Copenhagen in a word is Hygge!

Denmark is like a warm, friendly blanket to me. The word ‘Hygge’ is hard to translate, but essentially it means warm + cozy along with a true sense of contentment.   That is how I feel with every visit to Copenhagen.

In full disclosure, the country of Demark is where my mother was born, so visiting here does give me that sense of contentment associated with coming home.

The residents here are extremely friendly and helpful and most Dane’s speak excellent English. My Danish accent gave a few of them a quick smile but hey, I was years out of practice. JTivoli Gardens is the world’s second oldest amusement park!

Copenhagen is a very informal city with many cobblestoned streets and colorful houses.

Danes love the color red, even for their varied window displays such as found here.

Below is a photo taken at the poetic ‘Nyhavn’ area of Copenhagen. It truly is one of most picturesque areas of Copenhagen. Probably the most photographed area as well….

The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen’s most famous tourist landmark. This is one instance where size matters…

The little mermaid is approximately a 15-20 minute walk along the water from Nyhavn, however when you finally get to see her, the Little Mermaid is terribly tiny.

Many tourists are quite disappointed when they come to view the Little Mermaid. And then there are the several times she’s had her head chopped off…

(FYI, this photo used a telephoto lens…)

Biking is a way of life here. They are serious about it! This is a country where a majority of the residents cycle as their primary mode of transportation. Pretty cool!

Just wandering through the streets can be satisfying. Denmark is a country that excels in Design and the architecture is varied here.

For interior design, do visit the store ‘Illums Bolighus’ on ‘Stroget’ (the Walking Street). There you will find several floors of the latest Scandinavian and modern interior design. I love wandering through all departments – housewares, furniture, lighting and clothing. Copenhagen is expensive, however I have yet to leave ‘Illums’ without some small purchase.

Visit Georg Jensen as well to view some of the world’s best silver designs. Now, if only I could afford a purchase here…..

Next door to “llums” is the world famous Royal Copenhagen china store. The blue china here is legendary!

The Scandinavian’s are some the world’s best furniture designers and I can never resist ogling Danish furniture pieces.

Oh, and don’t forget to try the Danish open-faced sandwiches- Smørrebrød!  Below are some photos from Aamanns – Øster Farimagsgade 10, 2100 København.

Or try Smørrebrød from the Royal Smushi Café on the walking street next to the Royal Copenhagen china store.

For an incredible circular view of the city, go to the top the Round Tower (Rundetaarn) for a small fee. I’m not partial to heights but it was so worth viewing Copenhagen from here.

At the end of the day of walking, Copenhagen offers plenty of areas of respite. Here you find me relaxing at gardens of the Danish Museum of Art and Design after a long day of walking Copenhagen.

 

Enjoy your visit to this wonderful and friendly city of Copenhagen!

It is truly Hygge!