Sightseeing in Copenhagen
Alison Laycock
Copenhagen has been on my bucket list of places to visit for as long as I can remember. I’ve watched films based in Copenhagen, read about ‘Lykke’ and heard all about ‘Hygge’ and recently I watched the final series of ‘The Bridge’. Believe it or not I got just as excited about crossing the bridge to Malmö before I even arrived in Copenhagen.
The Little Mermaid: This was one of the stops on the Hop on Hop off tour I did on my first day in Copenhagen. It was pouring down with rain and I was glad to be sitting on a bus simply being taken around the city and being able to get an idea of what I would see when the wether improved (I’m such an optimistic). The bus driver allowed us 5 minutes to jump off and take a photo and to be fair thats all we needed. Some people wanted to pose with it which is great unless you’re waiting to get a quick photo of just the mermaid. It’s worth seeing but I wouldn’t make a special trip to get a photo especially on a wet day.
Tivoli gardens: Around since 1843, the amusement rides have attracted squeals of enjoyment for years now. The gardens were beautiful to visit around Christmas time with the Christmas tree drawing you in to the Glogg (mulled wine), hot chocolate and many snacks available. If you’re not one to enjoy the rides, then you can also walk around the gardens, pause at the lake and take photos of all going on around you. You can pay on the day at the gardens or get discounted tickets when you buy your hop on hop off ticket which is what I did.
Nyhaven: If you haven’t heard of Nyhaven, then you will definitely have seen it somewhere as it is the most iconic image from Copenhagen. I chose a relatively good weather day to walk to it so that I could get some good photos and I was lucky to have a day with no rain. You will have to be quick to move around those seeking selfies in every position available without considering others but it is well worth the time and patience to get the photos you want.
Walk around: I enjoy walking around every city I go to simply to take as much in as I possibly can. Copenhagen is a city you can walk around if you don’t want to take public transport. I divided the areas up for the 4 full days I had available to me and enjoyed peaceful walks around lakes and parks, rushing through the shopping areas, taking in the architecture I passed on the way to some where else. You will always see more by walking around and keeping your eyes open and your mind ready to see things and interact with others.
Bikes: Luckily, my time in the Netherlands prepared me well for all the bikes in Copenhagen as they can certainly compete well with Amsterdam. The difference in Copenhagen seems to be that they do actually stay in their lanes and also follow traffic guidelines so you don’t find yourself nearly getting run over by several annoyed cyclists. Of course, all the cyclists lower the amount of cars in the city and this is very noticeable as you walk around.
There are many more reasons to visit Copenhagen and I’m sure it will be a place I return to in a different season. I’m also excited to see how it compares to other parts of Scandinavia as I travel around during December.