Cruising From Copenhagen

Day two of Two Perfect Days in Copenhagen takes you from Langelinie, where some of the smaller cruise ships dock, to Nyhavn, the colorful “new” harbor, and across Kongens Nytorv (the King’s New Square) to the time-honored Hotel D’Angleterre.

You can do this tour in either direction, and for those on a pre- or post-cruise stay at D’Angleterre, this tour meshes nicely with Day One of Two Perfect Days in Copenhagen. That route takes you from D’Angleterre to Tivoli and beyond.

Setting out from either D’Angleterre or Langelinie, you could walk this entire route in 30 minutes, but there’s lots to see along the way, so you’re setting out instead for a long sightseeing stroll. You’ll see many of Copenhagen’s best attractions along the way. This is certainly one of the Danish capital’s most enjoyable strolls, a popular route for walking or bicycling.

Moreover, the route I suggest is particularly convenient for those on ships only calling on (not terminating in or beginning cruises from) Copenhagen. Free of your luggage, you could combine Day One and Day Two to walk all the way from Langelinie to Tivoli, taking local transport back to the ship, and seeing the best of Copenhagen in one day.

Alongside Langelinie are shops, cafes and a tourist information center where you can pick up a map and ask directions. You’ll hardly need directions, however. Just follow the the water. You’ll need to skirt around a few small harbors as you’re going, but just keep following the walkway and making your way back to the water. You’ll find your way with no problem.

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Throw back the sheets, slide into your bathrobe and slippers, and pull back the curtains. From your suite, you see that the sun is shining on Kongens Nytorv and colorful Nyhavn. You can’t wait to get outside.

Now go back to bed: It’s 4 a.m.

What were you thinking? How could you have known? During the summer, it gets bright early here in Copenhagen, which is situated at the same latitude as Anchorage, Alaska.

At 7 a.m., you give up the struggle to sleep. Outside, summer is full on. Head downstairs for a hearty breakfast at D’Angelterre’s Restaurant. Be sure to ask for a table by the window, so that you can admire bustling Kongens Nytorv across the street.

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The so-called pedestrian street known as Strøget is your destination on the first of your two perfect days in Copenhagen. Remember, your quest is to find that perfect hot dog that I wrote about earlier. Of course, if you’re in the Danish capital for a day, you’ll need to modify the plan a bit.

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Here’s something else you should know about the Danes.

Arguably, one of the reasons for the Danes being named by two university studies as the world’s happiest nation can be attributed to a concept known as Janteloven, or Jante Law.

Basically, the concept asserts that no one is better than anyone else and that you should never brag too much. The local beer brewer even makes the claim that Carlsberg is “probably” the world’s best beer. Click to learn more about Janteloven.

Before setting you loose to explore Copenhagen on your own, I need to let you in on a secret: A lot of the people you’ll be meeting today aren’t Danes. They’re Swedes.

Each day, they come across the Oresund Bridge, which opened in 2000, from Malmo, Sweden’s third’s largest city. Such is the number of Swedes who commute back and forth between the two that some people joke that Malmo is West Copenhagen. I once met a Swede who worked at the airport but had never bothered to make the 10-minute trip into Copenhagen’s city center. Swedes come to Copenhagen because they earn higher wages (and pay less in taxes) than in Sweden.

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If you truly want to experience Copenhagen, skip the Danish and go for the hot dog.

After all, every Dane loves a good dog, so not only will you be doing something quintessentially Danish, but on your quest for the perfect hot dog, you also will visit the key attractions in the Danish capital.

Following my advice, you’re going to get a taste of Copenhagen — and a hot dog — that you’re not likely to soon forget.

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