400 steps to its corkscrew spire for the best view in town.
On my next visit, I plan to visit Tivoli, the second-oldest amusement park in the world, which is said to have inspired Walt Disney's vision for Disneyland, as well as Ordrupgaard Museum and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
Related
Spotlight :: Copenhagen {Part 1}
Jetset Style :: Scandinavia-Inspired Jackets
[images by @heatherlovesit & @graceyvr except top-right torvehallerne images via food republic and bottom-left superkilen image via superflex]
