Spending a few days in Copenhagen next week. Can anyone recommend some bars, restaurants, must-see sights? Will be borrowing a bike to check out the cycling scene so happy to explore. Thanks.

Lots of places to eat in the centre but I would look further than Nyhavn (the tourist bit by the water) for eating. Have a walk around the centre and see the parliament building, palace, castle etc. A good way to see the city is from the water bus (buy a clip ticket for the metro, bus and water bus) and then take it up and down. You can have a look at the new(ish) opera house as well.
It's a nice quietish city so just stoll around and enjoy the scnery. I wouldn't bother paying to go into Tivoli garden – it's a crap alton towers.
Have fun and let me know if you want any more insider info.

I've been here a couple of months and only scratched the surface. Second the tip about a water tour, but also consider the guided boats – only DKK 30 (3 quid). Nyhavn is touristy but still beautiful. For more action head to the more studenty area round Nørreport, or else to the more "mixed" Vesterbro area – Vesterbrogade and streets off it. Be sure to eat a lot of Danish pastry 🙂

Anyway – you will have a great time – this is a fantastic city.

Go and visit the "Black Diamond", amazing building.

There's also a statue of Kierkegaard nearby I think.

Those were the highlights of my visit, but not everybody gets so excited about old Soren, probably.

EDIT: And marvel at the brilliant and busy cycle lanes and almost complete lack of motorised traffic in the city centre, of course.

DrJ – the novelty not worn off yet. I think I managed about 4 months before I developed a hatred for this place that is only now beginning to subside nearly 5 years later! I am out in ths sticks a bit more, but I miss having decent mountain biking and the British sense of humour.

Well, it has been fantastic weather all the time I've been here, plus I moved here from Holland which has the shortcomings of DK but on a massive scale. By contrast the Danes are warm and friendly and welcoming, the food is excellent, and the landscape is mountainous! Where are you? I work in a large white and blue building by the water …

Cristiania. How could you guys not suggest that as a place to visit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Has a really cool bike shop there too…. and sweet trails around the back by the water if you are interested in an interesting ride, with lots of funky hippy houses built in trees by the water…

Check it out before it becomes a part of history….. and Cap Horn restaurant in nyhavn has some nice burgers and beer.

Hammer

I had heard that Chrisitiania has already gone to the dogs (more than it's residents intended!)
If you came here from Holland then I totally understand your euphoria. I never ever want to live there (people, food, weather landscape, trafic etc etc)
I live in Ringsted but my office is over looking the new beach on Amager. I did some work on Toldbodgade on a project for your company a couple of years ago. I think it is still running…

If you look hard enough you'll find not only does Denmark have decent mountain biking it also has hills. Did a really nice route there on monday

There are some hills but certainly no mountains and the hills are not exactly big although it depends a bit on where you are. The area around Vejle seems nice but I am in the middle of Sjæland so there aren't that many options

Thanks all – very helpful. Am actually visiting Copenhagen to find out what makes the city so 'liveable' and why other cities want to be 'copenhagenised' so any tips on that much appreciated – sustainable new developments, buildings etc. The cycle commuting looks very well thought out – like the 'green wave' of favourable traffic lights for cyclists.
Anyone eaten at Noma? Worth angling for an invite there?

No chance of eating there – the waiting list is over 2 months long 🙁

It is liveable for me because of the public transport, the bike infrastructure, the right of way for pedestrians, the lack of crime and antisocial behaviour, the friendliness of the inhabitants (but see above for my perspective :-), the cafes and bars and restaurants, the architecture, the green spaces and water, etc etc etc

Noma is fantastic and very expensive. If someone else is paying and it is not taking liberties then go for it.

I get really pi$$ed off that everyone talks about how great it is that Danes cycle everywhere without mentioning the cost of car ownership here. Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that we all cycle everywhere, but the truth of the matter is that cars cost at least twice as much to buy as in the rest of Europe and the yearly road tax etc is very high too meaning that most families can only afford (or want to afford) 1 car. This means that we use public transport (which is very good and affordable thankfully) and bikes.

I suspect though that if you asked 1000 people on a cold, dark, wet January if they would rather be in a car and the answer would be yes.

