Guns & Butter: Copenhagen Travel Guide

Copenhagen Travel Guide is part of the Punxsutawney TPOL Trip Report.

TPOL’s Guns & Butter Travel Guide is the best way to see as much as you can in as little time as possible. Here’s how it works – A trip is composed of two factors: Labor And Lazy. The opportunity cost (what is given up) for relaxing and being Lazy is gained by being adventurous in the form of Labor and vice versa. The guide includes inefficient activities i.e., tourist traps that should be avoided and aspirational activities that are worth doing but may be impossible to see given the constraints of time and resources.

I have been all over northern Europe including Iceland, Sweden, and Finland. While I have not been to Norway, I can predict that it will not be as great as Denmark. Here’s why:

People

Like Madison, Wisconsin, Copenhagen has such nice people (see Guns & Butter: Madison, Wisconsin Travel Guide). Everyone is genuinely friendly and helpful. I found myself jealous of the happy citizens of the Kingdom of Denmark. Their life looked satisfying.

Sights

The city is beautiful and walking around is the best way to see it.

• Nyhavn
• Little Mermaid 

Tourist attraction it may be, but the walk to Little Mermaid is worth the effort. Should there be a pigeon on her, feel free to hurl a few rocks. Climbing on the monument is not allowed, bird.

• Amalienborg Palace 

This is the winter home of the monarchy.

Food

Is Copenhagen the food capital of the world? It is as impressive as Melbourne, Australia (see Guns & Butter: Melbourne Travel Guide). Here’s why:

• Street Hot Dogs: I loved them in Reykjavik and I love them here.
• Mussels: I paid the tourist premium for a meager portion of mussels in Nyhavn. But even if they weren’t endless like in Luxembourg (see Top to Bottom: Visiting Luxembourg City), they were delicious. And they came with a view.
• Thai: Like Melbourne, Copenhagen has cuisine from all over the world. I went to Khun Juk for some chicken coconut soup. The good news is that it was very good. The better news is that I finally was able to be rid of the Protos Gran Reserva (see Travel Lesson: Last Stop for Wine). And with a modest cork fee of 100 kronas ($15) when others were charged 5x?TPOL’s Tip: The address is Store Kongensgade 9, 1264.
• Punk Royale: The culinary experience of my life was Punk Royale (see Michelin Restaurant on Acid). Where else can everything and anything happen at dinner?

TPOL’s Tip: The address is Dronningens Tværgade 10, 1302.

Drink

I was never a big fan of Carlsberg but it grew on me. I have always been a fan of Tuborg and enjoyed many of those as well. By far the best beer was Grimbergen, also enjoyed at a premium because of the view.

Party

With only one night here, I needed to see what the party scene was like. Since the government declared Covid was over effective September 1st, 2021, the bars were full of friendly Danes looking to have a good time.

TPOL’s TIP: Don’t overlook the alcohol consumed at the 16 course Punk Royale. I learned this the day after.

TPOL’s Tip: Always get a burger if you do happen to consume like it’s the first time you’ve gone out in 17 months.

Avoid

Taking too many taxis. They are expensive. I also had an issue communicating with one driver. $20 later I ended up on the other side of the river. Luckily, there was a ferry to take me back across. I had another issue communicating with a taxi driver and ended up at the wrong Radisson, though alcohol might have been to blame for that one.

TPOL’s Tip: Euros are accepted on the ferry. Otherwise, you have to swim.

Stay

Copenhagen is expensive. The Radisson Blu Scandinavia was good enough because it was free on (45,000) points.

Next Time

As a consequence of my Travel Philosophy and in keeping with the Guns philosophy, I wasn’t able to see do, drink, eat everything in Copenhagen. But that’s the point.