Our Itinerary (April 24-27, 2008)
Thursday, April 24
Pre-planned:
-Stroget and Copenhagen's Heart and Soul self-guided Rick Steves walk
-Radhus/City Hall
-Nyhavn quarter
-Little Mermaid
-Christiansborg Palace
-
-Tivoli Gardens
What actually happened:
When we arrived at the airport (it was very nice and easy to navigate, by the way) we hopped on a train to get to the city center. Fortunately, our hotel was only a couple of blocks away. We stayed at the Savoy Hotel which was extremely basic but the location was fabulous. If we found ourselves in Copenhagen again I'd probably opt for something a little nicer but for our short stay it really was manageable. The bed was comfortable, breakfast was complimentary, and the concierge was always helpful and friendly.
Once we dropped our stuff off we headed out for a walk. Our hotel was not only close to the train station but to other key city sights like Tivoli Gardens and the City Hall Square. Something we learned very quickly was to be careful of bikers! They rule the road. I would look side to side before crossing the road to look out for cars but I'd completely forget about bikes and almost get run over!
My first impression of Copenhagen was that it was very clean. We also didn't have to worry about a language barrier. Everyone we encountered spoke English.
It's really hard to remember the sequence of things but as I recall, we started out in the City Hall Square.
We continued on from there through the Stroget, which is a pedestrian mall. There are all sorts of restaurants and little shops along the way. It's a definite must-see. I believe we ended our walk in Nyhavn, which is where we picked up a Netto-Badene canal and harbor cruise that allowed us to see some sights from the comfort of an open-top boat. We saw the Opera House, the Little Mermaid, and the Black Diamond, which is the Royal Library.
We picked up an awesome pizza that was recommended to us by some college students and sat and ate it by the water. I'm pretty sure that PizzaHuset was the place. It's almost easy to miss because it's so small and hidden but it looked like it was popular.
Earlier in the day we picked up some smoked salmon sandwiches while we were walking through a student-populated area.
We got a coke at Tivoli Gardens and just sat and watched the world go by. Sitting at a cafe and people-watching has got to be of the best experiences in any European city. There were lots of kids running around and there were tulips in bloom. We bought all-day tickets that allowed us in during the day and at night.
Friday, April 25
Pre-planned:
-Half-day trip to Roskilde
-
-Viking Ship Museum
What actually happened:
We took the train to Roskilde, which wasn't more than 30-45 minutes away. We tried to visit the Cathedral but it was closed to visitors. It should have been open but they were undergoing preparations for a new bishop or something.
Here's a beautiful mural we saw on the outside of a school building:
We did make it to the Viking Ship Museum, however, which is an absolute must-see. The Vikings are obviously, a huge part of Scandinavian heritage and culture so it was neat to learn about them and see remnants of their original ships. It was a really informative and interesting visit.
About mid-afternoon we hopped on a bus to Hillerod so we could visit Frederiksborg Slot. This was my favorite palace visit. This palace was up there with Versailles in terms of opulence and grandeur. I'm really glad we did this. Must-see!
Even though I loved our time in Copenhagen, this was my favorite day in Denmark. Everything we did was very low-key and there were no crowds. We kind of felt like locals.
Saturday, April 26
Pre-planned:
-
-
What actually happened:
Since we were able to cross Frederiksborg off our list for the previous day we thought we'd take the train ride over the Oresund Bridge to Malmo, Sweden.
When we arrived at the train station we went to the help desk and got a map of the city. It's completely unfair for me to judge an entire city based on the couple of hours we spent there but we were kind of bored. The map outlined all of the highlights and none of them piqued our interest. We took a canal tour, grabbed some lunch by the train station, and then headed back to Copenhagen. We couldn't have been there for more than two hours. In retrospect, we probably should have taken advantage of being there but we knew we had more to see in Copenhagen and on the surface, nothing grabbed us in Malmo.
The train station:
We spent the rest of our day in the National Museum and walking around. I wouldn't normally tell someone to spend part of their short time in a city in a museum, but we got a lot out of it. We also got close to Christiania, a hippie commune, but were too afraid to go in. Rick Steves says it's a colorful community but he also warns about pick-pockets and I have to say, I didn't feel safe just being near it.
Some of the best food we got in Copenhagen were the polse or hot dogs. There are stands just about everywhere. The hot dog comes encased in a tube-like bread with an opening at the top for the insertion of the condiments and meat. A couple of times Evan got hot dogs with this REALLY spicy mustard. I mean, it's so spicy that when you smell it it burns the inside of your nose.
Sunday, April 27
-
-
-Museum of Danish Resistance
-
-Rosenborg Palace/Gardens - Rick Steves self-guided tour
-
-Our Savior's Church
We took the train to the Louisiana Museum, another recommendation from my aunt. It's definitely a must-see. The view from the outdoor cafe is beautiful. And the art installations are really thoughtful, contemporary, and interactive. Something to note: the walk from the train station to the museum seems very long (15-20 minutes) because you have to walk on the side of a two-lane road through a suburban area. It's kind of confusing because it doesn't seem like the type of place you'd find a museum.
When we got back to Copenhagen we visited the Danish Resistance Museum, which was fascinating and eye-opening. I never knew how bravely and fiercely the Danes fought to protect their Jewish population. It seems like they didn't make it about religion, but about nationality. To them, Jewish or not, Danes were Danes. Fascinating!
We did some more walking and took pictures of a Sakura (cherry blossom) Festival.
We also did a quick tour of Rosenborg Slot, which was kind of dark and dank on the inside. I wouldn't necessarily classify it as a must-see.
Some last impressions/pictures:
I would definitely go back to Copenhagen and next time, I'd spend more time soaking up the sun and relaxing in Tivoli Gardens or strolling the Stroget. I'd also like to see more of Denmark and Scandinavia on the whole. The lack of a language barrier is really appealing and I found the Danes to be open and welcoming.
No comments:
Post a Comment