Copenhagen - So much to see, so little time...
Carlow Nationalist July 2011
Seventy-two hours may seem like a long time, but, as I've discovered, it's not half long enough if you plan to visit Denmark's delightful and thought-provoking capital Copenhagen. Even as the short SAS flight from Dublin (less than two hours) banked over the city's neat geography I knew I was going to be busy. The Lonely Planet guide open across my knee listed thirty-two crammed pages of 'Things to see and do' and already the book was several years out of date.
My favourite way to truly see a city is on foot so I wasted no time dropping my bags and hot-footing it out onto the bright Scandinavian streets. Although it was Friday afternoon, close to rush hour, the streets were surprisingly empty. There were busses aplenty for sure but this was most definitely not a typical city whose streets should be crammed bumper to bumper with cars belching their foul and poisonous fumes. So where were they?
My answer came quickly as I steeped off the pavement and straight into the path of a cyclist. She was tall and blonde and perched high on the seat of her sturdy, functional bicycle – complete with a basketful of fresh flowers – she looked like the vision of a Nordic princess riding into battle on her trusty steed. I apologised, explaining that I was new to the city, a tourist. The young woman, although annoyed at my transgression, took time to explain in perfect English the rules of the road here in Denmark. "Do not walk into a cycle lane, ever!" It was to prove sound advice.
After she left I began to notice bicycles everywhere. Outside the city's main train station they were lined up in their thousands, each with only a flimsy lock for security, or a semblance of security. The busy cycle lanes which are wide and pot-hole free run alongside the course of every street and thoroughfare and were most definitely, from what I could see, the only way to travel. I remember noting to myself that it should be mandatory for students of city planning to visit this city at least once during their course of urban enlightenment.
The Nationalmuseet, or National Museum, is a good place to start your wanderings in Copenhagen giving the visitor an extensive overview of the country's history from palaeolithic times to the present day. There is of course an entrance fee but by purchasing a Copenhagen Card, which range from 24 to 72 hours, the holder can gain free entry to a multitude of museums, attractions and galleries. It also affords unlimited free travel on the city's metro, trains and busses allowing you to wander to your heart's content. In addition to these freebies the accompanying booklet provides information on a wide range of discounts available to the Card holder.
If you don't like shuffling crowds, high-end shopping or vibrant street entertainment then Stroget, the city's long, interconnecting pedestrian streets, are best avoided. Instead you may prefer to travel one block north into the Latin Quarter where cafes, bars, music stores, second-hand bookshops and small designer boutiques offer a quieter, civilised air more in keeping with the city's charm.
At one end of Storget lies the Nyhavn canal lined with elegantly restored townhouses and ultra-chic pavement cafes. In the evenings the place is a veritable hive of activity with locals and visitors alike lining the streets, sharing a drink and enjoying the highly sociable atmosphere. My own Nyhavn favourite is an old barge which doubles as a lively music bar during the bright summer months. But a word of warning, if you like a drink, Copenhagen is most definitely not cheap.
Across the water in Christianhavn I decided that a bird's eye view of the city was what I needed. Vor Frelsers Kirke (Our Saviour's Church) offers such a vantage point but requires stamina and a head for heights. The 400 plus steps leading to the tip of the Church's spire are steep and demanding. The last section, running on the outside of the needle-sharp tower, calls for a stomach of iron.
If you have seen the movie Out of Africa you won't want to miss the pleasant thirty-minute train ride North of the city to Rungstead and the idyllic, seaside home of the author Karen Blixen. It was to this location that Miss Blixen returned after the failure of her Kenyan coffee plantation and the death of her lover Denys Finch-Hatton. Even if the stories of Karen Blixen are not your particular cup of tea Rungstead is a delightful seaside alternative to the non-stop movement of the city.
For visitors with children there is no end to the city's
entertainment. The Tivoli gardens right in the city centre house a giant
funfair, amusements, restaurants, music and theatre and is a playground for
both children and adults. The city zoo at Frederiksberg is currently undergoing
remodelling to make way for a new Arctic World and home for the zoo's Polar
bears. Despite the construction work the zoo is still a fun-filled day out for
all the family. In the home of the world's favourite creator of children's
stories, Hans Christian Anderson, no visit is complete without an excursion to
the H.C. Anderson Eventyhuset, a shrine where the master storyteller's stories
spring to animated life.
There are over 60 museums and attractions for young and all alike to enjoy in and around Copehnagen, each one free by using the invaluable Copenhagen Card. From circuses to falconry exhibitions, Royal palaces to aquariums it's all to be found here in this charming, bicycle-filled city by the sea.
GETTING THERE:
Scandinavian Airlines fly 24 times a week direct from Dublin to Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and onwards to Scandinavia and the Baltics from as little as 69 Euro one way including taxes.
Always with SAS: Free 20kg baggage. Free online check-in. Eurobonus points. 25% child discount.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines were Europe's most punctual major airline during 2009
Book your flight and to see what Scandinavia has to offer with SAS. Visit www.flysas.ie
The author was a guest of visitdenmark