Published on June 6th, 2015 | I have 3 absolute and unexplainable passions in life: filmmaking, running and Lego. So when I heard we were heading to Denmark (land of Lego), I knew I needed to make it my mission to visit the Lego Flagship Store in Copenhagen. Before the flight, I looked around the web, trying to find some brick themed info about the illusive Lego flagship. What could I expect to see? What would I expect to find? Would there be hidden gems of a bygone Lego age or an unreleased Minifigures exclusive only to the brave jet setting Lego fans? Could there be Lego lines long abandoned or sets so limited in release, they’d never even left the country? I had to know and after a very short Google search, I found mounds of underwhelming Trip Advisor statements eluding to pretty much nothing. Even Lego brick fanatic sites were less than helpful. But something deep and pure geek burned inside me, the Lego Mothership was calling, it needed to be seen.
Check out the video of our experience at the Lego Store, Copenhagen below: Well the Lego Flagship Store was big but it definitely wasn’t massive and it definitely wasn’t the biggest Lego shop I’d seen, (the ‘Big One’ at Legoland Windsor is about twice the size) but there was something quite magical about the place. From the scale Lego models of Nyhavn, to the incredible pick and mix wall and 15 foot high Lego mosaic in the entrance, the spirit of Lego creativity was strong in Copenhagen. Every new face that walked in (mostly adults) were whisked back to their childhood, sat on the floor creating universes of their own. Meanwhile every child rushed to the build stations and Duplo corner to build anything they could in the two minutes before their dad took over. Sadly, there were no old or exclusive models or sets forgotten by time, just the new ones already available in the UK. Also, the price was pretty expensive, being about 10% more than the UK. But the store was special and although it may not appear on any tourist map or Lonely Planet guide, I thing the Lego Flagship definitely deserves its place as a place to visit.
A trip to Copenhagen can get expensive quickly. Whilst flights from the UK are reasonable (Easyjet or BA), a couple of nights accommodation, food, drink and maybe spot of shopping on top of a few tours all adds up. However, with that said, like most cities if you search the backstreet’s, look high and low, there are always a few hidden gems that cost that bit less, or sometimes even nothing. When in Rome hey. Cycling is a big thing in Copenhagen, where it is estimated that 50 % of all Copenhageners commute to work or school by two wheels, and that collectively they cycle 1.2 million kilometers a year – that’s the equivalent of to the moon and back … twice. Simply put, you cannot move in Copenhagen for seeing someone on a bicycle, and you’ll do well to avoid almost being knocked down by one unless you have your whits about you – hint, the cycle lanes are not a place to stand and admire the city. So why not copy the locals, the pros so to speak, and join them in the cycle lanes.
Its fun, healthy, good for the environment, surprisingly quick to get around (owing to the special cycle lanes), and its darn cheap.A hostel might offer free rental, but otherwise the going rate seems to be around 75-100 DKK / £8-£10 for the day. Admittedly, drinking and partying in the meat packing district of an evening will set you back a pretty penny, but there are a couple of reasons to also take a wander down to this neck of the woods during the daytime – namely food. Now I like a burger – preferably with both cheese and bacon because I am a totally fatty like that – and boy did the meat packing district provide me with a burger. I won’t name which establishment I purchased from, as I’m not here to promote them, but I will say that there were a few delicious looking options in terms of food around the district. Located in the district of Vestebro, the meat packing district of today is the brain child of the local council, who upon watching the majority of Copenhagens meat butchers pack up and leave, decided upon transforming the 1930’s warehouse complex they owned, to mirror that of Manhattan’s own meat packing district.
A pretty smart move! Its really quite a cool and interesting surrounding go for a meal in, as parts of the district are still operational in terms of meat packing, so its quite possible to fall out of a trendy restaurant or nightclub in the early hours of the morning and bump into a butcher on their way to work. Cost: To visit and walk around the district is free. A burger and fries might set you back £10/10.00DKK, and come the evening a beer might be around £5/50.00DKK. Food and drink wise, its pretty cheap by Copenhagen standards, plus its in a really cool setting. Continuing with the food theme, after walking around Copenhagen for a while it’ll soon become aparent that the Danish love their hotdogs. Again, when in Rome, do as the Romans (or in this case Copenhageners) do and eat some good, cheap food on the go. Cost: A standard hotdog from a street vendor is around £2/20.00DKK each. Without doubt one of the most interesting parks I have ever visited, and one of my highlights from CPH.
