Length: 5 days
Tour Company: Over the Horizon
Tour: Denmark Self Guided
Traveler: Dave
Places visited:
1 – Copenhagen
2 – Rosenborg Slot
3 – Amalienborg Slot
4 – Gefionspringvandet
5 – St. Alban’s Anglican Church
6 – Den Lille Havfrue
7 – Frederiks Kirke
8 – Nyhavn
8 – Strøget
10 – Christiansborg Palace
11 – Vor Frelsers Kirke
12 – Christiania
13 – National Museum of Denmark
Getting to Denmark was a nice, direct flight from Boston to Copenhagen on Norwegian Air. The trip started out with a long line at check-in because there was no online check-in for the flight, so no quick bag drop only. Once through the 1 hour line, security was fairly light and now the wait began. The flight ended up being delayed about an hour due to computers being down and “late arrival of the aircraft”. The aircraft was there and empty well before normal departure, but the crew could not get on board to do pre-flight checks and tasks since the computers were down. Despite the delay in Boston, the flight to Copenhagen was rather quick and we arrived at the regular scheduled arrival time. In flight, there is an entertainment system with movies, tv shows, games, and best of all, the snack bar. You scroll the menu, order your food and drinks, pay with your credit card one/each time or you can even keep your tab open for the whole flight and keep ordering as you want. The order gets printed at the flight attendant station and they bring it to you. The person sitting next to me got her water in about 1 minute after ordering, my drink took about 20 minutes, of course.
With Norwegian being a “low-cost carrier”, I expected less from the flight, but was pleasantly surprised with the services and the brand new Boeing 787.
Copenhagen
Entering Denmark through Copenhagen Airport was quick and easy. There was no one in line at customs and immigration and my time with the agent was no more than 30 seconds. Baggage claim is well laid out, has plenty of screens with useful information, and all signs are in both Danish and English. Before the baggage came out, I was able to use an ATM, get a SIM card from a vending machine, and get my ticket for the train that will take me into the Central Station. There are numerous ATMs, Vending Machines, and Public Transportation ticket kiosks in the baggage claim area and all are easy to use, accept cards, and have multiple languages available. The bags started coming out within 10 minutes of arriving in the area which was about 20 minutes from arriving at the gate.
The PrePaid SIM card I chose was through Lebara Mobile. I got the 5 GB data (although the fine print says 3 GB data and 10 DKK Call Credit), 30 day package for 98 DKK (USD $15), but it’s actually cheaper to buy the cards outside of the airport at 7-Eleven, Supermarkets, Kiosks, etc. around the city. At these locations, you can get a 10 hour calling (Denmark and 50 other countries), 30 GB 4G data, unlimited texts (in Denmark), 30 day package for the same price. Setup was pretty easy as I used the free WiFi at the airport to look up the APN information:
Name: Lebara Denmark
APN: internet
Proxy: <Not set>
Port: <Not set>
Username: <Not set>
Password: <Not set>
Server: <Not set>
MMSC: <Not set>
MMS proxy: <Not set>
Multimedia message port: 8080
MCC: 238
MNC: 02
Authentication type: none
APN type: default
The train between the airport and the Copenhagen Central Station (both to and from) cost me 36 DKK (USD $5.50) for the 3 stop, 15 minute ride. The odd thing was that after purchasing the ticket from the kiosk, I was not asked to show it anywhere. I walked down to the train, got on, rode to the central station and the airport, got off, and not one person or machine asked for a ticket. Now, I’m not sure if I missed a step somewhere in the process, but it seems like you could take the train for free. One of my bigger questions was which carriages to board. They had cars that were labeled B, C, and D. All the seats had numbers on them (although it was so empty that people sat anywhere), but my tickets had neither a car group letter, or seat number. I just got on the last car in the D group and it all worked out as I got from the airport to the center and from the center to the airport with no issue. Being from Massachusetts, one of the first things I noticed once inside the Central Station was that they had a Dunkin’ Donuts!!
