Copenhagen: My First Solo Adventure

On December 23^rd, 2017, I set off on an adventure that would change my life forever. I got on a Norwegian Airlines flight bound for Copenhagen: my first solo trip in Europe!

I had previously visited Europe during an architecture study abroad trip covering many great European cities. On that trip, I made it to Paris, Venice, Florence, Rome, Madrid, Rhodes, Mykonos, and Athens. This experience opened my eyes to the magic of Europe. However, as more and more of my peers did semester-long study abroad programs, I continued to realize how many amazing places I had missed out on during that month-long trip.

I vowed to return to Europe to see everything I did not get to see when I studied abroad. Although my job at the time only gave me two weeks of vacation per year, I made the most of this time to see what the world had to offer. Copenhagen and Amsterdam were the first two cities that I visited by myself.

After a long 8-hour and 45-minute flight from Miami, I finally touched down in the first new country I had visited in two years. Since I arrived in Denmark with very little sleep, I immediately headed over to the nearest coffee shop in the airport.

“Taler du Engelsk?” I asked the barista.

He gave me one of the strangest looks I have ever gotten when trying to speak the local language. Turns out, Danish is extremely hard to pronounce, but almost everyone in Copenhagen speaks English. I went ahead and ordered my much-needed coffee, while striking up a friendly conversation with the barrista.

I set off on the metro, which took me from the airport in Kastrup to my hostel in Nørrebro. The weather here was much colder and more overcast than where I had come from, as this was the middle of winter. But that wouldn’t stop me from exploring this vibrant and colorful Nordic capital!

Nyhavn

After getting settled into my hostel (the very first one I ever stayed at!), I immediately set off for Nyhavn: Copenhagen’s port district. This canal in the city center stands out with its colorful buildings lined on both sides of the water. The wood and brick buildings are simple, yet colorful to brighten up the long and dark winters. The port also includes some amazing wooden ships, as well as a boat that I was about to embark on for a canal tour! Before getting on, I met a fellow solo traveler from India who had just arrived in the city. He was also in line to board the boat, and we immediately began getting to know each other.

Canal Tour

Even though it was raining outside, the canal tour was a perfect introduction to the city and also gave some amazing vantage points for Copenhagen’s modern, waterfront buildings.

To my left at the end of the port was the Royal Danish Playhouse, home of the Royal Danish Theater. The building is simple in materials, consisting mainly of dark-colored brick and large, rectangular glass panels. The glass wraps around the entire building, providing occupants with panoramic views of Copenhagen’s harbor. At ground level, a wooden promenade contrasts with the cobblestoned streets of the port, giving the building a distinct character from its surroundings.

Across the water is the equally impressive Copenhagen Opera House. Also known as “Operaen,” this building combines rounded glass with rectilinear limestone. It also boasts one of the largest metal roof overhangs I have ever seen. Together, these forms make the building look like a ship docked at sea.

Further down the river, we passed the Black Diamond, a modern addition to the Royal Danish Library. This angled building is clad with black granite, hence the name “Black Diamond.” It’s certainly one of the most unusual libraries I have ever seen.

On the boat, I also got a good look at some typical Scandinavian modern architecture. Most of the buildings here are simple in both shape and materials. One of my favorite aspects of European architecture is the beauty in its simplicity. While most North American modern buildings try hard to out-do their neighbors, those in Europe stay true to simple design language.

Our boat turned off of the main harbor canal and onto a smaller one before circling back to our starting point. This canal was surrounded by large, ornate buildings. This one, in particular, stood out with its twisting spire that dominates over the decorative brick façade.

The canal tour ended back in Nyhavn. It was 3:30 pm and we were already losing the light, as Copenhagen is far north compared to other European cities. Nayhvn is home to a lovely Christmas market and the lights were beginning to shine. My new friend and I took a stroll through the market, passing many stalls selling food and merchandise. He recommended that I try one of the local specialties: gløgg. I had never had mulled wine before, so this was a new experience for me. The hot wine was refreshing to sip on as the night began to get colder.

Strøget

We continued wandering around the city center. Strøget, one of the main pedestrian streets, looked absolutely beautiful at dusk and was also shining bright with holiday lights and window displays. My favorite part of this street was definitely the polygonal pattern in the hardscape, which was a modern contrast to the otherwise cobblestoned streets of Copenhagen’s city center.

Since it was Christmas Eve, the streets were emptying out fast. It almost felt like we had the city center all to ourselves. We explored wide-open plazas surrounded by simple, stone buildings. This neighborhood was certainly less colorful, instead resembling a typical city found in Germanic Europe. Still, it was charming to walk through on a winter evening!

By now, the jetlag was kicking in, and pretty much everything was shut down for Christmas Eve. It was time for me to head back to the hostel. My friend and I parted ways and I took an evening stroll back to Nørrebro.

Back at the hostel, it was time for both happy hour and meeting other travelers. Although I came to Europe entirely on my own, I was far from alone. There were several other travelers around my age, many of whom were also solo travelers.

Since all the restaurants were closed, we gathered for a Christmas Eve dinner at the hostel consisting of food that some others had gotten at the market earlier in the day. Although I had only just met people, the hostel quickly felt like my second family. We ended the night with a toast to new friends and new memories!