A LONG WEEKEND IN COPENHAGEN
BY PIP SARGENT
It might not be the first place you’d think of for a weekend break,
but Copenhagen has been on my hit list for an age. Snapping up
the opportunity while still basking in a heatwave, we headed for
the Danish capital as a family of four, determined to conquer the
cycling lanes and find out why Denmark is consistently rated one
of the happiest countries in the world.
Avoiding the usual tourist traps, we rented an apartment in the
Osterbro district close to the lakes, a quieter but still hip suburb next
to the better known Norrebro area with its bars, cafes and creative
vibe, both an easy cycle ride to the main city sights.
In fact, everything is an easy cycle ride. Copenhagen, like most of
Denmark, is flat and two wheels rule, with dedicated cycling lanes
and a right of way that means if you’re motorised, you take a back
seat. Even for a dubious city biker, this was a breeze. Bike hire
shops perch on every corner so you don’t have to book ahead and
navigation-by-app is easy. Cargo bikes scoop kids or even full sized
adults in their front fixed baskets in a myriad of sometime precarious
designs, but offered a fun way to travel for our cycle-shy 8-year old;
less so for our legs.
But cycling is not the only way to see the city. A boat trip around the
city’s many waterways is a treat. We hired a GoBoat; solar powered
eight-seater self-steer dingies allow you to set your own pace for a
couple of hours. Taking a picnic and swimwear, you can see the sights
and stop off for a dip along the way.
Communal outdoor swimming is an everyday venture here, a pastime
embraced by the municipal facilities with harbour dips across the
city. The most popular is Islands Brugge, where lifeguards look on
all day as the 6m high jumping in structure beckons the brave. But
we preferred the Nordhavn (North Harbour) in the shadows on the
mammoth UN HQ. Though no bars and cafes, its freshly designed
environment and more laid back appeal gives it status as a top diving
hangout for the city’s young and beautiful.
Christiana is the alternative side of Copenhagen. A community of
its own, the neighbourhood has its own unique vibrant feel, with
brightly painted houses, art and music. Here you can find trinkets
and great street food – try the established co-operative Morgenstedet
for a simple vegetarian, organic and raw food menu, which changes
daily depending on the chef on duty.
Hygge has no direct translation but it’s not far from the cosy feeling
of curling up with a hot drink or warm exchanges with a friend –
or someone you’ve just met – to cushion you from life’s knocks; a
more zen version of the Irish craic. The Danes are big on sticking
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to the agreed way of doing things, but laid back about other stuff.
Liberal views about personal choice mean anything goes, but you’d
be pushing it if you did the recycling wrong.
But the Hygge philosophy reaches all corners of life. Stay in work
after 4 and you’re considered weird and you’re more likely to find
‘social cake afternoons’ in the work