Copenhagen

I arrived in Copenhagen, reached the city center, found my hostel — the cheapest in the city, but incredibly beautiful. I entered the doors, took the elevator to the 5th floor, walked down the corridor to my room, and threw my things on the bed in the spacious ten-person room.

Right away, I started studying Danish windows, whose opening and adjusting mechanism delighted me with its tactile feel, reminiscent of the “Lego” construction set, which, by the way, was also invented in Denmark.

After some time, it dawned on me: I didn’t approach the registration desk, didn’t show my passport to anyone, didn’t receive a room key, and didn’t ask for a paper with the Wi-Fi password.

“Welcome to a free country,” echoed in my mind.

Indeed, in Copenhagen, no one asked for my passport when checking into the hostel. And no key was given. I simply received an email with a code and instructions on how to find the assigned room and bed myself.

To be honest, this was the only such case: there is freedom in Europe, but I had never encountered freedom on this level.

When I told my friends about this incident, questions immediately started pouring in: “But what about security? Couldn’t any terrorist check into the hotel?”

“You clever things, come here and let me kiss you!” I replied.

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They say that Copenhagen is even more bicycle-friendly than Amsterdam.

Better adapted, perhaps, but there are still fewer bicycles here, although they are scattered throughout the city wherever possible.

But there is a whole drawbridge for cyclists here.

And they also love to transport children to kindergartens on bicycles. They say even the Crown Princess of Denmark has been spotted doing this.

Copenhagen is beautiful. The most famous place in the city is Nyhavn Street, where the old harbor is located.

Those colorful houses from postcards.

So many ships and boats are moored along the shores of Nyhavn that the windows are obscured by a forest of wooden masts.

At night.

Despite the first impression of bicycles and canal-side streets, Copenhagen is not much like Amsterdam. That’s essentially where the similarities end.

Amsterdam is adorned with canals, where every other street resembles Nyhavn. Copenhagen, on the other hand, begins and ends with it in this respect.

What does Copenhagen resemble then? It’s a bit like Amsterdam and quite a lot like Stockholm. Brick facades emerging from brick sidewalks, for example, are reminiscent of Amsterdam.

But the prominent spires on the city skyline are more reminiscent of Stockholm or Riga.

The streets.

A door of enchanting beauty.

An overgrown house somewhere in the center.

But what truly distinguishes a fully European city from one that only looks European (such as Riga or Budapest) is that if you enter an alleyway or an inner courtyard, you discover not hidden, decaying shanties kept away from tourists, but a whole separate world that you don’t want to leave.

Copenhagen has several places where you can see the city from a height. For example, there is an old round observatory with a breathtaking spiral staircase without steps — designed for easy transportation of heavy telescopes.

The tower is located almost in the center. I’ve been told about the countless green roofs of Copenhagen, but personally, I mainly saw red ones.

The only unusual spot on the horizon is the dome of the Frederik’s Church, executed in the Rococo style.

By the way, this is another observation deck. It offers a view of the city square and the royal palace. The ruling family lives and governs the country right here. No fences, restrictions — nothing. Complete panoramic view from above, unrestricted access to the square. And nobody spoofs your GPS to show Vnukovo Airport either.

More views of the city.

Finally, the third observation tower in Copenhagen is the absolutely amazing Church of Our Saviour, with a spiral staircase right on its spire!

From the tower — another view of the city. And another confirmation that it is best to travel around Copenhagen from a height. From these vantage points you see far more than in most cities.

Street in close-up.

Dome.

From this spire, you can see the most interesting district of the city, which deserves a separate story.

But before we head to Christiania — a neighborhood in Copenhagen that has proclaimed itself almost a separate state, where drugs are openly sold and authorities are not obeyed — let’s take a look at some city details.

Street signs.

A rugged Danish asphalt worker.

“I’m a jerk, I park my bike wherever I want.”

A kiosk that sells a favorite dessert in Denmark — pancakes filled with sliced banana and chocolate spread.

A sticker-clock on the windshield. The driver sets the time when parking the car. A brilliant and simple solution. You can’t cheat by setting the time ahead: there’s always a risk of being checked.

Very interesting, isn’t it? Well, now let’s go to Christiania.