Copenhagen, Denmark

 After a great week in Iceland we flew 3 hours to Copenhagen to begin our time in Denmark…

Our accommodation here was in one of the older apartment buildings from the 1800s which meant five flights of stairs with no elevator!  It was located in a neighbourhood called Vesteboro that has recently been transformed from a gritty area into a very trendy one…

Some street scenes from the neighbourhood…

The flower displays were everywhere…

A local theatre playing Miss Saigon…

Some street art…

If shopping is your thing there is a very long pedestrian shopping street in the Center of the city as well…

Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest city of 1.2 million people  and its’ history goes way back. The Vikings were here as early as the 8th century, however Copenhagen was founded in 1167 by Bishop Absalon and became the capital of Denmark in the 15th century.

His statute is located in one of the main squares of the city facing the Danish Parliament and surrounded by 18th and 19th century buildings.

The Parliament is located in this building which is Christianborg Palace built in 1745 and was originally a palace for one of the kings of Denmark. It is the largest palace in Scandinavia. For those who watched the series “ Borgen” on Netflix a lot of the scenes were shot here.

As we explored Copenhagen it was quite obvious that a lot of their older buildings have been well kept and still used…

There are lots of castles here including Amalienborg Castle which is a royal palace located in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was originally built in 1754 as a residence for the Danish King Frederick V and has since been used by the Danish royal family, including as their primary residence from 1814 to 1972. The palace has been the venue for many important events in Danish history, including coronations of kings and queens, state funerals, and foreign visits by heads of state.

Every day at 12 there is a changing of the guard outside the palace…

 Fun fact…their helmets weigh 6 kg each! 

Another popular castle is Rosenberg which was built in the 17th century as a summer residence for King Christian IV which is quite the cabin I would say!

It also houses the Crown Jewels…here are the King and Queen’s Crowns…

The Round Tower is another older building to visit to get a good view of the city. Christian IV built the tower in the early 17th century at a time when Denmark was famous for its astronomical achievements.

Instead of steps there is a circular pathway to the top…

View from the top, no highrise buildings in this city…

As we were impressed with the historic buildings we were equally impressed by the modern architecture which the Danes are known for…

This building is the new public library called the Black Box, it is made  from polished black granite from Zimbabwe and leans out over the harbour.

A streetscape of architecturally designed buildings…

The new Opera House taken from a canal boat tour…

Copenhagen aims to be carbon neutral by 2025 and is very close to achieving that goal. This building, also on the water uses the heat from human bodies inside to flow down to the water and then pump the warm water back up to heat the building…ingenious I think! 

Copenhagen is situated on a number of natural and man made islands so there are lots of canals and bridges which we saw when we took the boat tour…

Peaceful places to live…

As we went along the canals we saw lots of people picnicking like this couple…

Or having a drink in many of the restaurants along the canals…

Speaking of eating and drinking the Nyhavn area was full of people enjoying the Spring weather…

Including Don enjoying the most famous Danish beer, it is said that the Danes are among the heaviest beer drinkers in the world reaching back centuries when beer was the drink of choice to combat cholera. It was even given to babies…

Bridges are a very important part of the city as they connect all the islands that people commute over daily and they have a story as well…

 

This one is called the talking bridge as it was designed with circles so people had a place to stop and talk…

When this bridge was constructed the builders started from opposite sides so it never met, they took off with their money and the city had to build a joining piece in the middle…

Copenhagen has a very relaxed vibe and I think a lot of that comes from the fact that most everyone bikes, it is said that there are at least two bikes for every person. The bike lanes are separated from traffic and are easy to navigate…bikes are everywhere and you have to be careful that when you step off the sidewalk that a bike doesn’t run you over! 

The Cargo Bike was invented in Denmark and this is where the bicyclists carry everything from their children, their dogs and whatever else can fit in there…

 

Copenhagen also has a very interesting neighborhood called Freetown Christiania which was founded in 1971, when a group of people cut a hole in the fence to the military barracks in Bådmandsgade. Soon the area was known for Pusher Street, where you could buy hash and pot – but no hard drugs – from various stalls.

Today many of the original settlers still live in the collectively controlled village, and the area has a clear 70s feel to it and a very interesting visit. There are about 1000 people living there and places where no photos were allowed. 

One of the gates to the town…

Lots of street art…

And graffiti…

Also a photo op to be “ the Pusher of the Day”

Copenhagen is also famous for The Little Mermaid so we paid her a visit…she is very small but mighty! She has had her head cut off, her arms amputated, sprayed with red paint but she is still there! She of course represents one of Hans Christian Anderson’s writings and is well loved by the citizens of Copenhagen…

The city has lovely green spaces and parks…

It also has a strong cafe culture with cafes everywhere…

I also like a city that has lots of places to sit and enjoy the sights…

And lots of clean public toilets, smiled at the name…

Copenhagen is a very vibrant city with so much to see in just a few days, there are lots of museums if that interests you and even a 180 year old amusement park called Tivoli Gardens located in the heart of the city…

Our impression of Copenhagen was one of a very vibrant yet orderly city, a city that respected the past but is very much focused on the future. It was a pleasure to spend a few days there to catch a glimpse of it.