First stop from the train station was to drop off luggage at the hostel. A quick 150 meter (500 ft) walk and I arrived at Urban House Copenhagen, where I was too early to check in, but they have a storage locker room under the building. A 20 meter walk down the street takes you to a stairwell down to a door with a keypad to get in. Once inside there are large and small lockers in various rows operated by a series of coin operated computer screens. The rate is 5 DKK (USD $0.75) per hour and I only had a 20 DKK (USD $3.00) coin, so 4 hours is what I was getting. The first time I tried, I went to a screen, put my money in, and it presented me with 4 lockers to choose from. All were small, which is not going to work for an 85 liter backpack. I tried to cancel and get my money back, but the machine does not give coins back. I moved to another screen on a different row of lockers and tried again. This time I was presented with an option for Small Locker or Large Locker and I chose the large locker. It even asked if I wanted on that was up high (top row) or low (bottom row at floor level), which I chose the low locker which was easier to get my bag in. The screen then lists the lockers available and you choose one, enter your PIN that you will use to get back in to the locker, and it unlocks it for you. After putting your items in the locker, close the door and hold it closed for a few seconds and the lock engages. To get back in, you use the touch screen, select re-open locker, it asks if you want to end your time (no longer will need the locker) or keep locker (you are just going in, but will leave your items in there longer), enter your locker number and PIN and the lock clicks open. From there I was off to explore while waiting to check in.
After exploring for a few hours, I returned to the hostel to check in. The check-in process is all done on the computer where you just put your name in, select your reservation and you can print your room number, bed number, and PIN for the doors or have it sent to your phone. With that information, I proceeded to the room and found myself in a top bunk of the shaky bunk bed. The room was a 6 bed, mixed dorm with an en-suite bathroom, and a locker for each bunk (not numbered). Each bunk has a reading light, electric socket, linens, pillow, and a towel. There is no air-conditioning, but all the windows open and there is a radiator for heating if it gets cold. The property has free WiFi throughout, a Bar/Restaurant (happy hour 1900-2100 (7 pm – 9 pm), common area for mingling, and bike rentals (of course, it’s Copenhagen). Food and drink prices are pretty similar to those in the rest of the city, high. Beer ranges from 30 – 50 DKK (USD $4.50 – 7.65) depending on size and brand, soda is 30 DKK (USD $4.50) for a 330 ml (11 oz) can, and a burger with fries is 70 – 160 DKK (USD $10.75 – 24.50) depending on type of burger and what restaurant you visit. The most reasonable prices at the Urban Bar are the shots at around 30 DKK (USD $4.50) each.
I actually decided to leave the Urban House because of the accommodations and check in to a hotel down the street with a private room, the Hotel Copenhagen Crown. Urban House was nice enough to refund my money, except the first night since I was already checked in.
Hotel Copenhagen Crown is a 4 story hotel, with 5th floor breakfast area, located in the Vesterbro area in the middle of Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter. Access to the hotel is on the main street, Vesterbrogade, and leads you in to an open air courtyard where you will find the entrance to reception. Most rooms face the courtyard and not the busy street. My room has 3 windows that open that let in the cool fresh air, a double bed, workstation, flat screen TV, radiator for heat, and a bathroom with shower, not tub. A small bar is available in the lobby and there is a restaurant, Grillen Burgerbar, attached to the hotel that can also provide room service.
From the hotel, you can walk anywhere in Copenhagen in an hour or less. The central train station is 600 m (2,000 ft) away and can be reached in less than 10 minutes. From here you can take the train through the city if you don’t want to walk. I opted to walk as it’s the best way to explore the city. The farthest site I went to from the hotel was about an hour walk, but I made stops on the way to and from at different sites.
A few of the places I visited for food and drinks were:
McJoy’s Choice: Located in the popular Nyhavn neighborhood (the same from the main picture above), this restaurant serves a wide variety of dishes and drinks. There is seating both inside and out, but eating outside is a big part of dining in Europe, so of course I sat outside and watched the thousands of people wandering the area. While walking the area, I noticed that most of the restaurants in Nyhavn had very similar menus and it was even difficult to tell where one restaurant’s seating ended and another began. I just stopped in for a quick lunch while waiting to check in and grabbed a burger. This beef burger came with cucumber, tomato, red onion, cheese, avocado cream, and some fries (chips for the Brits). The food was pretty good, but I think the avocado cream was a little overboard. A slice of avocado would have been a better choice, in my opinion. Food (and most everything) in Denmark is not cheap and this lunch cost me 200 DKK ($33.50).
