I spent four days in Copenhagen and was fortunate to see much more than I’d planned. The locals understood my Norwegian, but I couldn’t follow their Danish, so I stuck to English and the little Danish I knew.
Here are some highlights of Copenhagen:
Postcard perfect Nyhavn. Lurking behind the boats are hoardes of people. Copenhagen has a lot of bicycles! The city has an estimated 675,000–750,000 bicycles. 🚲 That’s a 5 to 1 ratio to automobiles. Bicycles have 400 km of their own wide, dedicated lanes throughout the city, and cyclists generally have the right of way over pedestrians—except at intersections where they’re supposed to obey traffic lights. I’m so glad I read up on this before coming here because otherwise I probably would have been wiped out! 😂Copenhagen has an interesting blend of classic historic buildings and striking modern architecture. Here, BLOX sits next to Christian IV’s Brewhouse. Christian IV’s BrewhouseCity Hall The green spire and red-brick tower of Nikolaj Kunsthal, a historic landmark in the center of Copenhagen. St. Alban’s Anglican ChurchSt. Alban’s inside: On day 1 I took a sightseeing break and sat inside for a while.Changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace. Kastellet, an old fortress/park, was a nearby oasis that I visited daily.Kastellet windmillThe Little Mermaid is just off of Kastellet. Just after I snapped this, a tourist fell in the water trying to get as close as possible for the ultimate selfie. Meanwhile, I could just come eat carrots by TLM any time I wanted.There is a lot of waterfront real estate. Another waterfront option–repurposed boats. Or repurposed shopping containers!Cheer squad after the canal boat I was on threaded the needle!
Some newer architecture:
Amager Bakke (aka CopenHill), a combined waste-to-energy power plant, coverts local waste into heating and electricity, emitting water vapor from the stack. It also has a recreational rooftop facility with an artificial ski slope, hiking and running trails, and a massive climbing wall.Royal Danish Playhouse. Fun fact: the glass section up top is comprised of change rooms. They had to install curtains after complaints from the condos across the way. U.N. CityOpera House a.k.a. “The Toaster”Axel TowersPaper Island: Copenhagen’s most expensive condos. Portland TowersSpidsenA modern addition to an old building.
I visited the National Museum’s Viking exhibition, which began with an immersive storytelling experience narrated by a Völva, the Norse seeress. In poetic detail, she traced the transformation from Norse paganism to the emergence of a unified state. The experience was followed by a small exhibition of rare Viking treasures.
I found it difficult to focus on the Seeress’s overwrought, poetic tales coming through my headphones. I’m the one lying down instead of staring into the LED campfire.The Viking Age Egå SwordIf I take up silversmithing again, I’d love to recreate some of these. Reconstructed Viking Age garments
A few random pictures to end off my Copenhagen visit:
Hans Christian AndersonCrocusesCopenhageners are consistently well dressed!Torvehallerne Food HallGrey Heron
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