Copenhagen on a Budget

Heading to Copenhagen? While most of Europe is budget-friendly these days due to the strong dollar, the Danish krone is holding its own, which means strategic planning may be needed to get the most bang for your buck. EDGE offers a broad range of tips to help navigate this spectacular city without breaking the bank.

To get your bearings join a local guide for a free walking tour of central Copenhagen. There is a choice of tours from a three hour guided walk starting on the steps of the City Hall and finishing near the Royal Palace (Amalienborg Palace) to a shorter 90-minute orientation from Christianshavn to the entrance of Christiania.

To see the city from a completely different viewpoint take to the air for an overview of the city from the top of the 17th century Round Tower, and step out on to the outdoor viewing platform that encircles observatory for a panoramic view of the old town. The admission fee is only $4. Alternatively, peer down on parliament from the top of T�rnet, Copenhagen's tallest tower at the Christiansborg Palace. A visit is free and on a clear day you can see as far as Sweden.

A Copenhagen card is an inexpensive way to explore the city providing free admission to more than 70 museums and attractions, like world famous Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art which houses a permanent art collection of over 3,500 contemporary pieces as well as six to ten special international exhibitions each year. The Copenhagen card also provides discounts on restaurants and free public transport by bus, train, harbor bus and Metro, as well as the DFDS canal cruise from Gl. Strand for a tour of the canals.

The city is relatively compact and it's easy to navigate on foot to take in the free sites such as The Little Mermaid, Christiania, Nyhavn, B�rsen (the beautiful old Stock Exchange building) and The Botanical Garden. There are numerous public parks to enjoy on a warm afternoon with huge and colorful flower beds at Rosenborg Castle in the Kings' Garden. Or seek out the final resting place of famous Danes, such as fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen and the philosopher S�ren Kierkegaard in the tranquility of Assistens Cemetery in N�rrebro.

A Wintery Escape

Winters in Denmark are chilly but if you're a true Viking the cold won't stop you from exploring Copenhagen's harbor baths. Winter bathing is getting quite popular in Denmark and the lovely waterfront area at Islands Brygge, designed by superstar architect Bjarke Ingels, is excellent for winter bathing. If you go by the metro, you can also try winter bathing at Badeanstalt Helgoland, beautifully located by Amager Strandpark, a 2.9 mile long white-sand beach on the island of Amager.

Every winter, Frederiksberg Runddel, by the entrance to Frederiksberg Garden, is transformed into a wonderful ice rink that allows you to have fun on the ice throughout the winter season. Also, Genforeningspladsen's outdoor ice skating rink in Northwest Copenhagen is Northern Europe's largest artificial ice rink and �stre ice skating rink is a new indoor rink on �sterbro in Copenhagen, offering fun and games on ice.

Alternatively the Copenhagen lakes are a popular urban hangout for families, couples and joggers and Dronning Louise's Bridge, with an average of 36,000 bikers a day crossing the bridge, is close to some of the best coffee shops such as Bevar's, Kaffesalonen, Caf� Front Page and Den Franske Caf� as well as some excellent vintage and second hand shops.

It's said there are more bikes than citizens in central Copenhagen and it's easy to rent a bike from any of the docking stations around the city. Then live like a local and use the extensive network of cycle paths, such as the 190 meter long Bryggebroen bridge (known as the Bike Snake) which links Havneholmen to the Islands Brygge. Also be sure to stop by at the beautiful new pedestrian Cirkelbroen (The Circle Bridge) which opened this summer to connect Christiansbro and Appelbys Plads. Designed by Danish-Islandic artist Olafur Eliasson this new architectural landmark consists of five differently sized circular platforms, each with its own mast, and it is from these circular platforms, the name of the bridge arises.

Best Bites

Despite the city's reputation for fine dining and as the epicenter for 'New Nordic Cuisine' it's still possible to find a range of reasonably priced restaurants catering to all tastes and budgets. A great example of this is the new Copenhagen Street Food concept, which opened in 2014 on Paper Island to serve imaginative, sustainable and cheap street food from all over the world at food trucks and stalls. More delicious street food can also be sampled each weekend throughout the summer at K�dbyens Food & Market in the city's Meatpacking District where up to 70 stalls serve diners at communal tables. Or take in the daily sights and sounds of the city's covered food market at Torvehallerne.

For a fine dining experience on a modest budget the city has 10 restaurants with Michelin's Bib Gourmand status. Also look out for a Cofoco restaurant. Standing for Copenhagen Food Consulting, there are currently 14 establishments across the city offering high quality and great value food with fixed price menus such as the new Nordic restaurant H�st or the South American restaurant Llama. Similarly, Madklubben offers a further eight high quality and very reasonably priced restaurants across the city.

For lighter bites the city's caf� culture offers a range of healthy and well-priced places to eat such as GR�D which specializes in porridge and has three shops in N�rrebro and central Copenhagen. Or stop for a Rye bread sandwich and coffee at Kompa' 9 on Str�det in central Copenhagen and pick up a simple plate of Mexican Tacos from a former Noma chef at Hija de Sanchez in Torvehallerne. There are plenty of bars and clubs with well-priced drinks in the Meatpacking District or head to Boutique Lize in Vesterbro where budget friendly cocktails are served from 16:00 to 22:00 and Dupong where bottled beers and cocktails are served at reasonable prices along with a free game of ping pong!

Getting There & Where to Stay

The budget friendly WakeUp Copenhagen offers two centrally located hotels by the famous Danish architect Kim Utzon which are both characterized by modern, minimalist yet supremely stylish and high quality modern design features.

For cool and reasonably priced accommodations head to the vibrant Vesterbro area and close to the trendy Meatpacking district where Urban House is the new kid on the block (opened March 2015) with a funky bike shop, tattoo shop, bar and restaurant.

Or check out Bedwood Hostel which recently opened in a beautiful old warehouse building in Nyhavn using recycled materials in as many places as possible. There's a bike shop and laundry as well as lockers and a self-service kitchen. Alternatively, the Generator Hostel in Copenhagen, part of the chain of European city center hostels, offers a lively and playful interior with a refurbed lobby reception area, bar, restaurant and petanque course.

Fly
Norwegian has direct flights from JFK/FLL/LAX/MCO to Copenhagen Airport (CPH). From the airport, take either the Metro (to Kongens Nytorv or N�rreport Station) or the train (to Copenhagen Central Station). Both take approximately 15 minutes and cost $5.50 (free with a Copenhagen Card).

Learn more at www.VisitDenmark.com and www.visitcopenhagen.com