Copenhagen – a wonderful city for children

It gives me great pleasure to write about the experience I had with children in the capital of Denmark, a city that surprised us both in terms of the diversity of activities for adults and children alike, as well as the care shown at every step for a clean city, as little polluted as possible and, last but not least, the efficiency of an ever-developing infrastructure (in 2019, a ring of metro stations will be completed that will unite all tourist areas to facilitate their access and promotion).
After scheduling this trip on the family calendar, we researched extensively about attractions for children, convenient transportation, restaurants, and anything else that could help us plan our 6 days efficiently and interestingly. After visiting a few websites and finding only brief and superficial reports, I began to think that the choice of this city was not an inspired one. However, I relied on the fact that the Tivoli Gardens amusement park (a smaller, but chic Disneyland and much more suitable for children up to 6 years old) is right next to Copenhagen Central Station and will arouse interest for at least 2 days.

But the reality was different! Once we arrived at the hotel reception, we found a brochure of about 20 pages, “Copenhagen with kids” full of detailed information (address, means of transport, pictures, where to shop, where to eat) about the locations that were worth visiting, organized in the 6 main areas of the capital. Also at the reception we found out that in their capital you can drink water from anywhere (including from public bathrooms or fountains in the park)….and they were even surprised by our reaction: “really???”
Relaxed that we were on the right track, we started to systematically plan each day so that, at the end of the 6 days, both we and the girls concluded that it was worth coming here again in the summer, as it is even cooler, with an average of 19-21 degrees in the summer months of June-August.

Many locations have designated picnic areas, sometimes right next to playgrounds, and encourage families to bring their favorite foods and spend quality time together. Everyone speaks English and is open to helping and giving you details.

Oh, and don't forget! It's worth taking the subway, which has no conductor! Everyone sitting in the first carriage, and especially in the first seats, will be amazed by the constantly changing underground and aboveground view.

And last but not least, I would like to clarify one very important aspect! The Danes have a special respect for their city, which is why many have chosen to travel by bicycle. However, because the tracks are located in the immediate vicinity of the sidewalk and children may accidentally tend to ride on them, it would be useful to explain to the little ones in advance to respect and be attentive to cyclists, otherwise the Danes become visibly disturbed.

Next, I will share with you a personal top of the locations we visited, which can also be found in the photos accompanying the article, specifying that anyone who wants additional information can request it with confidence at [email protected]

1. ZOO - spread over a considerable area, the zoo has an impressive variety of animals, there is no cage, instead there are large spaces, arranged in detail, with the theme of the region where the host animal lived. The domestic animal area has specimens so domesticated that children are encouraged to enter and play with them (there is a specially arranged place for washing and sanitizing at the exit). Among the most impressive experiences here, was seeing a polar bear swimming in a raft, entering a garden where kangaroos with pouches full of babies were calmly going about their daily activities and last but not least a giraffe who insisted on taking a family photo.

2. The National Aquarium – with a variety of over 20,000 marine species and over 7 million liters of water, it is the largest aquarium in NE Europe. It was unusual to see how at the entrance to the aquarium there is an area set up for children where they could touch and learn about various marine specimens (we had the chance to touch a starfish). Its location is special, with a restaurant overlooking the North Sea and a small sand play area right next to the seals that put on a real show when it's mealtime. The aquarium is located on Amager Island, with the largest beach located just 5km from the center, it is an area where we will definitely return because here we saw the most beautiful playgrounds for children with indoor and outdoor facilities for children by age group, with options for badminton, go-karts, football, bike paths, trails on wooden suspension bridges (references are: Bredegrund Construction playground and Lergravsparken... I know it's hard to remember, but once you get to Amager you will be able to locate them easily). In fact, I noticed that in their parks the emphasis in the games and facilities made available to children falls on creativity and movement (very few slides and swings).

3. Tivoli Gardens – superlative fun. We were happy to see that even our 3 and a half year old daughter was able to experience many attractions, the park itself being a delight for children who could feed the pigeons, pet the peacocks, chase the ducks, see shows on the grass every hour, and all this in addition to the wonderful rides. Their favorite was a chest that on its way up and down the rails took the children through the scenarios and characters of Christian Andersen's stories.

4. The Children's Worker's Museum and the Botanical Garden - located next to each other, are worth visiting, especially if you arrive in the area in the rain, you can go to the museum first and then to the botanical garden (the rains, although quite frequent in the summer months, are short and gentle, so if you give the little ones a light jacket and a hat on their heads, you can continue your itinerary without worry, and they will really like it).

At the museum, the little ones will discover what children's toys were from 1800-1980, how they dressed and their rooms looked (they will be able to try on various costumes, try on toys and look at images from that period), and at the botanical garden they will be delighted by the small hills, waterfalls and some rather strange exotic plants...

5. The Music Museum – very close to our hotel and having never had the opportunity to see such a museum, we gave it a chance and we were right. In addition to the showcases showing the evolution of an instrument from when it appeared to the present day, the most interesting part was that at the end of the tour (which is not at all big, just enough to keep the children interested) there is a soundproof room full of all kinds of instruments that the children could touch, test, play… and guess what? they even had headphones for the more sensitive parents bothered by the mix of unfriendly noises and no chords.

6. Torvehallerne - the food market, located between a wonderful park (Orstedsparken) and the central area; it's worth stopping by to stock up on fresh fruit or even try one of the fish dishes cooked on site. Speaking of food, it is worth mentioning that 7/11 stores have generous refrigerated displays with vegan and organic products so that when the children are too sleepy to sit at a table, you can opt for a healthy sandwich at every turn (soups are hard to find, even in restaurants). This is how we spent our 6 days in Copenhagen, and I admit that I felt, as a parent, an extraordinary comfort in this city, where I didn't stress that I ran out of water for my children and I had nowhere to buy it (not to mention the financial savings in this regard), where the toilets are clean and tidy, where you always have pleasant and diverse alternatives to spend a wonderful day with your children in a safe environment, where the air is clean and you can always find refuge in a quiet park equipped with at least one playground (some even have sand toys, scooters, bicycles, .... advice to those like me who go to Herăstrău in the summer and take with them sand toys, scooters, rollers, etc.).

What we missed and plan to visit next year: Rosenborg Castle, the changing of the guard, Island Brygge, renting a cargo bike (a bicycle that has a stroller attached that can fit 2 children), Experimentarium, Ree park Safari.
Oh, and it would be interesting to know that:
– there is a Copenhagen card available for sale, including at the airport, which offers discounts or free admission to many museums, bars, restaurants, including Tivoli Gardens;
– intugreen - is a Danish application intended to be used in parks to identify birds based on their chirps (a kind of Shazam of nature)
– they are very serious when it comes to recycling, food waste and electric cars (the only country where I have seen Tesla cars as taxis... in fact, city halls install their charging sockets for free if there are at least 3 electric car owners in a block and there is no fee)
– have their own label that identifies the most “environmentally friendly” products and services (Ecolabel)

– everywhere (yes, everywhere) you can pay with a card, there is no taxi driver or merchant who does not have a POS.