Arrival

We were very excited to return to Copenhagen this fall. We visited for 3 days in September 2017 …pre cruise…and it was just long enough to “wet our whistle” and make us want to see more of the city and surrounding areas.

We found that Icelandair flights out of Halifax through Iceland were perfect, with each leg under 4 hours. Of course, flying all night left us exhausted and numb but excited to arrive in this gorgeous city.

We made our way easily to our rented Airbnb apartment in Christianhavn via the Metro.

HINT: If your rental only deals in cash, make sure to find out if there are machines in the area and what your withdrawal limits are.

Rundetaarn “The Round Tower”

It twists 7 1/2 times from the base to the top

This is one of Europe’s oldest functioning astronomy observatory towers, which is now also a cultural center and a good vantage point to see Copenhagen from above. I was a bit nervous about my ability to climb this tower but there are lots of resting spots. At the gallery there is free WiFi and interestingly designed seats and lights. The last 20 steps to the observation platform are a bit dicey, but the view is well worth the narrow enclosed stairs that take you there.

Freetown, Christiania

We spent a few hours wandering Freetown, established by hippies in 1971. We are old ladies, so it was a bit of a blast from the past, but over all we found it to be dirty and depressing. Unless you want to buy something wacky to smoke, we would not recommend it.  We thought that we should have a walk around, because it is so famous and we were staying close by. However, we wouldn’t return.

Cafe Monten (Old Sailers Pub).

A Great Little Bar Near Nyhavn (Holburgsgade 28, 1057 Copenhagen)

This was a return visit. Last year we were on the Hop On Hop Off and this was near a stop, so we popped in while waiting for the next bus. We enjoyed it so much we came back. A bit cheaper for a beer than most, relaxed, interesting and quaint. And of course, the beer was great! Toast to us!

Ole & Steen….A Danish Bakery

Amazing. Just two blocks from our Airbnb so a daily stop. I called this a chocolate hamburger. I’d been drooling over it for days and finally broke down and bought one. It wasn’t as sweet as it looks. Yummy.

Getting Around

We used the “24 hours in all zones“ tourist ticket option for a couple of days. With this ticket you can travel for 24 hours unlimited by bus, train, metro and harbour bus in all the zones of the capital region, including trips to Roskilde, Elsinore or other parts of North Zealand. The 24-hour adult ticket costs DKK 150. We could jump on the metro, change to the train and travel easily. One day we even hopped on the harbour bus and took the entire loop. Well worth it! Hint: go out the back door on the ferry to get some great views and a place to take pics.

Nyhavn…Postcard Views

When you think of Copenhagen you probably think of Nyhavn. So off we went….trotted about taking endless pics. Very touristy but so fun and should not be missed. Lots of restaurants and bars. It’s entertaining just to get a beer at a sidewalk cafe and people watch.

Had supper at ORANIE af SVENDBORG, a restaurant in an old boat moored in the canal.  What a great place!  Fresh seafood, cozy environment and a charming proprieter/waiter.  Arrived without a reservation at dusk and left under starry skies after a meal of excellent Danish food and beer. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g189541-d12636986-Reviews-Restaurant_Oranje-Copenhagen_Zealand.html?m=19905

Kronburg Castle, Helsingor (Elsinor)

Kronborg Castle is north of Copenhagen.  Built in 1574-1585, it is one of northern Europe’s finest Renaissance castles. It is probably the most famous Danish castle, known worldwide as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Helsingor is an easy day trip from Copenhagen. Just take the train from the central station (Centraal) to Helsingor Station and from there its a short walk to Kronborg Slot or in our words….castle. We were wandering around the town wondering how to get to the castle and then glanced up from one of the main streets…..and there it was!

We hooked up with a free short 1/2 tour of the lower parts of the castle. Do this if you can. The guide was excellent and we enjoyed it. Hint- take a small flashlight to help transverse the cobblestones and low doorways. Much of the tour is very low lighting and a fall in a famous location is no more glamourous than one at your local grocery store and a lot more trouble. After seeing the basement barracks I couldn’t help but think how glad I am that I live in today’s world.