Located in the district of Nørrebro, Superkilen park was designed by the an arts group called Superflex. The idea behind the park, which opened in June 2011 and stretched some 750 metres in length, was the celebration of diversity. As such the park is home to objects from over 50 different nations. For example, there is a lamp post from Italy, a picnic table from Armenia, a manhole cover from Ireland and a palm tree from China. A bike rack from Holland, a bus sign from Jordan and a backetball hoop from the USA. The list goes on, and it is so interesting and awesome, I dare you not to be facinated by this place! The park is divided into 3 areas – Green, Red and Black. I don’t know what else to say, each is area is just as awesome as the other, and I simply love this park. I wish it hadn’t had been lashing down with rain upon my visit, but that said I still found Christiania, which is in effect a society within a society, if not a slightly controversial one.
The story goes that back in 1971, a group of squatters moved in on an abandoned military site and claimed the site as a free city. This meant free of taxes and governed by its own laws. This wasn’t legal of course, but thousands flocked to the site and alternative lifestyle – one where most notably, drugs like marijuana were a lot easier to come by – and remain to this day. Walking around Christiania, its easy to sense and notice the alternative way of living within the boundaries of the freetown. There is crazy looking architecture and art everywhere, and there is a definite Rastafarian influence, in terms of style and and colour. It also started because of a simple newspaper article which posed the question why the buildings on the site weren’t being renovated and made available as affordable housing for young people struggling to get on the housing ladder or even find a place to live. I’m certainly struggling to find somewhere affordable in London, maybe I should start my own project like this!?
Cost: Free to enter Christiania :D On my part I found the Little Mermaid to be pretty underwhelming, but she is a rather major tourist attraction, is free to look at, and is actually located in a rather nice location. The bronze statue by Edvard Eriksen depicting Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fair tale character was commissioned by Carlsberg owner Carl Jacobsen in 1909. The mermaid, modeled on balerina from from Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre, was unveiled in 1913 … and has twice since been decapitated. You are NEVER too old for Lego, and so I highly recommend you heard to the Lego store on Vimmelskaftet (one of the main shopping streets) and spend just half an hour or so browsing the shelves, and then getting back to your childhood and building the odd Lego character or two. The store is so bright and full of happy people, its hard not to enjoy yourself and get into the spirit of creating brick based masterpieces once more. Do as the name suggests – LEGO – Play Well (LEG GODT)
Cost: Free to window shop :D Probably best taken on a clear day, although in truth, upon my visit to Copenhagen, my boat saved me from getting soaked in an almighty downpour – as per the below photo. Tours last around an hour, with the guides providing multi-lingual commentary whilst you simply sit back and relax aboard your chosen vessel. By river is a great way to see some of the city’s main sights such as the little mermaid, and also a top way to orientate yourself. Just be careful to keep your head down when you go under the low bridges! Cost: £7.50/75.00DKK per adult ticket Not free, but cheap enough in my opinion. I won’t go into too much detail here, as I wrote a whole post about my tour of the Carlsberg brewery just a few weeks ago, but if you like good beer and listening to interesting stories of how family feuds, swastikas and elephants can lead to the product of said beer, I highly recommend a trip to Visit Carlsburg whilst you’re in town.
Cost: Min cost £8/80DKK, but you can pay additionally for a guided tour. Min charge includes 2 free beers :D Bit of a plug for the Generator Hostel here, BUT, throughout all the hostels I have stayed in as a backpacker, this is the first I have ever stayed in which has a set of Petanque lanes available. Petanque is what some might call boules, a very popular game in both France and Italy. Its quite a social sport, not too demanding and played at a comfortable pace. Most importantly its a lot of fun, and something quite different for a few of us I suspect. Whilst there is always an element of competition within sport, I actually found playing quite relaxing – but I was having a pint from the bar and eating nachos at the time, so maybe that goes some way to explaining my relaxed state. Cost: From £5/50DKK per person – 90 minute session, 2-6 players. So there you go, 10 ways of having an awesome time in Copenhagen, whilst not breaking the bank. It’s an amazing city, and even if you’re not on a budget I would still recommend you check out a few of the above whilst in town, as they’re all pretty special.