Catching a short train ride from Copenhagen to the seaside Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was a true pleasure. One of the best galleries I've ever visited. Also, really enjoyed breakfast at The Laundromat Cafe (and bookstore)
For your Germany leg, I think it could be interesting to speak with someone from the org I joined recently, Agora Energiewende: https://www.agora-energiewende.org/
They have been and are instrumental in the energy transitions of originally Germany, then the European Union, and in the last couple of years also internationally. Could do a pod on the history of the German energy transition, how they're working to coordinate transition policy across sectors (energy, transport, industry, and agriculture), or how the transition is advancing in Southeast Asia, for example. Happy to connect you if it's of interest.
Re urbanism in Copenhagen you should of course do all the glossy stuff (ride a bike around the city, using the many nice bridges, swim in the harbor, stroll around in the central Copenhagen, etc).
But if you also want to learn about what is really going on re not only urbanism (where several highway projects around Copenhagen are decided) but also our broader climate and energy policies, then come visit CONCITO.
I’ll be happy to organise a meeting with relevant experts - not only from our own 70+ staff, but possibly also from ministries and the City of Copenhagen.
Just let me know what topics you would like to cover.
Copenhagen is fantastic, but it’s worth the short train trip over the Oresund bridge to Malmo. You can take a walking tour of Sustainable Malmo and see what they’ve done with urban planning and energy efficiency in Sweden’s third largest city
Rund Tarn, in the old center in Copenhagen, is a lovely old tower with a spiral floor that rises to the top, and gives you great views! Also, the waterfront near there has some lovely spaces to enjoy. My must-go was the Design Museum in Copenhagen, and if I went back now, I'd get my butt on a bicycle and try to really explore their bike network. Have fun!!
I second all of this, especially the Design Museum! Copenhagen is just a fabulous place to walk. And save room for a pint of Mikkeller at The Social Beer Shop or similar.
Every time I’m in Hamburg I block out a couple of hours to go to Miniatur Wunderland. It’s a tiny lifelike recreation of places all around the world. There are multiple floors and you could spend 4 hours there without seeing everything! It’s very unique.
A bit north of Copenhagen there's a big battery powered ferry that can take you for a nice 20 minute ride between Helsingør and Helsingborg, and you can checkout Hamlet's castle. Well worth it for the diesel exhaust-free ride over the sea. And keep in mind you're passing fairly close by LEGO Land and LEGO House on the way to Copenhagen from Hamburg. I live nearby and can give more recommendations if you're interested.
I am married to a Dane, and we had our Danish wedding (as opposed to the US one) in Copenhagen at the Marble Church (Marmorkirke) on Store Kongesgade. It's beautiful. See it.
CPH is pedestrian and cycle friendly, and the ice cream is truly delicious. I won't presume to tell you anything about environmental concerns and initiatives, tho there's no shortage of interesting work. Instead, get a sense of Dk aesthetics and head to the Strøget, the pedestrian center of the city. Big yes on the Rund tower.
Make sure you practice kaffe og kage, the Danish practice of coffee and cake. La Glace and Maison D'Angleterre are good choices. Also, make sure you get an ice cream cone. Flavors there are delightful. Solbær (black currant), Pistacie (pistachio), and really anything. Very dense, rich and delicious flavor. Hansens Icecream, St.Kongensgade 93, 1264 København K, is worth a visit.
Danish Jewish Museum is definitely worth seeing, as is the Design museum. So many incredible dining choices spawned by the late great Noma.
In Copenhagen as we speak. Agree on Louisiana Museum. Plan to eat lunch there as well assuming nice weather.
Also, when at Nyhavn, take a 60 minute boat tour. It was $6.50/person and gives you a great sense of the city. Copenhagen is not all that big, and over the course of a few days, you’ll see the landmarks that got pointed out over and over again.
Finally, there are many street food markets where you can sample from many types of cuisine. Reffen (it takes a little more effort to get to, but a great place to relax and watch a sunset) and Torvehallerne are two that were pretty good.
I’ll spare you all the playgrounds we visited with the kids.
If you do end up wanting to record a podcast, I work with EV startup Monta, which is based in Copenhagen! I could connect you with CEO and founder Casper Rasmussen, who can give you the whole download about the challenge Monta solves in the EV charging network and why Europe (and the Nordics in particular) are leading the way here. Feel free to drop me a line at emuhlberg@inkhouse.com if you're interested!
