Another Day, Another Danish – København University

Hej!

Its been three months since I first arrived in Copenhagen to start a pre-semester Danish language course and while my Danish hasn’t improved much, Copenhagen continues to amaze me.

Copenhagen is a small city but once you start to ride around (bikes really are a necessity) you’ll start to realize that this little city has so much to offer. I’m lucky enough to live in Tietgen Kollegium which is roughly a 15-20 minutes bike ride from the city center and a two minute walk from the København University Amager campus (the pre-semester Danish language course is located here). Apart from the incredible facilities and its great location for campus, living with Danish students at Tietgen has been incredible. There is a rumor that the Danes aren’t the friendliest of people, but it is simple untrue!

Danish people are all about enjoying themselves – even in the cold weather. The concept of Hygge is a way of life in Denmark that is all about coziness, so think Sarah Lund jumpers, candles as the major source of light and delicious pastries and warm drinks. It’s a lifestyle I have happily adopted as I’ve explored Copenhagen.

My favourite hygge-ly places in Copenhagen are:
1. Sankt Peders Bageri
If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be the Kanelsnegle from Sankt Peders Bageri without question. Kanelsnegles are danish cinnamon snails with icing on top and they are readily available in almost every cafe, supermarket and 7/11(the 7/11 ones are surprisingly tasty and fresh!). But if you really want to indulge in some hygge, I recommend going to Sankt Peders Bageri on a Wednesday and grabbing a hot chocolate and a half-price Kanelsnegle. Be warned its a small bakery with only a few seats so get in quick and savor the most delicious pastry Copenhagen has to offer!

2. Wulf & Konstali
While Copenhagen has fantastic pastries for decent prices, coffee can be very expensive! Wulf & Konstali have two cafes in Islands Brygge and Amager and they do a great cappuccino for a fraction of the prices at Baresso. The cafe itself is always busy and the long share table is usually occupied by at least six other people but its a great place to go with a bunch of friends or to take your laptop and do a bit of work.

3. Mikkeller Bar
The Danes love their øl and while Carlsberg and Tuborg are classics, head down to Mikkeller Bar to taste some locally brewed draft beers. Like most places in Copenhagen the key to serious hygge in Mikkeller’s is the small venue, low lighting and some good friends. Drinks are expensive here but they are well worth trying, in particular I love the ‘Illegal Mikkeller’ from Norway. With an extensive beer and wine list, you can’t go wrong trying a few different drinks and if you’re ever in doubt, the guys at the bar are always happy to recommend their favorites.

Going on exchange to Copenhagen has been the best experience of my life! If you are interested in exchange I can’t recommend København University enough, its a fantastic place to be as a student on exchange. The past three months have flown by and I can’t wait to continue cycling around Copenhagen for the next three months.

By Caoimhe O’Sullivan
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