It’s now the peak of hygge season, which is also a time for reflection. I went back to Copenhagen earlier this year, for the first time in 10 years. My recent trip to Copenhagen was a very slow-paced, relaxed trip where I went with the flow the whole time. I did a lot of people watching…and just soaking up the atmosphere. So I journaled and made notes of things that I noticed and found interesting. I thought it would be nice to share them in a blog post. Here are my observations, focusing on what to know before visiting Copenhagen.
1. Copenhagen is a Healthy City
I couldn’t help but notice that people are up very early. I went out early at 7:00am to capture photos of Nyhavn before the tourist crowds started. Even though the temperature was around zero, groups of locals were out running along the waterfront and through residential streets. It wasn’t just a few groups…it felt like half the city was out getting their morning jog before work. I really admired this and couldn’t help but smile. You can tell that it’s not performative wellness; it’s genuinely just considered a normal part of their culture to be healthy. I wish England was more like this!
Denmark always ranks high in global health and wellbeing reports, and I think Copenhagen makes it easy to live well. I noticed organic food everywhere, and I could taste the freshness of the ingredients in everything I ate.
2. Copenhagen is a Bike Friendly City
It reminds me of Amsterdam, where it feels like everyone cycles. You will see bikes piled up outside buildings and also many people cycling on the road. There are probably just as many bikes as cars. I accidentally walked in the cycle lane and held up a few bikes until they rang their bells. Many locals use “cargo” bikes (the ones with the little wooden cart at the front where children sit wrapped in blankets). It’s honestly one of the cutest things to see! You’ll see parents cycling their kids in the cart to nursery or school, even in freezing temperatures. Also, on the topic of children, I noticed how “hands on” Danish men are with their kids. You regularly see men cycling with children in the front cart, walking toddlers, or managing multiple kids solo. I’ve been to many countries and never noticed men being that “hands on” when it comes to children.
3. The Coffee Culture Is Elite
I don’t know what they’re putting in their hot drinks, but Copenhagen’s coffee (and matcha) is genuinely top tier. I didn’t think anywhere could compete with Greece or Italy when it came to coffee in Europe, but Denmark surprised me. Drinks taste clean, smooth, and balanced. Not overly sweet. Not burnt. Just high quality.
4. Everyone Is Naturally Stylish (and Neutral)
This is something you notice quickly… people in Copenhagen are effortlessly put together. The fashion is minimalist and neutral colours; people tend to wear black, beige, brown, and khaki. I genuinely didn’t see locals wearing any other colours. My bright pink puffer coat definitely stood out, but I would be lying if I said that it wasn’t an intentional choice. Layering also seems to be key in Danish fashion. People wear oversized coats, baggy trousers, and chunky scarves. It makes sense because while it’s freezing outside, it’s extremely hot indoors. The buildings are heavily heated during the winter, so you often feel really hot within 10 minutes of being indoors.
Tip: Wear layers you can easily remove, as you’ll be constantly adjusting between outdoor and indoor temperatures.
5. People are Friendly but Reserved
Danes are polite and friendly when you speak to them. But they’re also reserved. People don’t seem to speak to strangers unless they absolutely have to. On the metro, some carriages have two seats facing each other. I noticed that instead of sitting directly opposite someone, most people turned sideways, which I assume was probably to avoid eye contact. This made me laugh internally, because as an introvert I felt like I had found “my people” behaviour wise in Denmark. Customer service is also different from the UK. Staff won’t really check in on people; if you want something, you have to approach them. At first I wondered if it was just a tourist thing, but locals seemed to receive the same type of service from what I saw.
6. It’s Not as Expensive as You Expect
Copenhagen has a reputation for being expensive, but with the ridiculous levels of inflation over the last few years in England…London prices pretty much mirror Scandinavian countries. I first visited Copenhagen ten years ago and distinctly remember paying around £3 for a street hotdog. Now it’s around £4. That really isn’t much of an increase over the space of 10 years. The only thing that seemed to be very expensive in comparison to England was clothes. Most things are made with natural materials (wool, cotton, linen), so those always come with a higher price tag….but I was not expecting the prices I saw. A basic plain cotton non-designer t-shirt is around £25, and I can get the same thing for around £10 each in England. I saw jeans in Copenhagen for £100 as well.
7. Slow Service Is Normal
Service is almost always slow… but not in a chaotic way. Just in a minimalist staffing way. You might see a large restaurant near a major tourist attraction with 15–20 tables, but only one or two waiters and one bar staff member. This is how it was everywhere I went. The waiters are never in a rush, either, and they won’t rush you out, which I kind of liked.
Tip: Don’t expect fast service; if you need something, politely flag down staff rather than waiting.
8. The Danish and English languages are Similar.
I found it interesting how many Danish words sound familiar to English speakers. People greet each other with “hi” and “hey.” “Godmorgen” (good morning) sounds surprisingly similar to English. That’s probably because Danish and English both belong to the Germanic language family, so they share linguistic roots. But most scandinavian people are fluent in English, whereas we struggle to speak their languages. While some words can be similar, the pronunciation is very different, and Danish is a very “guttural” sounding language.
9. The Metro Is Efficient (and Slightly Intense)
Copenhagen’s metro system is modern and driverless. The trains operate automatically, and doors close quickly…very quickly. I think the doors are on a timer, so people rush off fast. I even saw someone physically pull the doors back open as they tried to shut before he could get off. This kind of worried me, so I made sure to always stand by the door whenever I took the metro. Bikes are allowed on the metro, but you need to buy specific bike ticket to bring one on board. It makes sense in a city where cycling is central to daily life.
Tip: If you’re travelling with a bike, make sure to buy a separate bike ticket to avoid fines.
10. Copenhagen Airport Was… Interesting
One thing that genuinely surprised me was seeing passengers walking with dogs past security in the airport. It’s not something you commonly see, and I’ve never seen it before in any country. Many people were staring at the people carrying dogs, so I think other tourists might have been a bit shocked to see this too. I saw a really cute poodle looking dog trotting through duty-free with its owner. So cute!
Terminal 2 felt chaotic. Extremely crowded. People were sitting on the floor because there weren’t enough seats. Arrival and departure areas also overlap heavily, which adds to the congestion. I even got a bit confused on arrival in Copenhagen and accidentally went in the wrong direction when looking for the arrivals passport control. I also saw a few other people from my flight looking around, confused. The airport was probably the only part of my trip that wasn’t really giving hygge. It’s interesting because I remember Copenhagen airport being very quiet when I flew out of it around 10 years ago. Maybe I flew in/out of a different terminal?
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