In Copenhagen, it's worth taking a look at Freetown Christiania: tourist-friendly these days, but still a good place for vegan food and an alternative way of doing sustainable urbanism! I also agree with Cindy Thompson that cycling is a must. When I was 16 some friends and I got a ferry from Harwich (eastern England) to Esbjerg and cycled across Denmark to Copenhagen and back. A great way to experience the country.
Visiting Copenhagen several times 2012-2015 I was most impressed by the claim that the new housing in the Ørestad area was powered by municipal waste incineration. By now, I expect a lot has been learned by the city and can be shared about how that has worked, especially about how non-recyclable plastic materials are handled. I’m not sure if a tourist visit to the “ski hill” or a journalist request to Amager Bakke (or both) would be the best approach.
Separately, if you take a daytime trip on the metro from Ørestad to downtown you will see just how incredibly uplifting a planned urban environment can be - something as an American I was stunned by and still share with friends and family over ten years later.
This is an artificial hill/waste-to-energy power plant with some community and tourist features - cafes, city views, skiing in the winter - on the outskirts of the city, by the dock. Would honestly make for an interesting episode on how clean 'clean' infrastructure is, and how to fit it into an urban landscape in interesting ways (I wonder how much the locals like it, and not just tourists...).
As a tourist destination, it's best combined with a trip to Christiana, the anarchist commune/artist's haven (pros: the Tibetan food is great and the proprietor has a great story; cons: avoid the open air drug markets), and with the Reffen open air food hall.
To protect yourself and others from the spread of viral illness, like COVID-19 and a host of other airborne infections, please make sure to wear an N95 mask in public. This is especially important in planes and crowded areas, both indoors and outdoors, e.g. public transit. I also highly recommend a miniature air purifier to keep on your person.
Catching a short train ride from Copenhagen to the seaside Louisiana Museum of Modern Art was a true pleasure. One of the best galleries I've ever visited. Also, really enjoyed breakfast at The Laundromat Cafe (and bookstore)
For your Germany leg, I think it could be interesting to speak with someone from the org I joined recently, Agora Energiewende: https://www.agora-energiewende.org/
They have been and are instrumental in the energy transitions of originally Germany, then the European Union, and in the last couple of years also internationally. Could do a pod on the history of the German energy transition, how they're working to coordinate transition policy across sectors (energy, transport, industry, and agriculture), or how the transition is advancing in Southeast Asia, for example. Happy to connect you if it's of interest.
Re urbanism in Copenhagen you should of course do all the glossy stuff (ride a bike around the city, using the many nice bridges, swim in the harbor, stroll around in the central Copenhagen, etc).
But if you also want to learn about what is really going on re not only urbanism (where several highway projects around Copenhagen are decided) but also our broader climate and energy policies, then come visit CONCITO.
I’ll be happy to organise a meeting with relevant experts - not only from our own 70+ staff, but possibly also from ministries and the City of Copenhagen.
Just let me know what topics you would like to cover.
Read more here: https://concito.dk/en
PS: And yes, of course I also have a lot of restaurant recommendations …
Copenhagen is fantastic, but it’s worth the short train trip over the Oresund bridge to Malmo. You can take a walking tour of Sustainable Malmo and see what they’ve done with urban planning and energy efficiency in Sweden’s third largest city
Rund Tarn, in the old center in Copenhagen, is a lovely old tower with a spiral floor that rises to the top, and gives you great views! Also, the waterfront near there has some lovely spaces to enjoy. My must-go was the Design Museum in Copenhagen, and if I went back now, I'd get my butt on a bicycle and try to really explore their bike network. Have fun!!
I second all of this, especially the Design Museum! Copenhagen is just a fabulous place to walk. And save room for a pint of Mikkeller at The Social Beer Shop or similar.
Every time I’m in Hamburg I block out a couple of hours to go to Miniatur Wunderland. It’s a tiny lifelike recreation of places all around the world. There are multiple floors and you could spend 4 hours there without seeing everything! It’s very unique.
Be sure to get to the Tivoli Garden!
