Copenhagen, the most eco-friendly city in Europe

Art, music, food, culture, history and outdoor life between the channels and the venues of Copenhagen are presented at the best travel blog.There are many reasons to visit Copenhagen, my favorite city in the world. The capital of Denmark is a genuine and perfectly successful mix of modern and ancient in respect of the environment. It’s a cosmopolitan city, full of surprises and interesting things among the cobbled streets of the old town, easily explored on foot or by bike around, and every neighborhood has its own characteristics.

City of Copenhagen, Denmark
City of Copenhagen, Denmark

The port and the surrounding area in recent years are experiencing a renewal of architectural and logistics that are among the most advanced in the world. Here is the best place to start if you want to take an intense and fascinating tour of the city aboard a havnebus (yellow buses on the road), or sail with vandbus (water buses), or even jump on a boat of the many that ply the waterways of the “Venice of the North”. The cultural scene is vibrant; the city is rich in museums, galleries, theaters and outdoor concerts.

Central Copenhagen
Central Copenhagen

So, for the lovers of spectacular shows and plays, the only choice is to enter the new Copenhagen Opera House in the district of Holmen. The structure, designed by architect Henning Larsen and opened in 2005, is among the most modern in the world, with outstanding acoustics. Fully decorated inside, the Opera House also offers the opportunity to relax and enjoy a coffee or eat a good plate of the famous Danish cuisine in the cafeteria, which overlooks the waters of the North Sea. And that’s not the only thing. Holmen, with its colorful row houses, old stores and warehouses, represents the city and gives the area a unique charm. Here is the perfect place to enjoy the sunset overlooking the harbor and the cool air blowing on your face lightly.

Copenhagen OperaHouse
Copenhagen OperaHouse

As for music preachers, a tip is to not to even think of losing the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, which is held annually on the first ten days of July on various indoor and outdoor parks scattered throughout the city for all the people and includes the best jazz artists – and not only – among them, great artists of the international scene too. There are100 locations to accommodate some 1000 concerts and for that, JazzFest is the largest in Europe (counts 250 thousand visitors per year): a memorable musical experience that literally invades the city. A few steps away from the Nordatlantiske Brygge pier, just around the corner, is glimpsed in Pusher Street entrance a village that seems to come from the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen and the wooden sign above reads the inscription “Christiania”.

TiltShift City Scape Copenhagen
TiltShift City Scape Copenhagen

Well, it is an area unique in its kind, partially self-governing. A “free city”, fruit of the result of a social experiment, in the former military abandoned barracks, transformed into beautiful houses with colorful graffiti, all handmade. “Christiania” is home to some 800 residents organized into independent community. Walking through the trees and meadows of Christiania (founded in 1971 by a group of hippies) is an experience of the past, but at the same time a glimpse to the future.

Christiania
Christiania

People who love this kind of life and are curious about new experiences, just need to cross the threshold of Christiana and dive without too much delay and prejudice among the gardens to learn the spirit of the inhabitants. But they have to hurry: In recent years the village has lost its status as an alternative community and the Danish authorities are trying to shoot it down. A corner of the beach, where you can make all the sand castles you want and dive into water, has been recreated in the Holmbladsgade: a real park (Amager Strandpark) with the dunes, the lagoon and all that this seems to be on a white Mediterranean beach. Nearby, it is Nokken: a group of small houses built by the inhabitants along the docks, many with their own jetty for mooring boats.

Den Lille Havfrue, København - Little Mermaid, Copenhagen
Den Lille Havfrue, København – Little Mermaid, Copenhagen

If while you are in Copenhagen, you look around and see a building completely black, which seems to fall into the water, do not be afraid, indeed, visit it: it is the “Black Diamond”, the new wing of the Royal Library, a magnificent example of modern design architecture of the last century. Ah! Almost forgot… there is also the Little Mermaid statue – that of Andersen’s fairy tale and not the Disney cartoon – somewhere near the port. Photograph it, it will always remain in your memory while discovering Copenhagen!

By Alba V

Photo 1+2: felissy  Photo 3: IvanNaurholm – (+50K views – Thank you All) Photo 3 :  Lord_Gnome, Photo 4 : seier, Photo 5: Sir Francis Canker Photography ©

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