Copenhagen, Denmark

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Here we go, the first city! Why in Denmark of all places? Why not?! It's not as popular as the rest of Europe, but who doesn't love danishes and Legoland?! Those are the only two Danish stereotypes I know, so let's actually get to explore the capital and largest city of Denmark; Copenhagen.

This was an interesting city to do because I realized that I myself don't know as much about Copenhagen as I would have liked to, but that made the experience all the more fun. The city is located on the eastern shore of the island Zealand (nothing to do with New Zealand) which is the largest island in Denmark. Even though it's on an island, the gap between lands isn't large enough to make you feel stranded or anything. In fact the distance between Copenhagen and mainland Sweden is only a little over 10 kilometers, which is short enough for a bridge. And wouldn't you know it, there is a bridge: The Oresund bridge- which is also combined with a tunnel. Near the Danish side, the road goes in a tunnel under the water, then comes out on a small island and goes over the bridge to the Swedish side. It's pretty cool.

But why would you wanna take that bridge if you're in such a happy city? After all, Denmark is known as the happiest country in the world, ranking in the top 3 of the World Happiness Report every year, even being number one in 2016. That happiness comes from its people. And what makes Copenhagen so special that people are so happy? Well the city is a huge believer of green energy, with the aim being to eliminate all carbon use by 2025! Sounds extremely out of reach, but not so much when you consider that around 62% of the population commute by bikes already. There are more bikes in the city than there are people, let alone cars, which is a big part of why Copenhagen is often considered the greenest city in the world. In fact you probably won't find a more bike friendly city in the world. People in Copenhagen bike an average 3 kilometers a day, and there is about 375 kilometers of cycling tracks in the city, and they even have traffic lights catered to cyclists. I guess that's why the city is so happy!

Part of what shapes any lifestyle though is food. So what is some traditional Copenhagen food that anyone visiting has to try? Let's get the easy one out of the way and quickly mention the danish. Interestingly enough, the origin of the danish was inspired by Austrian bakers who came to Denmark during the mid 1800's. Danes simply added some egg, fat, and other personal ingredients to create the danish we know and love today. Apart from that though, Copenhagen has some interesting foods to try with historic backgrounds. Sausages are pretty popular in Europe, and Copenhagen is no exception. Since the 1900's, Copenhagen has had sausage wagons (know as pølsevogn in Danish) that serve all types of sausages that are presented similar to a hot dog. It's a perfect snack on the go! There's also the Smørrebrød, which is an open-faced sandwich that started out as a farmer's lunch several years ago. Today it's a traditional Danish dish commonly eaten for lunch and is typically made with rye bread, fish (or meat), vegetables such as onion and cucumber, and sauces. Being on the coast makes seafood- especially herring and salmon- a common choice of food in the city too.

But the coast isn't only an inspiration to the food. Being a nearly entirely flat city, Copenhagen has a few canals built that makes the city riddled with tiny boats. The most famous canal is Nyhavn, a colorful waterfront and entertainment district that has existed since the 17th century. It is famous for many reasons, one being a representation of the colorful yet elegant architecture of Copenhagen. The entire waterfront comprises of houses painted red, yellow, blue, and other bright and lively colors. Another reason for Nyhavn's popularity is that famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived in the 67th house of the waterfront for a while, and is where he wrote some of his most famous pieces like "The Ugly Duckling" and "The Little Mermaid."

That second piece is what inspired the creation of Copenhagen's most famous attraction: the statue of the Little Mermaid. Unveiled in 1913, this small statue is located on a small rock on the waterside of the Langelinie promenade and is a popular symbol of the entire city. I can agree with this because this is the first thing that popped in my head when I thought about Copenhagen. It may be small, but it has a huge significance for attracting tourists to Copenhagen, and Denmark as a whole. All you Disney fans may be compelled to start singing "Part of Your World" when seeing it, as the Disney character is perched up on a rock just like the statue.

Speaking of Disney, did you know a big inspiration for Walt Disney's amusement parks came from Copenhagen? That inspiration was the Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest and busiest amusement parks in the world! The park opened in 1843 and has remained relevant since, being one of the 5 most visited parks in Europe, moving up to third if you don't count the Disney parks. Walt Disney visited the park in 1951 and took notes, writing about the seats, food, gardens, and other details he found important. Four years later, Disneyland was opened. Tivoli Gardens most famous rides include the parks' only 4 coasters: The Caravan, The Demon, The Odin Express, and The Roller Coaster (wow, how original), as well as the Vertigo, which is a giant swing, and the Star Flyer, a sky flyer.

So after looking more into Copenhagen, I gotta say, this city impressed me. First there's the easily admirable fact that this city is always near the top when it comes to being the happiest and greenest in the world. Any biker would love it here, as would anyone who likes a more outdoors type of life. Walking through the city is easy to do, especially when it's so clean and has such colorful architecture to look at. The history here may not be as famous as other parts of Europe, but that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. I had no idea just how big an impact H.C. Andersen had on this city, inspiring statues, buildings, street names, and even amusement park rides. It's also interesting to see the connections Disney has to this city, having films based off Andersen's work (did you know Frozen was loosely based on the fairytale called "The Snow Queen"?) and taking inspiration from Tivoli Gardens for Disney amusement parks. Overall, I'd say this was a good first city to look at, and I hope this caused Copenhagen to be in some of your future travel plans.