Copenhagen, Denmark

Summer 2017

Over the years, I heard my husband talk about Copenhagen as one of his favourite places ever and how amazing were the Tivoli Gardens. 
So, in the summer of 2017, we decided to split our holiday between Sweden and Denmark, where we also met friends in both places. 
Copenhagen is the perfect place to fly to if you want to visit the south of Sweden, just a short train ride away.

Nyhavn Harbour

The buzzing capital of Denmark offers a charming, walkable and safe city break. Characterised by its iconic colourful harbour houses, it offers a mix of royal history, modern architecture and culture with sustainable living, great public transport (one of the best and most reliable in the world),  and a thriving cycling culture. 
Yes, there are thousands of bicycles! In fact, there are more bicycles in Copenhagen than people, and 400km of cycle lanes, not shared with cars or pedestrians.

Houseboat in Christianshavn Canal

Paper Island

Paper island, or Papirøen in Danish, is an island located in the heart of Copenhagen's harbor district.
A former industrial site used to store large rolls of paper for local newspapers, is now a vibrant urban quarter where people live, meet and relax, enjoy culture and good food.

 

TorvehallerneKBH

TorvehallerneKBH is a one-of-a-kind market, filled with food stalls, coffee shops, fresh produce, flower stalls and exquisite little food bars from all over the world. A gem for locals and tourists, it's well known for the high quality, which is mostly sustainable and organic (it definitely reflects in the prices).  

TorvehallerneKBH indoor market

Botanical Garden 

The Botanical Garden is a beautiful oasis in the heart of Copenhagen. It is part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, and it holds the largest collection of living plants in the country.
The gardens spread over a vast 9.5 hectares with an arboretum, rock gardens, a lake and greenhouse complexes. 
Palm House is a must-see! In this beautiful Victorian greenhouse, with an accessible elevated walkway, you will find a rich diversity of tropical and sub-tropical species as well as beautiful butterflies.

The Botanical Garden is a free public green space to roam and relax, except for Palm House where there's an entrance fee. 

Rosenborg castle

One of the city's main attractions and just a short walk from Nyhavn, is Rosenborg Castle, a Renaissance castle, originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606.
It is situated in one of the most popular parks in Copenhagen, the King's Garden, and hosts a museum showcasing Denmark's Royal history, as well as the crown jewels.

 

Located in the King's Garden, is a unique playground; a haven from children.
It's an enclosed area by tall hedges, creating a safe and contained environment for children to wander freely. From stepping logs, to a dragon and golden eggs, this park provides a lot to entertain the little ones.
 

Kongens Have (The King's Garden) 

Amalienborg Palace 

In the heart of Copenhagen is Amalienborg Castle, named after the princess Sophie Amalie in the mid 1600s, and the official winter residence of the Danish royal family.
300 years after the fire that destroyed the palace in 1689, Frederik V decided to rebuild the site. Because he couldn't finance the new construction, he gifted plots to four nobles who were obliged to construct the palace according to the plans of the court's architect.

Today, the site consists of four palaces in typical Danish Rococo style: Moltke's Palace (Christian VII's Palace), Schack's Palace (Christian IX's Palace), Brockdorff's Palace (Frederik VIII's Palace) and Levetzau's Palace (Christian VIII's Palace).
The palaces are arranged around the octagonal Amalienborg Palace Square, and at the centre of the square stands an equestrian statue of Frederik.

The Danish Guard marches from Rosenborg Castle to Amalieborg Castle, where the Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place daily at 12 pm. When the Queen is in residence, the guard is accompanied by the Royal Guard's music band.

 Kastellet

The most disappointing part of the holiday was the famous Little Mermaid. We knew it was a quite small statue with lots of tourists taking pictures. But in reality, it was 100 times worse than what we expected. Impossible to get close enough due to the crowds, let alone taking a picture without catching all the tourists taking selfies.

 

But the surrounding area is beautiful. Kastellet is so much more than just the statue, as it is one of the most well-preserved fortresses in Europe, and has expansive grounds filled with nature, and other interesting spots such as the Gefion Fountain, the kastellet bridge as the main entrance to the park,  and the only Anglican church in Denmark. 

St. Alban's Church

Freetown Christiania

Freetown Christiania is a unique, self-governing intentional community in central Copenhagen, founded in 1971 on abandoned military barracks as a protest to the lack of affordable housing in Denmark. It was meant to be an opportunity for people to start over in a completely self-sustained and autonomous community within the city of Copenhagen. It became home to free thinkers, hippies, and people with alternative interests such as yoga, meditation, etc. 

   

Today Freetown Christiania is a fully functioning parallel society with 850 permanent residents. 
The community has a democratically elected governenment, their own currency and only a few rules: no violence, no guns or weapons, no hard drugs, no sale of buildings, houses or real estate and no running as it causes alarm and usually means police coming in.

Tivoli Gardens

A visit to Tivoli Gardens is an absolute must! Make sure you get a full day to allow you to proper enjoy the whole experience.

 

The amusement park offers everything from adrenaline rush rides, live concerts, light shows, fireworks, beautiful gardens and food court. There's something for everyone.

Founded in 1843, it's one of the world's oldest amusement parks and an inspiration to Walt Disney and H. C. Andersen, the author of fairy tales.

Tivoli is very central, only a few minutes away from the Town Hall Square, and the Central Station is right next door, making it very easy to travel to and from anywhere in Denmark.

 

Pantomine Theatre
 

The park is not open all year-round, it operates in theme seasons (Easter, Summer, Halloween and Christmas). It's best to check their official site before planning a trip to Tivoli.

 

 

At night, thousands of colored lights create a magical atmosphere unique to the place.
Fireworks are a great way to end the day at Tivoli Gardens, but it's not every night. We were lucky to visit on a day with fireworks, and the open-air stage area is a perfect place to watch it from.

Tivoli Concert Hall

 

Frederiksborg Castle

Just less than an hour away from Copenhagen by train, is the beautiful Frederiksborg Castle, situated on three small islets in the Castle Lake in Hillerød. 

It was built by King Christian IV in the early decades of the 17th century and is the largest Renaissance complex in the Nordic region. The aim of the building was to show off and enhance Christian IV’s status as a powerful European monarch. Accordingly the castle is richly adorned with symbolic and decorative elements: for example, the impressive Neptune Fountain and the Marble Gallery of the King’s Wing. 

Today, it's home to The Museum of National History.

 

The formal Baroque gardens, are a masterpiece of symmetry and symbolism, with four terraces, an impressive cascade, clipped hedges, topiaries, and royal monograms.

Additionally, to the left of the Baroque garden is a romantic English-inspired garden. This garden is home to the charming Bath House, which is occasionally used by the Royal Family for hunt lunches. With its small lakes and shrubberies the Romantic Garden was created to convey moods and present the beauty of nature.

The walk from Hillerød to the castle along the lakeshore offers magnificent views of Frederiksborg Castle, as well as scenic views of the lake and wildlife. Perfect place to stop by and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.

Hej hej!