Copenhagen (Danish: København) is the capital city of Denmark and forms the moderate conurbation that one million Danes call home. It is big enough to form a small Danish metropolis, with shopping, culture and nightlife par excellence, yet small enough still to feel intimate and be safe. Although mixed in its urban scene, the city is easy to navigate. Overlooking the Øresund Strait, connected to Sweden by a 15-km bridge-tunnel. Copenhagen serves as a cultural and geographic link between the Nordic countries and central Europe.
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If you had dropped by Copenhagen in the 11th century CE, you would have found yourself looking over a small fishing hamlet, with some lazy cattle gazing back at you while chewing fresh green grass from the meadows around the village. Looking east you would see a host of small islets protecting the small fishing harbour from harsh weather — not the worst place to found a city.
Copenhagen has an extensive, yet sometimes complicated and hard to crack, public transport network. Once you get your bearings, however, you will find it a very comfortable way to get around and explore the city. Copenhagen Central Station (Københavns Hovedbanegård in Danish) is a primary interchange for intercity trains, regional trains, local trains, metro and buses. Nørreport Station is a secondary interchange for regional trains, local trains, metro and buses.
Individual listings can be found in Copenhagen's district articles Entrance to many museums is free once a week, mainly on Wednesdays. You can always count on the principal attractions to be well signed in English (often German also) and for these places to be generally geared towards tourists. A good tip to see whether a smaller museum caters to non-Danish speakers is to check whether the website has an English section. If it does, this usually means the museum has at least some English information throughout its exhibitions. Of course, if you have some interest in a particular subject, such museums can be interesting even if you don't understand the sign-postings.
In the inner harbour, water quality has improved so much that it is possible to go for a swim from early June to late August in one of the two harbour baths: Copencabana on Vesterbro or Havnebadet at Island Brygge on Amager. When it is sunny these are packed with people from all walks of life enjoying the sunshine and taking a dip. The municipal administration has put a lot of money and effort into the facilities and this is an excellent opportunity for blending with the locals at their best. If you fancy a proper beach, the closest are those at Svanemøllen Strand, Charlottenlund Fort in Charlottenlund and Amager Strandpark (The Lagoon), on Amager near the Lergravsparken metro station.
Individual listings can be found in Copenhagen's district articles If your budget doesn't allow for regular dining at expensive Michelin restaurants, don't despair — there are plenty of other options. The cheapest are the many shawarma and pizza joints that you find on almost every street in the city. You can get a shawarma for as little as kr 15-20 and pizzas start at around DKK 40. You can opt for take away or sit at the one or two tables that are usually available. The cheapest places can be found around Istedgade on Vesterbro and Nørrebrogade on Nørrebro. For affordable and delicious pita kebab, try Ahaaa on Blågårds Plads, or Boys Shawarma & Is for dürüm kebab on Nørrebrogade 216.
A large beer costs kr 40-50 or so at most places in central Copenhagen, but some charge only kr 20–30, especially on weekdays or at happy hour. Unless you come from elsewhere in Scandinavia do not frighten yourself by trying to work out what this costs in your home currency. At most places the beer on tap is either Carlsberg or Tuborg. In either case there will be a choice of the normal pilsner and then a slightly redder special or classic. Some might also offer wheat or dark beer. If you are on a budget you could follow the example of local teenagers and get primed with bottled beer from a supermarket or kiosk (kr 3-7 for a 330 ml bottle).
As elsewhere in Europe and Denmark dial 112 for emergencies, and 114 for non-emergencies relating to the police. Copenhagen is one of the safest cities in the world; locals make sure you have a good time and the police are respectful and helpful. Crime against strangers is mostly non-violent, such as pickpocketing and petty theft; take precautions around busy tourist attractions and in train stations. Though gang-related conflicts are nowhere nearly as prevalent as in other parts of Europe (e.g. neighbouring Malmö), extra precaution is advised in the neighbourhood of Nørrebro and in the western suburbs.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Copenhagen typically sees ~21°C daytime highs and 15 rainy days.
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