Vaffelbageren: One of the more popular deserts I saw was a Belgian Waffle with some sort of topping. Well, Vaffelbageren has you covered. Since 1953 they have been making homemade Belgian waffles and waffle cones for their great selection of desserts. They have Softice (soft serve ice cream), homemade regular ice cream, sorbet, tea and coffee, milkshakes, smoothies, and slushice (slushies). The smell when you first walk in to the small shop is AMAZING. The fresh cooked waffle aroma that fills the shop instantly makes you want one. A Belgian waffle was the reason I was there and that’s what I got, with softice. Out came a beautifully golden waffle with a generous portion of vanilla softice on top. I’m not sure which was better, the waffle or the softice. The softice was super creamy, barely melted, and never lost its consistency while I slowly enjoyed each bite. Definitely recommend a visit (or multiple) to Vaffelbageren if you ever find yourself in Copenhagen. Total for a Belgian waffle with softice and a water was 70 DKK ($11.75). Worth it! See ↓
Fredco’s Deli: Near my hotel was a small deli that makes their sandwiches similar to the classic Danish smørrebrød, which is an open-faced sandwich. Smørrebrød usually consists of a piece of buttered dense, dark rye bread, the topping of cold cuts, pieces of meat, fish, cheese, or spreads, with the right accompaniments. Fredco’s uses all the same ingredients as smørrebrød (the dense, dark rye bread, the meat, the toppings, etc.), but make it as a normal closed sandwich. I ordered 2 sandwiches, a chicken/bacon and a roast beef, in case I didn’t like the curry dressing on the chicken/bacon one. I’m glad I ordered 2 as they were quite small and I did enjoy both. Fredco’s has an online ordering system where you place your order and can pick it up 15 minutes later from the cooler at the front of the store with your name and order attached to the bag. No line, no waiting, just walk in, walk out. Two small sandwiches and a can of soda cost 160 DKK ($24.59).
Boston Grill: Now, being from Massachusetts and spending a decent amount of time in Boston, this had to be checked out. The decor has a lot of pictures from Boston, the city, the Red Sox, the boats, etc. It’s hard to really say what should be in a Boston Grill because Boston has so many different neighborhoods that each have their own culinary delights. Do you go generic with seafood? Is it the classic homemade Italian dishes of the North End. How about the food in China Town, or South Boston, or the upscale Boston cuisine, and on and on? The Boston Grill is basically a steakhouse with Boston decor and had some “Boston” foods. I tried a cup of the clam chowder, which was tasty, but a little too liquid for my preference. New England Clam Chowder is usually a little thicker, but this had a more watery consistency to the cream. They had a few seafood options with sea scallops, muscles marinara, or crab cakes as an appetizer. For main courses, they have a 1/2 or whole Maine lobster or pan-fried seasonal white fish filet. They also serve burgers and a chili dog. The steaks (from Denmark or Australia) are there main dishes though. I had the Denmark Grass Fed Prime Tenderloin with a red wine sauce, which was amazing. For dessert, I tried their homemade caramel ice cream, which was I didn’t enjoy, especially after the ice cream I was spoiled by at Vaffelbageren. This ice cream had icy spots throughout it and the caramel had an alcohol taste as if they put Caramel Liqueur in there. The food was really well cooked and amazing, though the “Boston” aspect is up for debate. This was a pricey dinner at 500 DKK ($83.65).
Grillen Burgerbar: This is exactly what the name implies, a Burger Bar. No mess, no frills, just burgers and fries. Seven different burgers, three toppings (lettuce, tomato, and pickles), 3 shapes of french fries (crinkle cut, curly, thick cut), three options for dip (oil, chili mayo, or tarragon mayo). Pick a burger (and extra of any topping if you want. Extra pickles are 5 DKK extra), pick your shape of fries, pick your dip and you’re done. The food was really good and reasonable priced. All meals (burger, fries, dip) at lunch are 79 DKK ($13.22) and at dinner are 109 DKK ($18.25). They also have options of upgrading to double meat (or veggie patty), add bacon, add BBQ sauce depending on the individual burger ordered. Good food, good prices.
Jensens Bøfhus: On my last night, I wanted to try this bøfhus (steakhouse) as the menu looked really good. I reserved a table online, which is very helpful when you need a table for 1. When I arrived at my reservation time, there was a line waiting to sit, but they had my small table ready for me. The waitress then explained to me that they were short a member of the kitchen staff so it might take longer than usual for the order to come out. Actually it only took about 15 minutes once I ordered, so if that’s longer than normal, then good for them! The staff here was super friendly and helpful and I think I saw each of 5 waitresses twice during the meal. I had the beef tenderloin and being my last night, I got the Queen’s Delight, which was of course a Belgian waffle with softice, and strawberry topping. I wish I could say the food was as good as it sounds, but the tenderloin was not tender. Thankfully the dessert saved the day. Total for the meal, some bread, a carafe of water, and dessert was 195 DKK ($32.63), which was much better than Boston Grill, but the food was not nearly as good.
