Discover Vesterbro, the epicenter of Copenhagen’s hipster culture, on this beer and culture walking tour. Spend an afternoon with a couple of brews exploring the former red-light district of Vesterbro, while you find out why Lonely Planet have called this neighborhood one of the coolest in the world with a local guide and a small group of like-minded travelers.
- Tune into seedy Vesterbro tales of the past through a couple of brews with locals who have walked these streets most of their life.
- Discover where the locals live and love to hang out with pit-stops in 3 beloved and markedly distinctive pubs, where you of course get to taste the golden and distinctive beers with the locals
- Experience how gentrification is transforming a shady neighborhood into a hip urban area without compromising the neighborhoods past identity, while you support a range of good causes
- Discover that beer makes Vesterbro better!
Inclusions & Exclusions
✔ 1 traditional Danish beer and 2 craft beers
✔ 1-on-1 recomendations for further exploring the city
✔ Native English-speaking guide
✖ Additional food and drinks
✖ Tips/gratuities for your guide.
✖ Souvenirs of a personal nature
✖ Post-tour dinner
Departure & Return
Departure:
Reventlowsgade, 1620 København V, Denmark
We're meeting at the Central Station back entrance, at the street named Reventlowsgade, across the street from Jernbanecafeen. The entrance to the Central Station has a small 7 above the door.
Return: Halmtorvet 27E, 1700 København, Denmark
We're ending the tour at a bar close to the Meatpacking District filled to the brim with delicious local eateries and a fantastic evening scene.
Itinerary
1
Copenhagen Central Station
Meet your native guide right in front of the gates that used to be the entrance point to Copenhagen. To get a better understanding of the neighborhood, your native guide will present some context of how the neighborhood's identity was formed back in the days.
Duration: 15 minutes
2
Istedgade
Walk through Istedgade, Copenhagen’s former red light district, that have a glorious history of drugs and prostitution and still a seedy reputation around Denmark but is completely safe too frequent today. Here tune into stories on how Copenhagen maintain its more shady elements that is part of the neighborhoods identity through a variety of awesome government programs.
Duration: 5 minutes
3
Freddy`s bar
Traditional Danish dive bar, Copenhagen: Come on in to the first stop of the tour, a traditional Danish dive bar, beloved by the locals. Here enjoy a classic pilsner with the locals and take in the common room atmosphere of the past and tune into tales about the Carlsberg workers and everyone else from the working class who used to frequent these bars after work and why it was so important to them and the community
Duration: 30 minutes
4
Meatpacking District, Copenhagen
Walk through Copenhagen’s meatpacking district that have won several design awards for its contemporary use of these old buildings and we will walk through all of the 3 areas and tell you the fantastic story of how it was used and how it has turned into a very hip and popular place today for the locals. We will end the tour close by, so you can come back and explore the cool restaurants, bars, and shops on your own afterwards if you would like.
5
Viktoriagade
Marvel at Vesterbro’s heart that might not look like much, but mean a lot to the locals as a token of the neighborhoods rebellious and more chaotic past. If you’re lucky, your guide may even have a pen with them, so you can make your own little drawing on it - don’t worry, it’s of course allowed.
Duration: 5 minutes
6
Mikkeller Bar
Sit down and tune into a drama-filled story of two siblings who had a nag for beer, which they turned into a hugely popular beer brand nearly over night that resonates so well with the city’s contemporary way of life. Their beer is of course world-known today, but this is the bar where it all started and if you would like taste one of the four initial beers they took the world by storm with. All while you of course get to see the very distinct contrast between the dive bar you just visited and this very minimalistic one.
Duration: 30 minutes
7
Det Ny Teater
Walk by the new theatre, which of course is a very beautiful building in and of itself. But your native guide will point out a minor detail as you pass by from the Vesterbro side to the Frederiksberg neighborhood side showcasing something very unique and symbolic of this neighborhoods past.
8
Central Hotel & Café
As we walk, your guide will lead your gaze toward a charming small building with an upper floor and one window with a very nice story highlighting the neighborhoods wonderful history.
9
Westend
As we walk through the French quarter, we’ll take a right turn in and here you’ll be met by a few art pieces made by graffiti artists sanctioned by the municipality. Take in the stories of these magnificent pieces and learn why sanctioned places for graffiti is important in such a historical city like Copenhagen.
Duration: 10 minutes
10
Skydebanehaven
Proceeding onwards, we’ll open a gate where you might suspect there is a castle and there is not. Your local guide will let you know why and let you feel what this kind of place used to be for the royals and why they built a seemingly pointless wall right next to this fantastic green haven and playground. Here you will also learn where the Danish phrase ‘To Shoot The Parrot’ come from, as the saying actually originate from this fantastic place.
Duration: 10 minutes
11
Sønder Boulevard
With a change in the public planning processes in the late 1990s, Vesterbro changed significantly for the better. Sønder Boulevard is one of those areas that used to be very polluted and heavily trafficked, but now is one of the locals favorite places to relax with its awesome green leisure spaces.
12
Fermentoren Beer Bar
If we decided not to stop for the beer outside and the weather didn’t allow it, we’ll head for one of our favorite local bars to conclude the tour. The place mix the homely atmosphere of the first traditional bar and the new golden craft brew from the other in a fantastic way. They also got a lot of different taps that change every week, so if you would like to keep the simple you can even roll the dice if their selection get too overwhelming. Stay as long as you like, or, if you feel like exploring further, your guide is happy to share dinner recommendations — there are many excellent places just around the corner.
Duration: 30 minutes
Additional info
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Passengers under 18 are not permitted on this tour
• For your Copenhagen By Mie & Friends tour you will be in a small group of a maximum of 10 people.
• Comfortable footwear for walking recommended
• Bring an umbrella or rain jacket in case of rain
• 1 Euro per guest will be donated to the ‘Mændenes Hjem’ organisation – a social welfare initiative dating back more than 100 years that aims to help the homeless and other disadvantaged local people
• Travelers who show symptoms for COVID-19 will not be allowed to participate in the experience.
