The Traveling Blogcrastinator: July 2026

Friday August 7, 2026

After another delicious breakfast at our hotel, we walked around Vesterbro, the neighborhood the hotel is in. After you get a block or two away from the main streets, you are in a fairly residential neighborhood. There are lots of small ethnic restaurants and bars. It was quiet in the morning when we were there, but we could imagine a bustling scene in the evening.

All in all, I loved our time in Copenhagen, even with the crowded shopping street. The city is beautiful, the food is wonderful, and the culture is an interesting mix of egalitarianism, social trust, a bicycle-oriented lifestyle, and a design aesthetic that emphasizes functional minimalism.

There is a lot to see and do in and around Copenhagen, so I think a first time visit should be at least 4 or 5 days. I haven’t spent a lot of time in my blog talking about all the things Copenhagen has to offer, but at the top of the list is quality of life. This is our third visit and we have seen some of the city’s museums, castles, palaces, churches, markets, parks, and more during our previous visits. You don’t want to miss the chance to soak up as much of the rich culture of Copenhagen as possible.

We saw a lot of 4- and 5-story apartment buildings. Usually there was some kind of commercial use on the ground floor - a restaurant, a café, a little bodega, or a boutique. It occurred to me that urban spaces can be much more livable when you have this type of mixed use. Residents are able to walk to most places they need to go and the number of cars on the street is reduced accordingly.

Visitors who stay in hotels also benefit from the availability of restaurants, parks, and shopping in the city center. They are able to walk everywhere and don’t need to use taxis or compete with local commuters for space on buses.

I live in a city that has embraced the car culture, and almost nobody lives downtown. Instead of playgrounds, pharmacies and grocery stores, our downtown has parking lots, empty storefronts, and office buildings that empty out at 5:00 pm every evening. I would love to see more folks living there.

Soon enough it was time to check out of our room and find a taxi (which was easy to do). We were dropped off at Oceankaj terminal, which is newer, and in an isolated area about 30-40 minutes from our central location. We were able to board our ship, the Sapphire Princess, within about 40 minutes, and our room was ready by the time we got there.

We ate dinner at Sabatini’s, an Italian specialty restaurant on the ship. They have tweaked their menu since our last Princess cruise and the service and the food are top notch.