A bit north of Copenhagen there's a big battery powered ferry that can take you for a nice 20 minute ride between Helsingør and Helsingborg, and you can checkout Hamlet's castle. Well worth it for the diesel exhaust-free ride over the sea. And keep in mind you're passing fairly close by LEGO Land and LEGO House on the way to Copenhagen from Hamburg. I live nearby and can give more recommendations if you're interested.
I am married to a Dane, and we had our Danish wedding (as opposed to the US one) in Copenhagen at the Marble Church (Marmorkirke) on Store Kongesgade. It's beautiful. See it.
CPH is pedestrian and cycle friendly, and the ice cream is truly delicious. I won't presume to tell you anything about environmental concerns and initiatives, tho there's no shortage of interesting work. Instead, get a sense of Dk aesthetics and head to the Strøget, the pedestrian center of the city. Big yes on the Rund tower.
Make sure you practice kaffe og kage, the Danish practice of coffee and cake. La Glace and Maison D'Angleterre are good choices. Also, make sure you get an ice cream cone. Flavors there are delightful. Solbær (black currant), Pistacie (pistachio), and really anything. Very dense, rich and delicious flavor. Hansens Icecream, St.Kongensgade 93, 1264 København K, is worth a visit.
Danish Jewish Museum is definitely worth seeing, as is the Design museum. So many incredible dining choices spawned by the late great Noma.
In Copenhagen as we speak. Agree on Louisiana Museum. Plan to eat lunch there as well assuming nice weather.
Also, when at Nyhavn, take a 60 minute boat tour. It was $6.50/person and gives you a great sense of the city. Copenhagen is not all that big, and over the course of a few days, you’ll see the landmarks that got pointed out over and over again.
Finally, there are many street food markets where you can sample from many types of cuisine. Reffen (it takes a little more effort to get to, but a great place to relax and watch a sunset) and Torvehallerne are two that were pretty good.
I’ll spare you all the playgrounds we visited with the kids.
In Hamburg, I really enjoyed Treppenviertel, Miniatur Wunderland, and Planten un Blomen
Second the recommendation for Miniatur Wunderland - it's truly unlike anything else you're likely to see!
If you do end up wanting to record a podcast, I work with EV startup Monta, which is based in Copenhagen! I could connect you with CEO and founder Casper Rasmussen, who can give you the whole download about the challenge Monta solves in the EV charging network and why Europe (and the Nordics in particular) are leading the way here. Feel free to drop me a line at emuhlberg@inkhouse.com if you're interested!
In Copenhagen, it's worth taking a look at Freetown Christiania: tourist-friendly these days, but still a good place for vegan food and an alternative way of doing sustainable urbanism! I also agree with Cindy Thompson that cycling is a must. When I was 16 some friends and I got a ferry from Harwich (eastern England) to Esbjerg and cycled across Denmark to Copenhagen and back. A great way to experience the country.
Visiting Copenhagen several times 2012-2015 I was most impressed by the claim that the new housing in the Ørestad area was powered by municipal waste incineration. By now, I expect a lot has been learned by the city and can be shared about how that has worked, especially about how non-recyclable plastic materials are handled. I’m not sure if a tourist visit to the “ski hill” or a journalist request to Amager Bakke (or both) would be the best approach.
Separately, if you take a daytime trip on the metro from Ørestad to downtown you will see just how incredibly uplifting a planned urban environment can be - something as an American I was stunned by and still share with friends and family over ten years later.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned The CopenHill yet! - http://www.copenhill.dk/en
This is an artificial hill/waste-to-energy power plant with some community and tourist features - cafes, city views, skiing in the winter - on the outskirts of the city, by the dock. Would honestly make for an interesting episode on how clean 'clean' infrastructure is, and how to fit it into an urban landscape in interesting ways (I wonder how much the locals like it, and not just tourists...).
As a tourist destination, it's best combined with a trip to Christiana, the anarchist commune/artist's haven (pros: the Tibetan food is great and the proprietor has a great story; cons: avoid the open air drug markets), and with the Reffen open air food hall.
To protect yourself and others from the spread of viral illness, like COVID-19 and a host of other airborne infections, please make sure to wear an N95 mask in public. This is especially important in planes and crowded areas, both indoors and outdoors, e.g. public transit. I also highly recommend a miniature air purifier to keep on your person.