Vesterbro: Exploring This Quaint Neighborhood in Copenhagen

20

Aug

From Tivoli Gardens to Nyhavn, Copenhagen has some AMAZING sights that I can’t get enough of! But outside of the busy city center, there’s a quaint neighborhood in Copenhagen with cute houses, awesome restaurants, and even palaces! Vesterbro is probably my favorite neighborhood in Copenhagen, and I have lots of recommendations for things to see in Vesterbro πŸ™‚

Things to See in Vesterbro: Exploring This Quaint Neighborhood in Copenhagen

I first explored Vesterbro when I studied abroad in Copenhagen in the winter, and I went with a group o people to check out some thrift stores. It was a crazy cold and snowy day, so the streets were empty and most of the stores were closed. Five years later, I explored Vesterbro again on a bright, sunny day in June, and thankfully, things looked a lot different!

Houses in Vesterbro

Gardens in Vesterbro

Houses in Vesterbro

Church in Vesterbro

Orange buildings in Copenhagen

Vesterbro is a very popular place to live since it’s right outside the city center, and there are lots of great restaurants and shops. It didn’t start being built up until the 1850s when the cholera epidemic hit, and people wanted to get out of the city center (just like what I learned about Greenwich Village when yellow fever hit NYC).

It’s known as being a “hipster” neighborhood (but it seemed more upscale than the more grungy, hipster neighborhoods I’m used to in Philadelphia like Fishtown), and it actually used to be a bad part of town with drugs and prostitution only 20 years ago. Things have certainly turned around since then, and it’s such a pretty neighborhood!

Yellow mansion in Vesterbro

Frederiksberg Palace

On the outskirts of Vesterbro is a palace! Frederiksberg Palace (not to be confused with Frederiksborg Castle, the Versailles of Denmark)Β was built 1699-1735, and it was the royal family’s summer home until the 1800s. The Royal Danish Military Academy has used it since 1869. They only have two tours on the last Saturday of the month, so I wasn’t able to go inside. But you can get some pretty views of it in the palace gardens, which are open to the public!

Flamingos at the Copenhagen Zoo

Frederiksberg Palace is right next to the Copenhagen Zoo, so you can get a peek of the flamingos!

Frederiksberg Palace

Frederiksberg Palace

Frederiksberg Palace

Frederiksberg Palace park

Frederiksberg Palace park

Frederiksberg Palace park

Houses in Vesterbro

In Vesterbro, there’s a Carlsberg neighborhood! If you don’t know about Carlsberg, it’s a famous Danish beer, and it’s spread to the U.S. pretty recently. Four years ago, I walked two miles in the middle of the summer to the one store in D.C. that sold Carlsberg, and they had one case in the very back of the fridge. Today, most bars I go to have Carlsberg on tap!

A neighborhood around the brewery is being built up with new apartment buildings, and they recently added a train station. The neighborhood around the brewery has lots of historic houses, which are my favorite πŸ™‚

Houses in Vesterbro

Houses in Vesterbro

Houses in Vesterbro

Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro

Carlsberg was founded in 1847 byΒ J.C. Jacobsen, and the Carlsberg Foundation was founded in 1876. Jacobsen was an art collector and philanthropist, and the foundation supports things like scientific research and the arts. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek houses Jacobsen’s art collection, and it’s one of my favorite art museums in the world!

You can take a tour of the Carlsberg brewery, which I’ve actually never done, but I’ve heard good things about it. If you don’t want to take a tour, you can check out the brewery store or drink a beer in the courtyard.

Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro

Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro

Somersby is my all time favorite and it’s FINALLY being sold in the U.S.!

Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro

Carlsberg Brewery in Vesterbro

Mansions in Vesterbro

Carlsberg in Vesterbro

Carlsberg in Vesterbro

Carlsberg archway

Jacobsen and his son Carl (who Carlsberg was named for) had a falling out, so Carl opened a “new” brewery in 1882 (Ny Carlsberg) so Jacobsen renamed his as “old” (Gamle Carlsberg). They were later merged together after Jacobsen’s death.

Carlsberg entryway

They’re building up the area, but you can just see the famous elephant statues through the archway

Vesterbro apartments

Houses in Vesterbro

Vesterbro apartments

Roses in Danish doorway

Kebab stand in Vesterbro

On that freezing cold day, Kebabistan came to the rescue and helped warm me up! Definitely recommend their shawarma πŸ™‚

Mood Food in Vesterbro

Istedgade is probably the most well known part of Vesterbro. It’s a long street where tons of shops and restaurants are located, and Visit Copenhagen has lots of recommendations for places to eat since I haven’t been able to eat everywhere yet! You can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants in that area though.

Restaurants in Vesterbro

Restaurants in Vesterbro

My favorite part is the colorful buildings, of course

Istedgade shopping street Vesterbro

Istedgade shopping street Vesterbro

Antique stores on Istedgade shopping street Vesterbro

There are lots of antique stores with good deals! My family has collected the small Danish plates for generations, and I’m always on the hunt for more!

Architecture in Vesterbro

Restaurants on Istedgade in Vesterbro

So if you have time to see more than the main sights in Copenhagen, spend some time in Vesterbro! (And Østerbro is a pretty cool neighborhood to visit, too!) This quaint neighborhood in Copenhagen has everything from breweries to antique stores, and you could spend hours checking out all these things to see in Vesterbro πŸ™‚

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Blog, Denmark, Europe, Photography, Travel

  1. Lindsey says:

    Copenhagen was literally the cutest place. I loved it when I went! This guide is great.

  2. Natasha says:

    Never heard of Vesterbro before but it’s got great colours, looks charming. Your photos capture the beauty well.

  3. Nadia says:

    I went to Copenhagen during my honeymoon and I completely fell in love with the city!

  4. olivia says:

    Love this! I’m hoping to go to Copenhagen – and the rest of Scandinavia next year at some point! this is a gorgeous neighbourhood.

  5. Chandrima says:

    Omg! This is such a pretty place! I’m definitely adding it to my list of must-visit places ????

  6. Dina says:

    Can’t believe I live in Europe and STILL haven’t been to Copenhagen, especially in the summer! How is it in winter? Vesterbro looks so pretty with lots to do. Hopefully there are other beverages available for us scarce non-beer drinkers ;).

    • Julia says:

      You should go soon! The winter can be pretty cold, especially with the wind. A lot of places also aren’t open in the winter because the weather isn’t great. If you prefer warmer weather and want to visit a lot of places, I would recommend going in April or May!

  7. Julia says:

    Oh my, the buildings! They are so beautiful and colourful. The sun definitely helps for the sights, but I’m sure that even on a cloudy day the colours of the houses just brighten up everything. And they have Carlsberg too… Is this my dream place? haha. Thank you for showing us around, from seeing all your photos of Copenhagen and the surroundings you’ve made me add it to my bucket list. I love adding new places that I discover through fellow bloggers. So thank you πŸ™‚

    Julia x
    Last Post: How To Focus in a Digital World | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.com/2018/07/lifestyle-how-to-focus-and-concentrate.html

    • Julia says:

      Yes it really is a dream place! The neighborhood is just beautiful, and the brewery and palace are bonuses! I hope you get to explore Vesterbro one day! πŸ™‚

  8. Tonya says:

    You are so making me want to go to Copenhagen!

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