Danishes in Denmark – a trip to beautiful Copenhagen

We were being a little over-confident in our adaptation to the cold climate, with Copenhagen being significantly cooler than London which has finally found the scent of Spring. Wearing all the layers we had, we headed out from our hotel to the Meat packing district of Copenhagen which was formerly used as the main trading centre for produce. These days it appears to be more of an assortment of restaurants specialising in various kinds of meat. We had an excellent meal of Prosciutto and chorizo pizza, and of course some wine. After a chatty catch up with Line, we left to get some rest as Line had planned quite the tour of Copenhagen for us over the following two days!

Arriving in Copenhagen we were greeted with the waft of freshly baked bread and the delightful aroma of pastry in the bakeries that surrounded us. We left the airport and caught the train to the centre of Copenhagen in a short 18 minute trip. After settling into our hotel, having a drink to warm us up in the hotel bar and meet our tour guide Line, we headed out for the evening to grab a meal.

First up was an early lunch at Line’s house in the very central Christrianshavn district. Beautifully decorated, this Nordic styled apartment gave great insight into the life of real Danes. The orange exterior, minimalistic decor and unique furniture, along with the practical storage for their main transportation – bicycles! We feasted on a lunch of Smørrebrød (open sandwich on Rye bread usually) with a variety of toppings including fried fish, chicken salad, meatballs, pate and mushrooms. This traditional lunch is what would usually be served at a family lunch (or by your grandmother, as Line advises) and was a filling start to our day to fuel our exploring.

Copenhagen is the coastal capital of Denmark which lies on the west coast of the nation. Previously, Denmark occupied the land which is now known as Norway and Sweden which meant that the capital was right in the centre of the country.

Denmark ranks very high in quality of life, also meaning that it is also one of the most expensive cities to live (and visit! Hello $8 coffees).

We explored the whole city on foot, which helped to balance the amount of food at lunch! The Royal Palace where Crown Prince Frederik and Australia’s own Princess Mary reside was quickly spotted, with the guards outside. There are 4 homes in the area, which used to house Nobles when they came to visit Denmark. After Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1794, the royal family moved into the homes and have been there ever since.

Unlike Buckingham Palace in London, there are not gates blocking the entrance to the Palace, and you could easily walk up to knock on the door. I was not game to try this… Apparently Mary is often spotted in the city cycling her children to school and Frederik is often running around the city in fun runs. The Royal family of Denmark are very popular in the community, and actively involved and engaged with their people.

We took a walk around the Ostrebro district where one of the best preserved forts in Northern Europe lies which was designed and built by King Christian IV.

Not far, the Little Mermaid statue is placed. Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen wrote the well known fairytale, as well as the Ugly Duckling (although no statue exists to represent this tale for obvious reasons I guess…) The statue was made by artist Edvard Eriksen who was inspired by a ballet performance from the Danish Royal Ballet and made the Little Mermaid after his wife posed for the statue. Since 1913 when it was unveiled, its head has been decapitated on 2 occasions and paint thrown over the statue a few times as well. We saw the statue in peak condition as it apparently is Copenhagen’s main tourist attraction.

Rosenborg Castle was one of many architectural projects of King Christian IV and was used by Danish regents as a royal residence until around 1710. After his reign, Rosenborg Castle was only used twice as a royal residence in times of emergency due to the fire at Christianborg Palace in 1794 and during a British attack on Copenhagen in 1801. It now houses the Crown Jewels of the Danish Royal Family and is surrounded by the beautiful King’s Gardens.

The next day we met Line for a boat ride around the canals. A great way to see the city from a different perspective, and learn a little about the history of Copenhagen, not that our guide Line wasn’t an amazing host! Line brought with her a huge selection of pastries and breads for our breakfast.

Freetown Christiana was our next stop to walk around and digest all of those pastries! Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. Its’ cannabis trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004 but since has been controversial.

It’s mission statement reads “The objective of Christiania is to create a self-governing society whereby each and every individual holds themselves responsible over the wellbeing of the entire community. Our society is to be economically self-sustaining and, as such, our aspiration is to be steadfast in our conviction that psychological and physical destitution can be averted.”

Basically, Christiania is a place where people live without paying taxes or for property, sell cannabis freely, and police kind of turn a blind eye. Interestingly, but for obvious reasons, the ATM in the area directly next to the entrance to Christiania is the most used ATM in all of Denmark, often running out of cash, which was evidenced by a big line as we walked past!

Copenhagen was a great city to walk around, and an even better city to cycle as it is mostly flat. The view from the top of the Round Tower (or Rundetaarn in Danish) which was built as an Observatory tower by Christian IV, shows great views of all over the city, and not a hill in sight. The tower itself is one big ramp, with only a few steps to reach the top.

The sightseeing in Copenhagen kept us busy for 2 days straight, and that didn’t include a trip to the famous Tivoli Gardens – the beautiful old theme park said to inspire Disneyland!

Food and drink in Denmark kept us equally busy, with the vast array of beers (including the well known Carlsberg), pastries, chocolates and bread. Herring is also a delicacy in the city, but it was not high on our list of things to indulge. We’d had plenty of other goods at the various markets and eateries around the city! We enjoyed the bread so much in Denmark that we have brought home a mix for Rye bread to make in London…. eventually….

Thanking our friend and excellent tour guide Line for making our stay so special and very Danish.

#copenhagen #Londonlife #Europe #traveltips #denmark #scandinavia