In a train on its way through the bombed out Germany are a bunch of happy American soldiers. They are going to Copenhagen for some R&R. One of them is John Petersen, a lieutenant in the American army and another is his friend Bill. They are talking about how much they are looking forward to a rest in Denmark and John Petersen who is of Danish descent talks about his native Copenhagen.
The action begins one early summer morning in a hostel, where we see, among others, two young girls, a law student, Ruth, and a small office lady, Ilse. From their conversation, we understand that Ilse has a very bourgeois outlook on life. By chance, these two girls come across one of Ruth's fellow students, Pontus Berthelsen, who is spending the summer holidays in a fisherman's cabin. Ilse, who has little world experience, quickly takes an interest in Pontus, who possesses a lot of innate charm. Pontus does his best to conquer Ilse, but her bourgeois attitude means - at first - that she does not fall for his rather deft approaches.