Now for attractions that I visited:
Rosenborg Slot
Rosenborg Slot was started in 1606 by Christian IV as his summer “pleasure palace” because he felt the existing medieval castle was too old-fashioned for him during the renaissance times. It was built in 4 phases over the next 18 years and had a few minor changes in the 1630s and 1650s. It only stayed a residence until 1710 and was then turned into the home of the Royal Collections. After 1710, the castle was only used as a residence on 2 emergency occasions; after the fire at Christiansborg in 1794 and during the English attack on Copenhagen in 1801. There are thousands of pieces to see in the castle, including the Crown Jewels. Cost for the Rosenborg Slot and Amalienborg Slot combo ticket was 145 DKK ($24.25) and is good for 2 days in case you can’t see both in 1 day. There is usually a line for the Rosenborg castle, so try to buy tickets ahead of time or get the Copenhagen Card with access to over 79 museums and attractions, free public transportation by bus, train, and Metro, discounts on restaurants, attractions, and entertainment, and you can bring two children under 10 for free.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Amalienborg Slot
Amalienborg Slot was built in the 1750s as homes for the nobility, but were taken over by the Royal Family after the fire at Christiansborg in 1794. The Royal Family’s stay at Amalienborg was seen as a temporary solution, as everyone anticipated a rapid rebuilding of Christiansborg. In the meantime Amalienborg turned out to function wonderfully as a residence, and even though a second and then a third Christiansborg were built, they weren’t enough to make the Royal Family move back. In the more than 200 years Amalienborg has been a royal residence it has been tradition that the monarch has resided in one palace, while the heir to the throne has lived in another, and this is how it is still used today. Visitors can access the museum in the North West building, closest to Frederiks (Marble) Church. There is not as much to see here as Rosenborg or Christiansborg, but still interesting to see.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Gefionspringvandet
Gefionspringvandet is a bronze fountain (springvandet) of Norse goddess Gefion plowing the sea with 4 oxen. It is located next to St. Alban’s Church and a short distance away from The Little Mermaid and Kastellet.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
St. Alban’s Anglican Church
St. Alban’s Anglican Church is the only Anglican church in Denmark and caters to all Christian faiths with services in English. The church was built in 1885 in the style of other churches in England. As far as the other churches in the area, this one is rather small and not overly ornate. Entrance is free, but they have a donation box at the table where they pass out fact sheets in various languages.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Den Lille Havfrue
Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid) is a small statue built in 1913 and is based a character by on of Denmark’s most famous authors, Hans Christian Andersen. It is located on the northern part of the city, near the cruiseport, on a thin strip of land between the Kastellet and the water. It was actually quite busy at the statue considering the weather. H.C. Andersen is of such notoriety in that one of Copenhagen’s main streets is named H.C. Andersen Blvd.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Frederiks Kirke
From the outside, Frederiks Kirke (Marble Church) is quite large and ornate. When you step inside, it’s much smaller than it appears from the outside, but is well decorated without going overboard. As its name suggests, the church is made of marble and there are quite a few cracks showing in the floor. Entrance to the church is free and it’s worth a look while in the area.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Nyhavn
The Nyhavn neighborhood seems to be the one that everyone who comes to Copenhagen has their picture taken with the multi-colored buildings that line the canal (I am no exception to this). The North side of the canal (right in the picture) is for pedestrians only and is lined with outdoor seating areas for the numerous restaurants. The whole area is good for getting food and people watching. The prices here area a bit high compared to elsewhere in Copenhagen, because of the tourists getting on and off canal tour boats at the end of the canal. Worth the visit for the people watching and souvenir photo of the buildings from the bridge.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Strøget
Strøget is the main shopping street of Copenhagen. The stores actually go from lower end to higher end as you move from one end to the other along the 1.1 km (0.7 mi). At the West end you’ll find stores like Foot Locker and Discount Souvenirs, in the middle you’ll find ZARA, LEGO, and H&M, and towards the East end you’ll find Gucci, Burberry, Bang & Olufsen, etc. It’s a pedestrian only street, so it’s a nice walk where you can look around without having to worry traffic.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace has been built 3 times over the years. The palace was named after Christian VI who tore down Copenhagen Castle and built the first Christiansborg in 1740. This palace was destroyed 54 years later in 1794 and only the stables survived. It is still home to the royal horses. The palace you can see today dates from 1928. It was built and laid out in such a way that it could accommodate the Royal Family, and the two houses of the Danish parliament. However, Christian X chose not to live there and Christiansborg has only been used as the working place for the Royal Family, the office of the Danish prime minister, and the Danish parliament. I opted for the combo ticket which cost 150 DKK ($25.10) and allows access to the Ruins beneath the castle, the Reception Rooms, the Kitchen, and the Stables. The chapel is free of charge and to go up into the tower is a separate fee. I went to the ruins first and found myself in a maze of tunnels that are not labeled as well as they could be. While there are signs pointing you in a direction, some intersections have arrows in both directions, so you don’t want to miss anything and are not really sure which way to go first. Even with the awesome directions, it is interesting to see what the original foundations looked like.