After the tour we took the time to visit the castle by following the brochure suggestions. You can go as fast or slow as you like. Worth the time but must say my favourite part was the short guided tour.

If you are one of those spry old lady travellers, you will love the walking area around the castle perimeter.  Fresh air, beautiful views and lots of touisty photo ops.

The town is very small but interesting and worth a walk around. We viewed a beautiful church and did enjoy a pastry when we first arrived. We ate at a great little restaurant in the village. Great food, drink and entertaining staff.

Castle interiors.

Dragor….the happiest fishing village

Dragor is a lovely small fishing village settled by the Dutch in the 12th century. Many of the buildings are hundreds of years old and have thatched roofs. This village is known as the place where the happiest Danes live.

From the airport it’s a short bus ride and a very short walk into town. We wandered around the docks and looked at the sailboats and fishing boats. Great place for pics. We did scout some nice looking restaurants but they seemed expensive for lunch so we stopped into a sandwich shop on the main square and had delicious sandwiches and small bottles of wine sitting at their outdoor tables. Very Lovely.

On one of the side streets we stumbled on a glass blowing studio where I bought a glass hanging ball to add to my small but growing collection. You can find this quaint little shop at Glaspusteriet Glasseriet, v. Rikke Bruzelius, Magstraede 6, DK-2791

Hint: Don’t overlook the small villages.  What they lack in large attractions, they make up for in the oppurtunty to see a place from the perspective of a local.

Frederiksborg, Hillerød

Frederiksborg Castle is situated in Hillerød, north of Copenhagen. This impressive and unrivaled Renaissance castle was built in the first decades of the 17th century by the Danish King Christian 4.

The admission price includes an audio walking tour of the Museum of National History. We followed the tour but, honestly, it was kind of boring. Mostly paintings of old people. You might think that would appeal to old ladies, but really not so much.  Fun though, to watch each other running from room to room with our hearing blocked by head phones asking “Is this stop #25? Did anyone find 25?”

What I enjoyed more than anything was the amazing architecture of the castle. The most impressive site could have been the chapel. Don’t miss!

The gardens are spectacular. My girlfriends had a walk around but I found a place to sit and enjoy the local brew.  Met a wonderful waiter who tried to teach me the correct way to pronounce Nyhavn.  Bless his heart.  “Knee high” is still the best I can manage. But never mind, we had a lovely chat just the same.

Two Day Trips to Sweden….Malmo and Lund

We took two separate days and traveled to Malmo and then Lund. Hopped the train at the central station and it was an easy short trip across the amazing bridge. Hint: Make sure you take your passports because they announce on the train to have your passports ready and we sat like good Canadian ladies clutching our passports, but we were never asked for them.

We found food and drink are a bit cheaper than Denmark and even bantered around the idea that it might be cheaper to stay in Malmo and commute into Denmark.  Maybe next time.

A Few Words About Bicycles in Denmark

Picture rush hour traffic in a large city.  Now replace all the cars with bicycles and you have an idea of cycling in Denmark.

All major streets have bicycle lanes.  No spandex and fancy sports clothes here.   Office workers, workman, vendors, parents with children, all in the garb they will need for their day.  Bicycles are purpose built, many with carriers on the front.  We often saw young men pedaling along with a girl in the carrier and one fine day, an elderly man with his very stately wife in front. Adorable.

Bikes are available to rent.  It wasn’t hard to pick out the renters.  While I am sure there were some athletic tourists among the cyclists we saw, the ones I will remember are those we saw wobbling along along with helmets, matching sweat pants and jackets and a look of grim determination on their faces.  Hilarious!

For most old ladies who travel, we would recommend cycling in Denmark as a spectator sport.  And a word to the wise, don’t wander from the pedestrian to the bike lane.  I still have no idea what that Danish cyclist was yelling at me.  I don’t think it was welcome to Copenhagen.

13,721 Steps

Some days, we just walked.  On our third day we set out to explore our local area of Christianhavn.  Lots of new development underway, great views of the city centre across the harbour, and of course the canals are beautiful.  When we got tired, as old ladies do, we headed for the nearest bench and sat down to watch the world go by.  In one park, a wedding party, complete with guests and photographer drifted by.  We couldn’t resist a photo or two.