I'll never forget that moment when I finished ascending the spookily claustrophobic steps that spiral up within The Marble Church. All that toil for the sake of an unobstructed view of Copenhagen in its red-roofed glory. The tourist standing in front of me struggled with the latch for a bit before he finally threw open the hatch separating us from the open-air terrace and announced, "Welcome to Copenhagen!"
Yes, it was cheesy and dramatic. But I loved it. When I was researching the capital Danish city prior to my departure, it dawned on me that the church could grant a more scenic view than the more touristy "Rundeturn." Perhaps the only downside to choosing the church venue would be the terrace's relatively limited accessibility on Sundays at 1pm or 3pm. After observing the daily Changing of the Guards between Rosenborg Castle and Amalienborg Palace (so worth it, by the way), I arrived at the church early enough for the 1pm tour. I was the first to buy a ticket and stood second in line for access to the top. Contrary to my competitive instincts, I felt thankful that another guy stood in front of me, since the man at the ticket booth left us to our own devices once he unhooked the gate barring us from the stairs.
In single file, we trekked up several narrow flights of sturdy marble steps that morphed into creaky wooden gradations. Eventually, we encountered a thick hatch above our heads that I doubted I could conjure the strength to open. Following the aforementioned adorably dorky moment my fellow tourist had, we all eagerly climbed out onto the terrace and embraced the fresh air that lingered high above wintry Copenhagen. Personally, I felt the kind of overkill liberation deemed fit only for Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption. The view was breathtaking and definitely the sort of spectacle you saved your camera batteries and memory card space for.
"Why Copenhagen?" Not only were my friends confused about the city's location (ironically, New York also happens to have an area called Copenhagen), but they were also bewildered by what was drawing me there. Even the many Danish locals I befriended when I arrived at the city were curious to know why I had chosen one of the most underrated cities in Europe for my post-graduation trip. To answer everyone's questions all at once: why not? It's a beautiful city, easily walkable, and has that certain spark that every foreign locale should have. However, for the sake of specificity, I'll add a few other motivating factors:
- Denmark was ranked the happiest place in the world!
- It's also among the cleanest, safest, most environmentally-friendly places to travel.
- You can take a day trip to Sweden across the majestic Oresund Bridge.
- My flight there had a long layover in mysterious, alluring Iceland; I took this window of opportunity to splash around in the luxurious Blue Lagoon.
- Several festivities coincided with my stay: Copenhagen Fashion Week (which I was fortunate enough to receive several invitations to), Wondercool, and the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.
- No one else I knew had gone there before (other than my dad in the '70s).
Perhaps, Copenhagen's greatest strength is that it's an ideal destination for solo female travelers. There are plenty of sites to see, it's small enough to walk around everywhere on your own, Danish guys are wicked hot and friendly, almost everybody knows English, and Danes know how to party. Seriously, I've never been asked to dance by a random woman before Copenhagen happened. And I live in NYC!
Copenhagen may be an expensive city, but if you're smart, you can spend just as little as you would at a cheaper location. Of course, everyone should exercise some amount of caution whenever they find themselves in a foreign country. If you want to weigh the pros and cons, then I'd say that Copenhagen's main cons would be:
- Most stores, cafes, and restaurants open late and close early (10am-6pm).
- It's bone-chillingly cold in the wintertime.
- Tivoli Amusement Park is closed between January and April. Boooo!
In the end, I definitely have no regrets. I managed to see everything that I wanted to see, and I learned a lot about myself in the process. You can bet all your danish kronor that my next trip abroad will be just as unusual, just as rewarding, and just as fabulous.