A ultra-stylist city that is a beautiful introduction to Scandinavia (Copenhagen)

Member Name: lm09

Product:	Copenhagen
Date:	26/03/09 (163 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nyhavn has to be one of the best places in the world to sup on Carlsberg...probably!!

Disadvantages: Any longer than a weekend and you may be struggling for things to do

I visited Copenhagen in February 2004 - my first foray into Scandinavia. I flew Scandinavian Air Services (SAS) and landed after a stop in Billund, at Kastrup airport Copenhagen. Of all the airports I have visited in the world, none are anyway near as good as Kastrup. It is, firstly, really easy to negotiate and the transfer from plane to train to the centre of Copenhagen is so easy. More than this though, this airport is the only one in the world that I have ever wanted to photograph. Everything about the ariport is stylish and ultra-modern. The buildings, the walkways and the seats are all great examples of amazing Danish design.

The train to central station costs 25kr and takes around 15 minutes. At the time of my visit the exchange rate was £1 to 11kr. The short journey from te airport to the centre to be honest didn't fill me with awe at the buildings and landscape of Copenhagen. On my first visit to Scandinavia I must have been expecting more than the Communist style high rise blocks. This was Denmark, with one of the highest standards of living in the world. I expected the airport to be an introuction to the ultra-modern.

On arrival at the central station it was a short walk around the outside of the Tivoli Gardens (Denmark's most famous tourist attraction - sadly closed at the time of my visit - open April to September).

My hotel was just off the town hall square (Radhuspladsen) on Longangstaede. The Mermaid hotel was really nice and perfect in terms of location. The rooms were just big enough and the beds comfortable. Morning breakfast was really good and I would have have no qualms about recommending this hotel. Our room had a view of the Radhus tower which seems the obvious place to start a tour. Before arriving at the square you will see the statue of the two Vikings which, against a blue sky, make great photos framing the Radhus.

Radhusplasen is the heart of Copenhagen, the equivalent of, say, Trafalgar square in London. It is in Radhusplasen that the Danes congregate for New Years eve and often in the square large international music stars put on shows. The square itself has an Eastern European feel to it. To the south of the square is a statue of probably the most famous Dane, Hans Christian Anderson looking out over Tivoli.

The square itself though is dominated by the Radhus (City Hall). Built as recently as 1895 this buidling has an air about it that suggets it has been here much longer. Built of red brick, it is an imposing building. It is possible to climb to the clock tower which stands at 110 meters, for great views out over the Radhusplasen and the city. This is a hike though with over 300 steps. For a better view best to climb one of the churches, more of that later though.

One place on the sqaure to avoid is the Scottish Bar. Being a Scot myself I was drawn to the name of the place. The atmosphere inside is that of a poor Irish themed bar with the beers probably being the most expensive in Denmark. Other places to avoid around the square are the Believe It Or Not Museaum and any wax work museums (not just in Copenhagen but worldwide!!).

From the Radhusplasden most of the sights lie to the north and east of the square with the notable exception being Tivoli Gardens (closed) and also the Calsburg museaum (closed Saturday so cannot tell you anything about this other that I've heard it's quiet good!!).

The main artery of the city is the Stoget. Known for being the longest pedestrianised shopping street in Europe (an Alan Partridge fact if ever there was one). The Stoget, as well as being packed with shops, also links the two main tourist spots of Radhusplasen and Nyhavn. Along the way though make sure you stop at Vor Frue Kirke (The Church of our Lady) where you can climb the steeple and get the best views out over Copenhagen.

Nyhavn (New harbour) is the image you will all have seen of the beautifully coloured houses yellow, brown, blue, green on the quayside, with sailing vessels and the canal making up the foreground. The quayside is packed with outside cafe bars and even in February under a blue Scandinavian sky this is the perfect place to stop and try the Carlsberg (rude not to). Most of the bars have outdoor heaters and blankets to keep the chill out. You can pretend its summer! Nyhavn is wonderful to photograph and is picture postcard perfect.

