萝莉射区

I was born and bred in Copenhagen, and have lived here most of my life, apart from some years in Berlin and New York City. Living abroad allowed me to reflect on Danish culture and what makes Copenhagen unique. For example, the city's widespread bike culture, part of everyday life, was something I considered completely normal until I lived elsewhere.

This is my home, and I could navigate the city with my eyes closed. Before you go to Copenhagen, here are the 13 top things that you need to know.

1. The metro is the cheapest way to get from the airport

Copenhagen鈥檚 efficient driverless metro runs directly from the airport to the city center in less than 15 minutes, making it the most obvious transportation choice when you arrive at Copenhagen Airport. A ticket costs about 25kr (US$4).

2. Blend in by wearing Scandinavian designs

Scandinavia is known worldwide for its fashion, from giant names like H&M to smaller but trendy brands like Ganni, Sams酶e Sams酶e and Rains. Wear the Scandinavian pieces from your wardrobe to blend in with the locals. Also, make sure you bring weather-appropriate outfits, including a waterproof jacket.

3. You can see the best of Copenhagen in three days

Copenhagen is a small city, with short distances between the top sights. Plan efficiently and you could get to know the Danish capital in just three days. However, if you want to explore Copenhagen more deeply, you can easily spend more time in the area, visiting other nearby cities such as 贬别濒蝉颈苍驳酶谤 for Kronborg Slot (Elsinore in Shakespeare鈥檚 Hamlet) or the world-famous modern art museum, , in Humleb忙k.

4. Copenhagen doesn鈥檛 have to be super expensive

Copenhagen isn't generally considered a bargain destination, but there are lots of ways to visit the city on a budget: touring museums and art centers, relaxing in gardens, wandering through cool neighborhoods. Some activities are even completely free.

5. Danes eat everything with a knife and fork

Danes love a knife and fork, and will eat everything with them, even burgers and pizza, which can be quite amusing to foreigners. Feel free to use your hands if eating a burger with cutlery seems too awkward for you. When it comes to dining etiquette and table manners, Danes are taught from a young age to follow certain rules, like not putting your elbows on the table and how to place the knife and fork to signal to wait staff that they are done eating.

6. Only tourists hang out in Nyhavn

While Nyhavn's colorful houses are one of Copenhagen鈥檚 most popular attractions, locals usually don't hang out in this area. However, going through Nyhavn is still a must for visitors.  After taking some pictures and enjoying the scenery, move past the touristy restaurants and have a coffee or beer while sitting on the side of the canals where the ships dock. You can also take a break in the courtyard of .

7. Danes are usually very relaxed

Too relaxed, some would say. This behavior is linked to Danish humor, which tends to be dark, ironic and satirical, and it also means that Danes have a very casual approach toward swearing. The f-word is not considered harsh as in other countries and is used informally between friends simply to emphasize specific points.

8. Except when it comes to timeliness

Punctuality is a cornerstone of Danish culture. Some Danes even believe that showing up on time means being a few minutes early. This is closely tied to the culture of Danish politeness and not wasting each other鈥檚 time. If you鈥檙e meeting up with a Dane and you鈥檙e very late (by more than 15 minutes), they might tell you that everything is fine, but in reality, they consider it rude.

9. Biking is serious business

Bikes outnumber cars in Copenhagen, and you will likely be wowed by the biking culture. If you truly want to blend in, hop on a bike to take you from A to B. However, there are some important bike rules to follow if you don鈥檛 want to anger your fellow riders. Keep in mind that for locals, cycling is primarily a mode of transportation and not something they are doing for fun. In general, stay off the bigger bike lanes during rush hour (7:15am to 8:45am, then 3:30pm to 5pm). Always stay to the far right of the bike lane. Signal ahead of time by putting your left hand in the air if you break, and use your arms to indicate when you are making a turn.

10. Always take a sip after toasting

Danes love to toast during dinners and do it a bunch of times throughout a meal in good company, particularly when drinking alcohol. When toasting, say 厂办氓濒! (鈥渃heers鈥� in Danish), and make sure you take a sip of your drink before putting your glass back down.

11. Drink the tap water

The water in Copenhagen (and Denmark) is so clean that residents swim in the city harbor year-round and have access to some of the best drinking water in the world 鈥� straight from the tap. To help reduce plastic waste and save some money, bring a reusable water bottle with you and fill it up at your accommodations or one of .

12. Copenhagen is the safest city in the world

In 2021, the named Copenhagen the safest city in the world due to low crime rates and the high level of trust among people, which is an important part of Danish culture. While you can always be in the wrong spot at the wrong time, there is generally no need to worry about your safety in Copenhagen. As with anywhere else, take sensible precautions such as not flaunting your wallet or valuables in public.

13. The emergency number is 112

If anything were to happen on your trip to Copenhagen, 112 is the emergency number that will connect you to the police, fire and ambulance services.