Arrived in Copenhagen with typical Scandinavian weather. 1. outside Tivoli Gardens 2. Sam’s Bar- a Filipino gathering place for Karaoke in Copenhagen; 3. Looking outside, admiring the beauty of Sweden and Denmark while the train was running by the bridge.
From Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark was about 25 minutes by train. Riya and I left her flat a little after noon on a Sunday. We slept late since we didn’t get home until after midnight the night before caused by a delayed train in Stockholm. By 2PM we’re in Copenhagen checking in at Four Points by Sheraton, our hotel for the next two nights. Once again the view from our window of the city did not disappoint. Plus the fact that it is two blocks from Copenhagen Central Station is an added bonus.
I have 48hrs to spend in this lovely city and every minute counts. After a brief time refreshing, we headed out. We started our walking tour at the Central Station, we crossed the road and had a brief sight of the Tivoli Gardens- the second oldest theme park in the world, similar to Six Flags of New England but with rides combining old charm and new. With little time and having the not so best weather, I decided not to go in. A picture outside the gate was good enough. We continued walking Frederiksberggade Street. This might be the main shopping district since all the big name boutiques are here; tempted to check but figured I have no time.😉 We also passed by the infamous Sam’s Bar, where Filipinos (including my niece when she used to live here) gather for karaoke.😂
The inside and out of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen
While walking, I noticed a very prominent building which happened to be the Christiansborg Slot or Palace which is one on my “must see list” in. By the time I made it to admission it was 4PM. The palace closes at 5, and I had to make a decision of seeing inside or not. I knew tomorrow I will be too tied up, and probably won’t see this place again, so I decided to buy the ticket and went in. It was beautiful inside but I was time constraint to appreciate its beauty so I didn’t dilly dolly. I hopped from one room to the next, looking up and down, clicking my camera gazillion times. By the last room, I got confused between the Do Not Enter and Exit signs and I chose the latter, only to startle a staff when I opened the door😂😂😂. Whew! This must be the fastest I skimmed a palace.🤣
This day was a typical Scandinavian weather too- rainy, cold with a little bit of wind. But that didn’t deter me from seeing so much of Copenhagen as I planned it. We continued walking the busy streets; Riya brought me to Kongens Have or King’s Garden. This is the oldest palace garden in Denmark. I wished it was sunny or at least more flowers had bloomed in the rose garden; but the garden is as beautiful as it is.
1. The Danish Royal Family’s ship seen during boat tour; 2. The barracks inside the Kastellet; 3. I finally met the Little Mermaid 🧜♀️😊
We continued walking west to Kastellet or the Citadel. Walking through its ground reminded me of Castillo de San Marcos in Florida and Fort Santiago in Manila. The only difference is that Danish military is at presence here. This fortress is one of the most preserved in Europe; it has the citadel church and a windmill within the ramparts that surrounds the entire ground. You can walk, jog or simply admire around it as it overlooks the harbor. By this time the rain has stopped and a little of the sun somehow showed up and I enjoyed a little bit of the view of the Baltic water.
Outside the Kastellet are the St. Alban’s Anglican Church., the Gefion Fountain, Princess Marie Memorial which we all passed by as we walked by Langelinnie Park.
The Little Mermaid. After so much walking, I finally met the Little Mermaid!😂 Perhaps the most iconic in Denmark ( or maybe next to Nyhavn). I have prior knowledge of Denmark’s Little Mermaid Statue so I wasn’t surprised at all how small the statue is; I still loved it anyway. What I was surprised is the amount of tourists (including myself) that is actually taking photos of it. For reference, the disney version is far different from the story of Hans Christian Andersen which This statue was inspired from; this one is sad and tragic. I was humming the Disney’s version of “Part of your World” as I walked away from the statue.🤣
When you thought I was done walking, you were wrong. From the little Mermaid we walked along the harborside to Amalienborg Palace. Like Christiansborg, this is such a wonderful royal residence too; we were in luck that the Danish Royals were in town; we didn’t see them but we felt and seen the presence of heightened security. No museum either since it was way past 7PM; so I just wandered around the royal ground and took some photos.
Then we’re off to Nyhavn. A popular 17th century waterfront district now known as one of the tourists attraction in Denmark with restaurants, cafes and bars. This is a great place to stroll, but I wanted to take a photo of it at blue hour; so we walked to Frederiksberggade Street again to eat dinner and kill a bit more of time. By the time we were done with supper, It was almost dark (and rainy)- the way I wanted it. I headed back to Nyhavn (and left Riya for Karaoke at Sam’s Bar) took some photos of the waterfront and Kongens Nytorv on my way back. While retracing my steps to pick up Riya, there was some sort of celebration by a local football team winning a game- fireworks and chanting at once. Good times🙂.
The rain didn’t bother me as I took photo of the picturesque and colorful Nyhavn.
Top L-R: having my Fish and Chips at Broens; 2. Riya and myself having breakfast at Cake N Hagen;
Bottom L-R: strolling Nyhvn on a blue sky; 2. The mileage I walked on Day 1😭
When we got back to our hotel I took a shower. Calming my body before sleep I wandered why my feet, legs and hips were all hurting at the same time; I checked my smart watch to check how much I walked that day only to find out that- I had as many steps I walked that’s why. I completed an almost 13 mile walk on my first day in Copenhagen😂. Tomorrow is another adventure day.
I woke up at 9AM the following day; my last full day in Copenhagen. My feet still hurt (so as Riya’s) so we took it easy that day. Besides, I pretty much ticked off every boxes on my “must see places” the previous day so no reason to rush. While having our Danish breakfast at CakeNhagen, Riya and I decided to take separate activities- a boat tour of Copenhagen for my self and window shopping for her for close to two hours- the duration of my tour.
Boat Tour. I chose a seat at the back, for better views (and less people’s heads 😂) and opportunity to take photos sitting and standing without annoying the person next to me. I was able to take a lot of photos; some of them are places we have been the day before and some are new. Interesting to learn about Copenhagen’s history with the tour guide explaining it too. When the tour was over, I looked for Riya and we decided to find a place to eat lunch. While at the tour we passed by a hawker’s food place across the bridge from Nyhavn; that’s where we went. Broens is a haven for Danish local street food at Greenlandic Trading Square; there are variety of food stalls by local restaurateurs serving local food. I had some Fish and Chips Danes style😊.
capturing the grand view of Amalienborg Palace from the boat tour.
I wanted to see Amalensborg Castle for the second time since the rain prevented me to explore its ground the previous day. We walked towards the castle after our quick lunch at Broens. This time the blue sky made it more beautiful. The dome you could almost see in all alleys and streets, and even during the boat tour, was the castle’s chapel. As I went inside, I was in awe. As pompous as it is outside, it was as grand inside. I was speechless on how magnificent this infrastructure is- its religious artifacts and sculptures- unbelievable! That was the finale of our day.
We went back to our hotel passing through the places we came and saw the previous day. One thing noticeable was the King’s Garden was packed with sunbathers since the weather was beautiful; such a complete contrast of an empty, wet ground the day before. At the hotel, I started my packing and briefly napped. Then it was time for us to have dinner nearby, my last in Copenhagen.