Copenhagen was an amazing city. Cheap to get to from London, and with a little smarts and know-how, the city can be incredibly enjoyable on the cheap. Here are my main thoughts about this amazing city in an exciting country as I reflect on our three day adventure to the country’s capital:
- The city is rich with incredible history. Did you know that the Prince & Princess walk about the city like normal folks? Our walking tour guide said he’s bent down to pet someone’s dog before, and he looked up to see it was the royal couple who stopped to talk with him for a few minutes while walking their dog! They like getting out in public.
- For almost 20 kings, the names have gone Frederick then Christian…then Frederick II and Christian II – today we have Crown Prince Frederick, grandson of King Frederick IX, who was son of Christian X….and so on. Current reigning monarch is Queen Margrethe II, cousin to the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II, and longest reigning monarch of the Scandinavian countries. She was the first female to reign since the 1300s.
- Danish as a language is interesting and one of the hardest to learn. None of the words are pronounced the way you’d think they were.
- Tivoli Gardens are an exceptional treat. It was created by the royal family in the 1800s for the people’s enjoyment, and it’s been well-maintained ever since. We were told that a young Walt Disney traveled to this famed amusement park. It is said this is where he got the ideas for his parks. After attending Disney World in Florida and Tivoli Gardens, they’re both magical indeed. Tivoli gives an other-worldly feel, where you can while away your whole day for about $15 if you don’t want to ride rides. We saw great shows including those of the city wide Jazz Fest, and the whole day was something I’ll never forget. I’ll have to write a post just on Tivoli later.
- There are many canals and waterways throughout the city. We took a boat tour from a central area near Nyhavn that took us out past the Opera House, into Christiana, past The Little Mermaid statue, and back through boat lined canals, snaking through tiny tunnels and into the cool sunshine.
- The Copenhagen Walking Tour was the best. We learned more about how to speak Danish (hint: difficult!), about all the fires the city has had, about why the city is known for the happiest people on earth (hint: they invented beer as we know it, and they have excellent social care), how they have their own “little secret” of a hidden city within a city called Christiana where people build their own houses and have their own internal government, and how to enjoy the city like a Dane.
- Enjoy Nyhavn when you go, but don’t eat at the shops along the water unless you want to spend a lot of money. Instead, since it’s allowed on the streets, grab snacks and a cold one from the local 7-Eleven and relax like the locals do, watching the tourists.
- We enjoyed an afternoon snoozing in the sun in a park after exploring the country’s riches and history of Rosenborg Castle.
- Uber is a great idea in any country that has it.
- Danish pastries in Denmark are called wienerbrød/wienerbröd or “Viennese bread” because to them, it was created in the viennoiserie tradition. In Vienna, they’re known as Danish pastries because they were first invented in Denmark.
- As a designer, the Danish have incredible, amazing, creative designs all throughout the city at every facet – buildings, decorations, furniture, textures and textiles. The city is a designer’s paradise for creativity and inspiration.