We took the DFDS canal tour (50kr) which starts out from Nyhavn. The tour, which lasts about an hour, has commentary in English and takes you out to the north of the city and to view the Little Mermaid statue, which does exactly what is says on the tin. It is of a mermaid and it is very little - from the boat it is near impossible to photograph. Returning from the statue the boat passes the entrance to Nyhavn and then the ultra modern national library before entering the canals around Slotsholmen, the most photogenic part of the tour after Nyhavn. This canal tour is a really enjoyable way to see more of the city rather than taking long walking tours.

From Nyhavn and after a few more Carlsbergs and the discovery of Tuborg ('probably' the best Danish lager in my opinion) we went up to Amalienborg Slot (residence of the Queen). Most of the palace in out of bounds except for one wing (45kr). This wing has three reconstructed apartments from the mid 1880's which are interesting if not spectacular to wonder through. If the queen is in residence there is a Changing of the Guard which is good to watch if, again, un-spectatcular.

From here I took a walk back up to the Little Mermaid statues to take some pictures. Whilst the statue itself is nothing like as grand as I had expected the scenery around it is nice. The statue looks back across parkland to the aptly named English Church which looks as you would expect, like a typical English village church. From here it is a long walk back to get back to Nyvahn for another sit down and a few more drinks into the night.

The following day we had a specific game plan. I love my football and that night Denmark were playing in a World Cup qualifier at Parkens stadium so we wanted to get tickets for the game. The friendly hotel manager pointed us in the right direction to a ticket vendor just of the Radhusplasen and I managed to (without any problems) get tickets for around £20 each. So for the first time in my life I was going to see a National football match. I have seen loads of teams around Europe by never a National side not even my beloved Scotland. So the big game then.....Denmark v's Kazakstan! Which to this day remains my only International.

So, pumped up with adrenaline and aniticipation I had the day to pass. I went to Slotsholmen which is a small island just behind our hotel. The views across the canal here are stunning with shots one photograph I took of the granite Fishermans Wife being one of my favourite photographs from any of my travels. Slotholmen itself is the seat of the Danish Parliment and the area is full of officers and embasseys. The Borsen (Scandinavian Stock Exchange) is also here. This is the financial heart of Denmark and yet it feels so quaint and peaceful. Not like the vibe and energy of the City in London. This is totally different. Very Scandinavian!

The final place I really wanted to visit / experience was the island (and seperate nation state of Christiania). In 1971 a group of hippie types declared Christiania as a free state. By a group of Hippies I mean around 700 people! It was given almost self-governance and has some really quirky laws. Cannabis was until 2004 legal in this area - not so in Denmark, the Europe wide ban on smoking is not enforced here, no cars are allowed... oh and the local currency in the Lon. Vilnius, Lithuania has a similar Republic of Uzupis which I visited last year. So without wishing to sound like a Lord of the Rings character I have travelled to the lands of Uzupis and Christiania! It terms of stand out sights there are really none but worth a visit just for the unique atmosphere of the place.

So after another wander round Radhuspladsen, up Stoget and more drinks on Nyhavn it was time for the eagerly awaitng World Cup Qualifier. Parkens stadium is a fair bit out of town so we took a taxi to the match. The stadium itself is home to FC Copenhagen and the Danish National team, it is ultra modern and would rate amongst one of the better Premier League arenas. The best thing though about it was that becuase so few Kazaks had understandly made the journey the likelihood of trouble was nil. So the bars in the stadium were all open and you could drink on the terraces. This made for an amazing at atmosphere as 35,000 Danes slowly got drunk. The match itself for stattos out there finished 3-0 to Denmark! Sadly though Denmark crumpled playing most other teams in their group and failed to qualify. For those of you who are not at all into football I feel its only fair to point out that Kazakstan didn't make the cut either!

So Copenhagen then and my first trip to Scandinavia. I would say it made the perfect long weekend get away. It left me wanting to come back if not necessarily to Copenhagen but definitly to Scandinavia. The people are so friendly and seem to live life rather than just exist. They, like the Swedes from my trip to Stockholm, seem to love the outdoors and to socialise and be seen. They have got so much right in Denmark, in my opinion.

I have now been to Stockholm and this leaves me still wanting to see more of Scandinavia. It is a great region of the world and one that feels totally different to Britain or the Western European nations. It feels, well, so Scandinavian.

Summary: A perfect weekend away to experience the unique atmosphere of Scandinavia