Copenhagen is known for its iconic Nyhavn district; it’s the row of colorful houses along a river that you have seen in every picture of the Scandinavian city. In actuality, there is a lot more to the capital of Denmark than the shockingly expensive restaurants that line the colorful district.

In this article and those to follow it with a similar goal, I aim to give travel advice to anyone looking to travel to the destinations that I have been lucky enough to travel to. In the inaugural article, I will talk a little about the place I will call home for the next four months and provide a little bit of information about what to expect from the perspective of someone who has an interesting blend of tourist and resident.

To start with, let’s talk a little bit about the tourist attractions that should be or will be high on the list of everyone who passes through the city of Copenhagen. The first item on the list is, of course, Nyhavn. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, Nyhavn is the most commonly photographed part of the city, serving as the backdrop of a seemingly endless number of selfies. Unknown to many of those selfie-takers, at the inception of the port, its main purpose was to attract sailors to the harbor for trading by offering many of the things you could imagine sailors would find enticing.

But that’s enough about Nyhavn! There are plenty of other things to see around the city, most of which are well-explained at each of their respective locations so to speed things along a little, I’ll just list through some of the notable sights to see (and there are a lot of them). A short journey from the colorful houses will have you at the queen’s winter residence of Amalienborg. From there you will have the opportunity to see the striking opera house across the river and Frederiks Kirke in the opposite direction. Just a little further down from there you will have an opportunity to see the Little Mermaid statue that lies in the water. Don’t let the size disappoint you, the statue itself is beautiful and is worth seeing. While you’re there, be sure to check out the Kastellet that you saw on the way to the Little Mermaid.

Moving away from the area, look to spend some time in the botanical garden and some of the many parks that are located throughout the city. Once you are sufficiently tired of making your way around Copenhagen, I highly recommend visiting one or two of the museums that the city has to offer. Students can get in for free in most places and some places allow everyone to get in for free. I have personally only visited the Design Museum and the David Collection, but they both provide more than enough content for an afternoon of learning about something new.

You might be thinking, “Okay, that’s a lot of traveling around, how am I supposed to get around a city to get the opportunity to do all of these things?” And to answer your question, I can tell you that you will have no shortage of options. There are trains, buses, and a metro available to cart you around the city with a number of different ways to pay. The most tourist-friendly option is the 24 or 72 hour pass that allows you to go around the Copenhagen area. A slightly cheaper and far more Danish way to travel around the city would be via bicycle! Bikes can be rented from retailers everywhere in the city and the bike paths are among some of the best in the world for city-travel. If you’re not looking to spend any money at all and willing to put in a little bit more time and effort, walking is always an option. Copenhagen is a very walkable city once you make your way from the airport to the city center. Everything I have mentioned in this article is well within walking distance for most people, and it allows for more opportunities to look around the city!

At the end of the day you will be looking for a place to eat and unwind and there’s no better place for this than the maze of shops, bars, and restaurants along the cobbled streets of the very heart of the city. Although pretty much everything in Copenhagen is expensive, it’s possible to find affordable dinner options and cheaper bars if you ask the friendly locals. And if everything is out of your price range like us college students, grocery stores are always a good option for cheap, fast, and usually healthy food.

All in all, Copenhagen has a lot to offer for anyone willing to make the visit. If you come during the winter, be sure to prepare for some very cold weather and if you come during the summer, be prepared to enjoy the long hours of daylight. If you’re planning on visiting Europe, be sure to add Copenhagen to your list of destinations for a relaxing cultural experience.