Your guide to Copenhagen
Velkommen! WindEurope is back again in the Danish capital – here’s a handy guide to help you while you’re there!
This year, WindEurope’s Annual Event takes place in the spiritual home of wind power, and a modern-day renewables powerhouse – the Danish capital of Copenhagen. By all accounts the Danes are pioneers in all things green. If you’re not biking around on the city’s excellent network of cycle lanes, you can take one of many electric taxis or its world-class driverless metro system. And as you travel around you can easily spot some of the nearby offshore wind turbines helping to power this sustainable urban centre.
Copenhagen easily earns its green credentials, but by every other metric this is a great city to visit. A trip to Copenhagen is a trip to one of Europe’s most historic, picturesque, livable cities, packed with character and activities to satisfy all tastes. As you set out from the Bella Center, here are some things to whet your appetite for this year’s wind industry destination – Copenhagen.
A future-minded country with a long history
As you take a walk through the centre of Copenhagen, the cobbled streets, mercantile buildings and grand royal residences all give you a sense of the age of this place. This is the heart of one of Europe’s oldest monarchies, and a commercial and economic hub stretching back all the way to the Viking Age nearly a thousand years ago.
If history is what you’re after, it’s here in abundance. Check out the long list of museums and historic royal attractions you can find dotted all over the city.
A waterfront city
Copenhagen is very much a maritime centre, and sits at the meeting point of two seas, where the Baltic enters the Atlantic. Some of the city’s main attractions and streets lie right at the water’s edge. There’s no getting away from it – this is a city built on, and very much shaped by water.
Nowadays, the harbour is very much at the heart of city life. Canal tours snake their way up and down the waterfront all year round, giving you a view of the city you won’t get on foot. There’s also plenty of watersports to be had – kayaking, rowing, stand-up paddling, and even some nearby beaches to head to for a swim.
Gastronomic delights
Copenhagen is home to no fewer than 15 Michelin star restaurants, and while it mightn’t traditionally be regarded as a culinary destination, the gastronomic scene here is a huge part of the city experience. For the past 20 years, Copenhagen has been at the vanguard of new Nordic cuisine. Some of the restaurant names here have entered the top rankings worldwide. And the dining scene caters to all sorts of tastes and budgets – whatever you’re after.
On your walkabout you’ll find plenty of street food markets if you’d like to sample a quick bite. Not to mention a great nightlife and a range of bustling bars for anyone looking to try out Denmark’s world-renowned beers and brews.
Sustainable slopes
The city might be taking great strides in all things renewable, but there’s more than one way to get your head around this while you’re there. The CopenHill is one very real way to immerse yourself, from pretty high up (in a city that’s otherwise completely flat).
This state-of-the-art waste-to-energy facility, opened in the city harbour, has an artificial ski slope on top of it for the winter months, and a recreational hiking area open all year round. It’s a bit of a steep climb, but worth it for the panoramic views – and for the scale of this country’s green ambitions!
We’re very excited to be joining you all in this world-beating city this year, and as we put our minds to work delivering a renewables-based future for Europe, why not head out and take in some of the sustainable surroundings – and everything else that Copenhagen has to offer!
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