As an example of the car costs, we have a 3 year old Mazda 6 that cost approx £23 000 last year and the annual road tax is about £800 the insurance is also expensive (because accidents cost a lot – expensive labour and cars…). As a general rule there is 105% tax on cars up to £5500 then 180% on the rest meaning that a basic Ford Focus costs >£20 000.

So by all means see the good parts of Denmark that make it bike friendly – the bike paths, trains, metro and busses, but bear in mind that we are heavily encouraged to use them by making the alternative prohibitively expensive.

Well, I don't have, or want, a car, so my viewpoint is just that – mine.

One way to look at it may be that in DK you are paying something more like the true cost of driving, with infrastructure requirements and environmental impact.
<puts down can opener and runs away, leaving worms to escape>

I think we are paying for the cost of subsidising the public transport and that is OK to a degree, but I guess you've noticed how much income tax you are paying too. When we lived in CPH we had no car either so that was cool, now we have kids (including a sick one) and so we get something back for our money too.
I've grown to like the place more, at the end of the day, you and I have chosen to live here and are free to leave whenever we want.

BTW do you fancy a ride sometime (it would have to be on the road, my MTB only has one wheel at the moment)

I did sort of notice how much tax I pay 🙁 When I was offered a job I saw the salary and danced round the room. Next day I called them back and said it wasn't enough.

A ride sounds great – but my proper bike is still in NL and I have a "commuter" bike here 🙂

When will you get the proper bike? A ride on a commuter = going for a beer!

Dunno about the bike. It needs some fixing and then arranging to bring it here as my flat does not really have fettling facilities.

Beer = good 🙂

As an alternative to all the talk of tax and wages just stare dumfounded at all the stunning women that seem to live in Copenhagen.

I'm married to one of them 🙂

+1 to Christiania

If you do visit and end up in the dope market, DO NOT GET YOUR CAMERA OUT!!

I suggest you get stoned and then watch the changing of the guard…much the same as in the UK with one big difference, they stare back and will bulldoze you if you get in their way, very funny indeed 😆

I had a great weekend in CPH, it's one of my favourite European cities and is well worth a visit

EDIT: I forgot to mention the shopping district, the gf dragged me along, thought I'd be bored stupid but was pleasently surprised to be surrounded by literally thousands of 6 foot tall blonde babes!!! "You take your time darling, I'll just sit here and wait for you" 8)

just stare dumfounded at all the stunning women

Never mind staring, I'm actually planning on talking to a few of them!

You will be spoilt for choice :-)my other half is Swedish and refers to the Danes as porridge eaters. Scandinavians are all a bit on the odd side 😉

To those who live there: Why do the locals look at you as if you're a dangerous lunatic if you walk across an empty road when the pedestrian light is red?

Are there really heavy fines for it or something?

THey've all been brainwashed. If you are with a local, you end up waiting the other side of the road anyway so at some point you begin to comply as well. I think there is a fine, but there are only about 10 policemen in the whole country

my other half is Swedish and refers to the Danes as porridge eaters.

That's a bit strange – one thing I remeber from Sweden was having a variety of different types of porridge, all really delicious, especially with filmjölk and blueberry jam

The area around Vejle seems nice but I am in the middle of Sjæland so there aren't that many options

The route we did on Monday (here) was near Silkeborg. Lots of pretty lake views and nice, rooty singletrack, even some hills we had to push up! We got the route from this site

http://www.mtbtracks.dk

Looks like a fairly good resource

filmjölk

That sounds WRONG, but is probably really nice. What is it?

It is a sort of sour milk/yoghurty stuff that seems horrible at first but is really good on cereal and fruit. The closest thing I've seen outside Scandinavia is called "Fjord", and sold in France.

Lækker 🙂

That's a very good point – what are the Danish things I must eat, apart from, er, bacon? Are there Danish equivalents to Sweden's pickled herring, reindeer carpaccio etc?

Smørrebrød – open sandwiches

Pølser – hotdogs basically, and you can laugh at the vaguely rude looking pics they use to advertise them!

Pastries :-))))