Velkommen to Copenhagen

5 min readFeb 3, 2022

Denmark announced they were dropping all entry restrictions on February 1 so I decided I’d take a train down from Stockholm and explore my next Scandinavian country.

I enjoyed Sweden. Everyone seemed to speak perfect English (we are so lucky as native speakers of the western world’s default language). The country was beautiful and the people were unfailingly polite and friendly.

Well, almost everyone.

I did have one event with an older Swedish man who took offense when I wiped my nose outside on a hiking trail (my sinuses inevitably run in cold air). I was at least 10 feet away from him but he waved his arm at me and called me a name that Markus translated later. All this while the other Swedes around us glared at him. I was like, what did I do? Markus named him “Bernie Sanderson” when I told him the story which was perfect, ha.

My train trip from Stockholm down to Copenhagen was about five hours on a high-speed Swedish Railways X2. The trains run on regular tracks but are specially designed to tilt into curves at a top-speed of 200 km/h (124 mph).

Stockholm’s central station was creatively lit inside and easy to navigate when I headed out this morning. I’d read that the height of design from a Swedish perspective is simplicity. That’s something I can certainly admire, especially when navigating the unfamiliar.

I reserved my carriage and seat near the bistro car on an app. Inside, it reminded me of a mini QuikTrip with plenty of food and drink options. No need for cash in Sweden, every transaction is by contactless card.

At one station, it was raining and I snapped this pic out my window of people disembarking. A bit Impressionist don’t you think? Monet would be proud.

Once we arrived in Copenhagen, I transferred to the correct metro line and then walked from the nearby station to my hotel. You can reserve relatively inexpensive rooms for one person in Europe. They’re tiny and no-nonsense but have everything you need. Seriously, I’m just going to sleep here so it works well. Maybe this is similar to a New York City apartment?

There was a bit of daylight left so I dropped my backpack and hiked over to the historic district of Nyhavn. The weather was about 20 degrees warmer than Stockholm which made a big difference. I only had to wear one coat!

Nyhavn is a colorful 17th-century waterfront and canal full of historical wooden ships. Interstingly, the canal was dug by Swedish prisoners of war in the late 1600s. Historically, it was notorious for beer, sailors and prostitution but now it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists, especially along it’s sunnier northern side.

Harkening back to saltier days, I noticed a busty golden statue hanging from one of the waterfront buildings. Evidently if you position yourself and your photographer just so, you can make it look like you’re touching her …you get the picture.

I hiked onward over a modern bridge to several of the man-made islands in Copenhagen’s harbor. This area reminded me of the Netherlands with the water and multitude of biking locals. Make sure you know exactly where you’re walking and stay out of the bike lanes unless you want to get mowed down by a caravan of Danes!

It was starting to get dark so I turned back toward my hotel. There are always so many people out walking and biking that it never feels sketchy. I know I’m in probably one of the safest countries in the world but it’s not bad to keep your guard up a bit. If I’m ever in doubt, I just flow with the crowd.