In the last few years, Copenhagen has become a famous destination for tourists and made its mark on the world stage as a hub for fashion- and design companies. During the 60s and 70s, many Swedish city centers were demolished and reconstructed in favor of a more brutalist style, customized to modern living. This reformation never became as prevalent in Denmark, not because of architectural conservatism, but because the state lacked funding. In hindsight I believe that most people can agree that the decision to retain the architecture was a fortunate one. So while Sweden focused on functionality and ease of living, Copenhagen remained old fashioned, at an expense of simpler living conditions. For example most stairwells in Sweden were outfitted with elevators and bathrooms were modernized, while apartments in Copenhagen still have cramped stairs and bathrooms without showers. This preservation of buildings has resulted in a charming and picturesque capital, only 45 minutes from Lund, with many popular and beautiful areas. One of which this article will be dedicated.

Nørrebro from criminality to creativity 

In 2021 ‘’Time Out Magazine’’ asked 27 000 people around the globe what neighborhood they thought was the most cool and trendy. The winner out of all of the world’s urban areas was Nørrebro, located in the north-west of Copenhagen. Historically, Nørrebro has been a living area for the working class in Copenhagen and has been infamous for riots and general criminality. This result would therefore have been very surprising only a few years ago. Today Nørrebro is known for its multicultural community and sprawling shopping- and bar streets. This radical change has come as a result of the growth of the city, students and artists are now living in the apartments where criminals and the working class used to reside.

My best recommendations while visiting 

Bars

– Blågårdsgade is the main street for beer and drinks. 

– Øl, here you can buy take away beer where they get you your own aluminum can, straight from the tap. 

– Bip Bip, a retro arcade bar. 

– Léanowski, where you can play beer pong, shuffle, darts and pool.

– The Flatiron, a more fancy bar for your most complicated cocktails.

– Pompette, the best wine and snack bar. 

– Brus, to all of the beer connoisseurs. A place with more beer taps than you can count. 

Shopping

– On Elmegade you walk by many cool boutiques, for example Acne Archives, Molecule, Grocery, Second wardrobe, Scherning and many more.

– Veras Market Under Buen, a flea market every sunday (seasonally) where trendy locals and influencers go to buy and sell.

Restaurants and Cafés 

– Bar Pasta, for the best pasta al limone i’ve ever eaten. 

– Bæst, award winning sourdough pizzas, their set menu is 10/10. – Cincchetti, amazing Italian small dishes where it is best if the kitchen chooses for you. 

– Mirabelle, best brunch in town with its own in-house dairy and bakery.

– Minas, my biggest recommendation for students. Everything at the café, from drinks to tuna melt sandwiches and coffee costs 20DKK. I do not think there exists a cheaper café for students.