Copenhagen: Eco-Metropolis of the Future

text: Denise A. Trajtenberg
CATEGORIES: Europe, International, Travel

A Day of Biking

* Friday
There’s no better way to begin your tour than with an energizing concoction from Seed Juice. The many fruit juice combinations boast a range of benefits (energizing, anti-oxidizing, etc.). Fuel up and you’ll be ready to pedal around the city.

Copenhagen’s urban infrastructure is specially designed for bikers, with 36% of residents using bicycles as their primary means of transportation. Most of the hotels offer bikes for their guests, and you can always take advantage of the city’s free bicycle service. Don’t feel like pedaling? Try a bike-taxi!

The path from downtown to the Port of Copenhagen takes you along the Nytorv Canal bordered by colorful old houses, past the Renaissance-style Royal Danish Theatre on Kongens Nytorv (which means King’s Square), the Royal Palace of Amalienborg (four buildings around an octagonal courtyard) and the fortress of Kastellet, with its impressive view of old windmills as well as modern wind turbines that face the port.

Finish up with a visit to The Little Mermaid, an iconic bronze statue of the Hans Christian Andersen character, who welcomes tourists every day.

1. The famous bronze sculpture of The Little Mermaid.

2. The fortress of Kastellet.

3. Seed Juice pours out a wide variety of energizing fruit drinks.

By Water to Christianshavn

* Saturday
Even a single day in Copenhagen gives visitors an appreciation of the importance of the city’s parks and water features. Today, 60% of the inhabitants enjoy a natural setting just 15-minutes walk from their homes. By 2015, more outdoor spaces will be opened, with similar access guaranteed for 90% of the population.

The public transportation system also includes waterbuses, a lovely way of getting to the eclectic borough of Christianshavn, an artificial island crisscrossed by canals. Here you’ll also find the neighborhood of Freetown Christiania. In addition to being the largest hippie community in Europe, with nearly 1,000 inhabitants and its own set of laws, it is also the most prominent eco-village in the region. Automobiles are prohibited, heating is provided by solar panels, construction materials are recycled, and nearly all the restaurants offer organic products.

Throughout the rest of the city, a growing number of establishments serve 100% organic sandwiches, juices and other fare, and the green trend extends beyond the food industry. Many businesses – clothing stores, beauty salons, toy stores – share a common ethic: to offer products and services that don’t harm the environment.

1. Christiania is home to the largest hippie community in Europe.

2. The artificial island of Christianshavn has an identity all its own within the Danish capital.

Art & Entertainment

* Sunday
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum and Tivoli Gardens are right next to one another. At the museum, a glass-domed conservatory welcomes visitors as they enter to explore collections from ancient Greece, Egypt and Rome, as well as works of modern art and temporary exhibits. From the museum’s terrace, you can see Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. It was also the first to run on renewable energy, thanks to three wind turbines that have provided electricity since 2010.

A useful tip: The best time to visit Copenhagen is from May to September, when the sun shines until late in the evening, guaranteeing a positive energy boost. Enduring the harsh winter is rewarded with a glorious summer, when the city’s spirit fully comes alive. This is Copenhagen: an eco-friendly city that understands the urgent realities of climate change and the need to use natural resources responsibly.

Where to Stay

$$$ Hotel Fox: Fantasy, art and design near Tivoli Gardens. A member of the CO2-neutral Hotels group.

$$$ Hotel CPH Living: The first floating boutique hotel lets you connect with nature without sacrificing comfort.

$$$ Hotel D’Angleterre: Luxury accommodations and sterling service in a five-star hotel with more than 250 years of history.

$$$ Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers: The world’s most eco-friendly hotel.

Where to Eat

Noma: Sample seductive Nordic cuisine in the World’s Best Restaurant 2010.

Funder Coffee: Enjoy a sandwich in a cozy ambiance or get something to go for a picnic in the park.

BioMio: Organic products in a relaxed and eco-friendly environment in the hip neighborhoodof Vesterbro.

Seed juice: Take a break for an energizing fruit juice.

What to See

Christiania

NY Carlsberg Glyptotek

Tivoli Gardens

KEY

$$$ Budget
$$$ Moderately Priced
$$$ Expensive