Copenhagen is the “city of bikes” was recently named one of the top cities to visit in 2019 and I can definitely say it is a well-deserved recognition. I had a remarkable time and saw nearly the entire city in just 2 days!

Upon arrival, I decided to explore the Townhall and Tivoli Gardens area. I very much enjoyed walking around and admiring the architecture and sculptures on nearly every plaza and

park! There are a number of notable sculptures can be seen in the city, in particular, the The Little Mermaid on the waterfront. In addition to that, there are two historic equestrian statues in the city center: Frederik V on Horseback (1771) in Amalienborg Square and the statue of Christian V.

Iate traditional open sandwiches, known as smørrebrød – a traditional, Danish lunch dish – at the Tivoli Foodhallen. From there, I walked around the old town, through beautiful cobblestone streets and canals. I wandered through the Townhall Square, to the Ruundetarn (Round Tower) and to the Christiansbourg Palace. The Rundetaarn or Round Tower, is a 17th-century tower located in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and one of the many architectural projects of Christian IV of Denmark, built as an astronomical observatory. I also wandered through the grounds of the Christiansborg Palace-  the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. That night, I experienced two other traditional Danish dishes (well, three if you count Carlsberg beer!). My favorite was called “Burning Love Mashed Potatoes”. Thee loaded mashed potatoes are a decadent side using simple ingredients potatoes, milk, bacon, and onions, nuts, etc.

The next day I continued to explore the central and northern part of the city, and visited a few museums. The first stop was the Amalienborg Palace. This is the home of the Royal Family and consists of four identical classical palaces, around an octagonal courtyard. In the center of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg’s founder, King Frederick V. The Amalienborg Museum presents the private interiors of the most recent kings and queens and an exhibit on the monarchy today with its many traditions. The scope of the museum stretches back 150 years to Christian IX and Queen Louise, who were known as “the in-laws of Europe” because four of their children ascended to the thrones of England, Greece, Russia and Denmark respectively…talk about a prominent family! The royal jewelry collection was also included in the museum….so beautiful.

One of my favorite parts was experiencing the fanfare around the changing the of the guards. Amalienborg is guarded day and night by Royal Life Guards, similar to the guards at Buckingham Palace in London. The guard march through the streets of Copenhagen and execute the changing of the guard in front of Amalienborg at noon. The Crown Prince was in residence while we were there, so we were able to see the full parade!

Lastly, after another Carlsberg, of course,  I was able to explore the National Museum, Nationalmuseet. This is Denmark’s largest museum of archaeology and cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures alike. The museum covers 14,000 years of Denmark’s history,  from the reindeer-hunters of the Ice Age, Vikings, and works of religious art from the Middle Ages, when the church was highly significant in Danish life. The National Museum also keeps Denmark’s largest and most varied collection of objects from the ancient cultures of Greece and Italy, the Near East and Egypt. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

From Carlsberg to Royal Palaces, Copenhagen is an absolutely gorgeous city with a rich history. One of our favorite trips so far!

-MAL

Hotel:

• First Hotel Kong Frederik– very spacious and great location. 15 walk to train station (20/30 cab from airport) and 10-15 minutes to city center, 10 to Tivoli Gardens. Great restaurant and hotel bar

Restaurants:

• Louises’s Fiskebar – excellent
• Tivoli Gardens Foodhallen (smørrebrød)

Sites:

• Tivoli Gardens
• Rathaus
• The Little Mermaid Statue
• Ruundetarn
• Christiansbourg Palace
• Amalienborg Palace
• National Museum (Nationalmuseet)