Copenhagen- The City of Spires

I’ve always loved a city break, but after becoming a mum, the idea of a navigating a city with young children, especially a city I wasn’t familiar with, was not something that appealed. As my girls got older, we starting tagging cities on to the start or end of our beach holidays, just to test the water. With these being a success, we recently went on our first city break, no beaches or pools in sight, just 3 fun filled days in Copenhagen. We chose Copenhagen due to the short flight time from the UK, the short train ride from airport to city (15 minutes), and the fact that you can walk around the city easily, without having to get on and off public transport. All important factors when travelling with children.

Hotel

We booked a hotel suitable for a family, close to the train station, and within walking distance of all the sights – Go Hotel Ansgar fit the bill perfectly. 2 minutes’ walk from the train station, a large family room for 4, a small fridge for drinks and snacks, free WiFi (very important for the tween) and a bathroom with underfloor heating! And reasonably priced for a Scandinavian capital city!

City Cruise

We had pre booked a sightseeing cruise for our first morning – I always find this is a great first thing to do, to get your bearings and get an overview of the city. The 1 hour cruise across the canals and harbour, passed many of the city’s main attractions – the Little Mermaid Statue, the Amalienborg Palace, the Opera House, the neighbourhood of Christianshavn and of course the picture perfect Nyhavyn. All of the family enjoyed seeing the sights, and even though it was cold on board, the guide was very knowledgeable, and kept us entertained throughout.

Changing of the Guard

Every day at 11.30am, the Danish Royal Guard march from Rosenborg Castle to Amalienborg Palace, for the ceremony, arriving at the Palace at midday. This lasted at least 20 minutes, and we enjoyed watching it so much we went back the next day (I think my daughters were hoping for a glimpse of the Queen). The guards march right through the crowds numerous times (aided by police officers paving the way), and you’re able to follow them around the square too.

Spires

I love a climb up a tower when we visit places, being able to see somewhere from high up puts a different perspective on things, and in Copenhagen, we climbed up 3! The best experience was the stairway to the top of Our Saviour’s Church in the Christianshavn district. It’s not one for the fainthearted as the last 150 steps are outside, spiralling around the tower until they become too narrow to go any higher! It’s a case of 1 person at a time, and only if you’re feeling brave. We also climbed the iconic Rundetaarn (Round Tower), and the Tarnet (The Christiansborg Tower), both very different experiences, and both with great views from the top.

Shopping

You cant go to Copenhagen without a visit (or 3 in our case!) to Flying Tiger. Bigger and better than their UK counterparts, my girls had lots of fun browsing the stores and buying a few gifts. There’s also the flagship Magasin Du Nord department store, a beautiful building in its own right, and of course with just as beautiful clothes insides!

Food

You won’t go hungry in Copenhagen. From fancy restaurants, global food chains, pavement cafes to street stalls, it has it all! Part of the experience of travelling is trying the local food. I’m fully aware this is sometimes tricky as a young family (between us we have 2 veggies, a meat eater and a picky eater) so I always do some research beforehand. If you want to do as the locals do, I’d recommend the organic hotdog stand, DØP, beneath the Round Tower. Here, we sampled both meat and veggie traditional hotdogs, that all the family tried. And of course no visit to Copenhagen is complete without finding a table on Nyhavn for some food and drink. As it was winter, we chose some warm churros, but the choice is plentiful along the front, and it makes for a good stop to watch the world go by.

I think it’s fair to say we enjoyed our time in Copenhagen, and I haven’t even touched on the ice skating, the Light Festival, or of course our walk to see the Little Mermaid (small but worth it!). So if you’re looking for your next adventure with the children, please get in touch and I can make your city break dreams come true.