A Guide to Staying Local While On a Budget
- Jessie Shen
- Apr 26
- 3 min read
Did you just look at your credit card statement and get scared by the number? Are you thinking, stepping outside in Copenhagen feels like a financial risk? Or maybe you’ve covered all the touristy Copenhagen things and just want some inspo on what to do next. Well, I’ve got you covered — all year round! Yup, even in the winter.
Absalon - Communal dinners every night at 6pm for $12 (or $16 with dessert Thu/Fri/Sat). Think high ceilings, long tables, and a packed room filled with new friends from all over the world. The food is fresh, filling, and delicious; there’s always vegetarian options (and sometimes it’s what everyone has!). Absalon also hosts other events like ping-pong, painting, yoga, etc. I’ve been here twice already and would love to go again before I leave! I’ve met Danes (it’s a spot that locals frequent), high schoolers visiting from Latvia, and university students from Ireland!
Dyrehaven - Literally translates to “the deer park.” Dyrehaven is inhabited by over 2,000 free-range deer (red deer, fallow deer, and sika deer). It’s a 20-minute train ride from Central Station (take it all the way to Klampenborg Station). It’s gorgeous in the winter too; I saw lots of locals and kids come here for sledding! The Hermitage Hunting Lodge, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015, is here too, which was built in 1734 by the Royal architect Lauritz de Thurah for King Christian VI. I’ve never seen this many deer in my life before!!! The place is HUGE, so you can easily spend 3 hours here.
Glyptotek - Calling all museum & art lovers — the Glyptotek is the leading antiquities museum of the Nordics and has some of the finest 19th-century French art collections. There’s free admission on the last Wednesday of every month!! This place is huge and I easily could have spent another hour here if I hadn’t been running short on time. One of the current exhibits is called Degas’ Obsession, which features an in-depth look into one of Edward Degas’ ballet paintings from both an artistic and technical standpoint.
Thrifting at Lidkøb - Lidkøb sells second-hand clothing from individual sellers, so each seller gets their own section of a rack. It’s really organized, which thank goodness, because I am not skilled at searching through Goodwill bins. I’m quite indecisive which makes me a terrible shopper (good for the wallet though?) but I’ve been here a few times and have actually found multiple clothing items I really love! Favorite finds include a GANNI top (omggg) and a black denim jacket. I wish I found out about this place in the winter because I’ve seen sooo many good coats here!
Frederiksberg Have - Walk around, go on a run, read a book, have a picnic? Basically what I’m saying is to go touch some grass!!! Frederiksberg Have is a Romantic landscape garden that was established in the late 1690s by King Frederik IV to accompany the Frederiksberg Palace. It was redesigned during the 1800s to include the Chinese Summerhouse, serpentine canals, and other romantic features. It’s such a beautiful green space during the spring and the vibes are always peak. I am a huge fan of this place!
Day Trips
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art - The most visited museum for modern & contemporary art in Scandinavia. The student ticket costs $20 (and it’s even a bit cheaper if you use the DSB app discount) but it’s definitely worth the visit. The museum is in a small town called Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen. You can literally spend a whole day here! You’ll see the Øresund, which is the strait that forms the Danish-Swedish border. You can also eat at the Louisiana Cafe which serves really good food (and gorgeous views if you can snatch a seat by the windows!).
Malmö & Lund, Sweden - You can travel to Sweden in just 30 minutes! If you want good Swedish meatballs (which you absolutely should try), go to Spoonery! A filling portion for only $16 with unlimited free bread and water (Copenhagen could never). You can also get some Swedish candy here that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Sweden doesn’t have a sugar tax so the candy there is cheaper than what you can get in Copenhagen. And obviously it’s much cheaper than buying from the Swedish candy stores that are taking over NYC and LA. Malmö is quite small, so after you walk around and explore for a bit, take the train to Lund (it’s super close). The cathedrals are gorgeous, and I heard that in the spring, the botanical gardens are beautiful!
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