Snapshots – Ideas for the Weekend #13: Copenhagen in July: pros and cons

So here’s the thing. The weather in Denmark usually sucks. But not in July. July is the time of the year when you want to be in Copenhagen, with a perfect temperature in the lower twenties and some night chill. And the light. The sun sets around 9.30 p.m. and you get to see the sky until around 11. I have been told Copenhagen is “Nordic sky for beginners”. Well, let me tell you, I may be a beginner but I am into this and I think I am going intermediate next year. All this light allows me to work until around 4 in the afternoon and still have another 6 hours of day light. It’s like having a way longer day. It’s like working AND being on vacation at the same time.

If only… Yes, if only everything did not close down at 5 p.m. Which is a big con. The only day when you feel you are in a European capital is Wednesday, when both museums and shops stay open until late (late being 9 p.m.). Every other day of the week, the city basically shuts down at around 5. On the other hand, I have seen a lot of dads walking with strollers on very normal working days around five, which means this is kind of their life style: you work early, stop working early and then you have a lot of free time. I still don’t get why everything is closed when people do have free time. Like during the weekends: shops are closed all day on Sundays and open only until 2.30 – 3 p.m. on Saturdays. 

Another thing that happens in July is that, apart from the week of the Jazz Festival, which is international anyway, everybody seems to be gone. July is the month of the year when the Danes go on vacations. Schools are closed and the city is basically empty. You might enjoy the idea that the streets are not too crowded and that the traffic is not so bad. You are not going to stand in line for anything. You are going to be able to eat at almost every restaurant in the city, but well Noma is closed for the whole month. Or: you might miss some action, depending on what you are looking for. Pubs are going to be half empty and it might be tricky to get to know locals, since they are all gone. But well, those who stay do enjoy summer nights with open air movies or concerts in the amazing parks of this quite amazing city.