Class in the City
Image by Heidi Peng | View from Vestergade 7
Image by Heidi Peng | Marmorkirken Metro Station
A huge perk of the DIS program is that your “campus” is fully integrated into the city, which gives you the perfect opportunity to make full use of Copenhagen’s incredible public transportation system. To get to class every day, I took a 20-minute metro ride from Poul Henningsens Plads in Østerbro to Rådhuspladsen near Strøget. And on the weekends, I’d take frequent trips within and out of the city with the help of my trusty commuter card.
Even now, I can still hear to beeping of the metro doors and the Siri-like voice of the PA system announcing each stop. The metro system is also very friendly to foreigners, with every sign having an English translation. Every station also has several kiosks where you can purchase various tickets if you’re not interested in downloading the DSB app. But if you want to travel to Malmö, Sweden or to one of the other islands in Denmark, you might want to visit Copenhagen Central Station to secure a seat.
While I won’t go into detail about the city’s public transportation, I can say that I became fully accustomed to taking the metro within just a few days of living there. Sure there’s a bit of a learning curve at the start, but when in doubt, just take Metro Line 3, which goes in a big loop around the city; you’ll feel like a Copenhagen native within no time!
Image by Heidi Peng | Momowok Box
Now when it comes to food, you’re in for a real treat (even if your wallet ends up hating you for it). Our classroom, located at Vestergade 7, was just a 5-minute walk from Strøget and a 10-minute walk from Kongens Nytorv; this meant we also had loads of options for lunch, dinner and snacks. One of my favorite spots was Momowok Box, which features made-to-order noodles and an outdoor seating area. Now Copenhagen is notorious for being an expensive city, but if you balance eating out with cooking at home, you can cut back on food costs.
That being said, you might find it hard to control yourself when confronted with cuisine from every culture you can think of—Chinese, French, Italian, Thai, Danish, Indian, Japanese, etc. And I’d certainly say one of the aspects that I miss the most about Copenhagen is the sheer variety of dinner spots I could head to every night.
Now the best way to find restaurants to try in Copenhagen is simply to walk around. I discovered some of my favorite restaurants, like Hayaku Sushi, purely by chance, and if you get a little hungry before you reach your destination, grab some roasted almonds or a crepe! You can also check out the various food markets located around the city, but I won’t spoil too much in the hopes that you can go explore them for yourself one day.
Image by Heidi Peng | Dorm room
Last but not least, the key to unlocking your creative potential in Copenhagen is to constantly look around you. The city is ripe with artistic expression, from graffiti to concert posters to awe-inspiring architecture. Once you begin to really observe your surroundings, you’ll find that everything has the potential to become art.
I’d suggest picking up a sketchbook from a local art store or Muji and heading out with nothing but your phone and a drawing utensil. Take in all the sounds as well as all the sights, and release your inner artist!
(p.s. On a slightly unrelated note, be sure to take a look at all the shops within the city center. You’re bound to happen upon hidden gems like Studio Arhoj or find some unique souvenirs at the Flying Tiger!)