Next up was the Reception Rooms. Some of these rooms are just plain ugly and too overdone, while others are grand, but not pompous. It’s crazy how many different reception rooms one needs. I’ve been missing out not having 35 rooms (exaggerated) to receive guests depending on my mood that day.
From the reception rooms, I headed to the kitchen. While I was hoping to see a currently functioning kitchen, it has not been used for a while and is set up as though the kitchen is in use, with lights, sounds, etc. All the cookware are the original copper pieces from 1921 that were brought in to the new castle in 1928. When gala dinners are held at Christiansborg, the food is prepared at Amalienborg, driven over, and heated up in mobile prep kitchens adjacent to the hall to maintain freshness.
The Royal Stables are the only buildings to have survived from the original palace in 1740. The stable’s finest vehicle is the Golden State Coach. It was built in 1840 and is coated with 24-carat gold leaf. When the Queen holds banquets at Christiansborg Palace, the beautiful white horses are hitched to the coach in special gala harnesses ready to transport the Queen. The oldest coach in the stables is Queen Dowager Juliane Marie’s state coach which dates from 1778.
Last stop at Christiansborg was at the chapel. The Palace Chapel was built in 1826 and is used for royal events such as weddings, baptisms, and anniversaries. In 1992, a stray rocket set fire to the chapel, damaging the roof and dome, but luckily the chapel did not burn down completely. Large parts of the chapel were rebuilt, but today the chapel has been restored to its former glory. As with Fredericks Church, well decorated without going overboard. Simple, yet elegant. Entrance to the chapel is free to all.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Vor Frelsers Kirke
The Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour) draws you in from afar with its spiral tower sticking high above the rest of the area. From outside, the church is dark, but inside is so clean and bright. When you first enter the church, you see the altar and it’s decorations, you notice the pulpit out in the seats, and as you travel to either side of the church you notice the other decorative touches throughout. It’s after you turn and can view the entrance at the back of the church that you see the massive, carved organ on the back wall that jumps right out at you. The rest of the church has such soft colors of white, light wood, gold, light blue, etc., but the organ is a dark wood on a white background making it stand out. There are also two elephants on the wall that are holding up the organ. If you’re in Copenhagen, be sure to check it out. Entrance to the church is free to all.
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
Christiania
Christiania is a self-governing community that was founded by the hippies of the 1970s. “Freetown Christiania” is meant to be a utopian commune / illicit pleasure area. There are art covered buildings, nature, trees, random sculptures, and vendors selling everything from hand-made items up to and including hash and marijuana in the “Green Light District”. No photos of the people or what they are selling in that area though. Pictures of the art is ok as long as they know you’re taking picture of only the art and no one is in the photo. I accidentally caught someone in the picture (didn’t even notice as I was taking it and a guy came up looking like the unibomber with a hood on, pulled tight, big sunglasses on and said not to take pictures of anyone. I didn’t realize I had and we went through the picture and I deleted it for him and retook what I was trying to get, making sure this time no one is in it. OOPS! It’s a really cool place though and definitely worth the visit. If you can’t find it, maybe you’ll end up down wind of it and you can follow your nose!
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark has literally hundreds of rooms on 3 floors that contain everything Denmark from prehistory to modern times. Unfortunately for me, my camera was just about dead when I got to the museum and it didn’t make it very long before dying. As with any museum, there is plenty to see and it’s mostly interesting. Price was a little high considering I arrived at 3pm and they closed at 5pm. I was expecting some sort of end of day deal, but it was the full price of 70 DKK ($11.71)
For more pictures, check out my album on Facebook.
I hope this gives you some inspiration to take a trip to Denmark. For photos from the entire trip, check out all my albums on Facebook.
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Over The Horizon, LLC 