Copenhagen
Hotspots
Food
Copenhagen is known for its numerous bakeries and cosy cafés, and has a very acclaimed coffee culture.
The most recommended places to go to try a traditional (or not) Danish pastry are:
- Meyers Bageri $$ – Best known for their cinnamon rolls
- Ipsen & Co $$ – Best known for their traditional Danish breakfast plates
- Andersen & Maillard $$$ – Original pastries and breakfast plates
- Hart Bageri $$ – Best cookies in town, with multiple shops around the city
- Juno the Bakery $$ – Great selection of Danish pastries like nowhere else
Here are other student-friendly (or parents-coming-to-visit friendly) places to have a nice eat-out in the city:
- Bouillon $ – French restaurant next to CBS campus with delicious food at the best prices you’ll see in Copenhagen
- Helges Ost $ – Local’s best-kept secret for the best fresh Italian sandwiches
- Delphine $$$ – Amazing Greek restaurant with dishes to share
- Atelier September $$$ – Go-to brunch spot in Copenhagen, best Danish vibes you will acquire
- Reffen $$ – Outdoor street food on the outskirts of the city, food stands from all over the world, and music to have a nice time with a group of friends
- Cantina $$ – Cute Italian restaurant next to Nyhavn, perfect dinner spot
Going out
Many parties are organized by the CBS-based, sometimes even the most selective clubs in the city! For a night out, also download the Nyx app where you can get into most clubs for free and with some benefits by being a member (again, for free) so here are some fun places to add onto the app:
- Studenterhuset – Located in the city center, cheap drinks with added student discounts and on some nights organized events
- La Boucherie – French-themed night club with mostly locals, commercial/ house music
- Chateau Motel – Classic exchange student club, commercial music
- Proud Marys – Tuesday nights = Proud Mary night, the alleged ‘American themed night’ attracts all the internationals and exchanges to one spot, as you could have assumed it’s only American music
- Barkowski & Leanowski – Two bars with the same concept of 5 beers for 100 DKK (=13 EUR) with games to play for free (e.g. pool)
- Søpavillonen – Niche & local night club on the lakes
Activities
For quite a small capital, there are still plenty of activities to do and neighborhoods to visit!
- Christiania – Known for its street art and second-hand stores
- La Banchina – Swim spot near Reffen with a coffee shop attached as well as an outdoor sauna for up to 8 people
- Tivoli – Biggest attraction park in Denmark, great for celebrating different events throughout the year (e.g, Halloween, Christmas, Easter)
- Island Brygges – Big harbor bath in the center of town
- The Round Tower or Church of Our Savior – Towers you can climb to get the best views of Copenhagen
- Frederiksberg Gardens or Rosenborg Slot Park – Best places to have a picnic or watch the Danish royal guards march from one castle to another
- Nørrebro – A neighborhood full of vintage shops and cool bars
- Bastard Café – A great café and bar open all day with student discounts and a wide selection of board/ card games to play (recommended to book in advance)
💶 Cost of living
- Rent
– Private accommodation – Renting an apartment in Copenhagen can be quite costly. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is 1500 EUR a month.
– Student accommodation – Many student residences are offered throughout the city some by CBS and others for KU and CBS students combined. Many spots are reserved for international/ exchange students as most locals live in their own flats or with their families. The prices vary from 600 EUR a month to about 1200 EUR a month depending on the residence. The rooms may be either single or shared with one other person and generally a shared kitchen and/ or bathroom, again depending on the dorm. For instance, the Porcelænshaven 28 residence located in Frederiksberg (about 5 minutes by bike ride away from campus) costs about 750 EUR a month for a studio room with a private kitchen and a bathroom shared with one other person.
- Groceries
The cheaper places to shop for groceries in Denmark are Rema 1000, Lidl or Netto. If you would like to have better choices and options but at a slightly higher price, you may also go to your local Føtex which sells everything from food and alcohol to clothes and stationary. - Transport
Biking is the most used form of transportation and for exchange students there are very easy ways of getting one. You may get rent a bike with a monthly subscription at Swapfiets (around 25 EUR a month for a normal bike, or more for an electric one which many benefits). It is also possible to buy a second-hand bike on Facebook market place. The metro and buses are also available all over the city and are usable via the Rejsekort which is a card you recharge with money when you need to use it.
Most people have a rechargeable card as they use biking as their main form of transportation, however if you do not plan on biking often and prefer public transport, you can pay 80 EUR a month for a transport card you may use as much as you want.