Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen

Maybe Balamory really does exist!

From coffee to Hans Christian Andersen, Denmark is a diverse country with so much to offer. The beating heart of this nation is Copenhagen; a city of freshly baked goods in the morning accompanied by crushed up coffee beans, a city of cycling leisurely on pastel coloured bikes, a city which is stress free. So what's their secret? How is a country which suffers long, dark nights and (to be quite frank) extortionately priced hot drinks, able to accommodate such a care free population? One word: Hygge. But what is hygge you may ask?

hygge /ˈh(j)uːɡə,ˈhʊɡə/ 'a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being'

Danish culture is arguably defined by this characteristic and it was right up my street. Cosiness, comfort and contentment? Yes please!

Nyhavn

We arrived at our perfectly located Airbnb in Frederiksberg, which was only a short tram ride away from Nyhavn. Whenever Copenhagen is advertised, it's Nyhavn which is promoted as it has Balamory style buildings painted down the side of the river. This was our first stop and as we wandered down we found Paper Island which boasted street food and the perfect spot to watch the sun set. This became our regular eatery as there was such a variety of scrumptious meals. Unfortunately, I've since heard that Paper Island has been shut but there are plenty of similar spots across the river with bars that you can relax at (there really is something calming about being by the water)!

Have you ever seen someone so happy to find a curry?

Nyhavn was also the place to get boat tours so we decided to hop on one and find out a little more about the history of this gorgeous city. A highlight was being taken past the famous Little Mermaid statue, a sculpture which has been subjected to two decapitations and had an arm sawed off (clearly the people of Copenhagen have it in for her)!

Writing a wish and putting it on a tree on Paper Island

We also stumbled across an amazing spiralled Church, the Church of our Saviour, which we climbed to the top of. It was a steep ascent but worth it for the panoramic view of the city. Being such a striking structure, we were grateful to have found it amongst the numerous side streets around Nyhavn. Next up, though, Tivoli.

The view from the Church of Our Saviour

Tivoli

You could spend days just walking around Copenhagen but we managed to limit ourselves to just a morning. We were casually making our way towards Tivoli and it was great not to be rushing. However, when we arrived I wished we'd got there sooner. An amusement park come pleasure garden, Tivoli Gardens is a real treat. Roller-coasters whizzed above our heads as we pulled back willows and hopped over lily pads. It was a beautiful area and we were lucky as it really wasn't too crowded when we visited.

Frederiksberg

It was a whistle stop tour so we wanted to see as much of Copenhagen as we could. Therefore, it was goodbye to Tivoli and onto Frederiksberg. We walked via the meatpacking district which is definitely worth a look if you can fit it in. After some grub at another street market, we found ourselves at Frederiksberg Gardens. These are so stunning but we were lured in by the zoo (because when have I ever been able to resist a zoo)!?

They've got the right idea out here!

Now, I wasn't expecting anything out of the ordinary, but this zoo was hands down the best I've ever visited. With huge enclosures to roam, I felt the animals were genuinely being cared for as well as they could when in captivity. They had tigers, a polar bear, lion cubs and a baby hippo which danced in the water as we stood, wide eyed looking through the glass. I was in my element and it really was the perfect way to finish our day.

Malmo

Sweden

Copenhagen went above and beyond all expectations and I think that is partly due to me not really having any before arriving. The actual reason I chose to go here was because my Dad and I had fallen in love with the Scandinavian series, The Bridge (or Broen in Swedish). The premise of the programme is a killing that takes place on the bridge between Denmark and Sweden, therefore police from both countries get involved in hunting down the murderer. We found it compelling and for my Dad's birthday I had the idea of taking him to this bridge. That's why I booked Copenhagen and that is why on our last day we got a train over to Malmo.

Flying across the sea and staring out the window at a landscape we'd seen so many times on TV was priceless and we were shocked at how much we liked Malmo. We soaked in the city as much as we could and stood in awe under the turning torso, the tallest building in Scandinavia which is regarded as the first ever twisted sky scraper in the world! As we approached a known viewing point for the bridge, we saw children jumping of makeshift diving boards into the sea. If we'd been there longer we'd definitely have joined in!

It made me feel dizzy just looking at it!

We did almost miss our flight home as the train back to Denmark broke down but after some serious running, extreme panting and desperate pleading with the flight attendants, we were allowed on the plane. Not that I'd have minded staying longer!

Copenhagen was such an unexpected triumph and it didn't take long for me to decide it was my favourite European city. Budapest is now the only other city that's a contender for my personal #1 spot but Copenhagen will forever remind me of happy times!