Wednesday 19th September 2018
Today we were looking forward to experiencing Denmark’s public transportation system from our local station in Holbæk directly into the city centre of Copenhagen.
We managed to find a free parking space next to the station which was lucky as the station was much busier than we had anticipated.
Once in the station we attempted to purchase tickets from the self service machine but after several attempts gave up, as it would not accept our credit card or money other than coins, which we did not have. (It did not have a facility for notes).
Plan B, go into the 7-Eleven shop in the station reception area and make enquiries. Success! We were able to purchase 2 return tickets which included public transport in Zone 1 in Copenhagen. As we were only there for one day, this ticket would be perfect. Cost 232 DKK each.
You can also go to the DSB website and purchase different types of tickets, such as travel cards, city pass or the DSB 24-hour ticket or download the mobile app called Mobilbilletter.
Our double decker train took about 45 minutes, stopping only at Roskilde, home of the Viking Ship Museum and Høje Taastrup before arriving in Copenhagen central station.
Directly opposite the station is the world famous Tivoli Gardens, celebrating its’ 175 year anniversary. It is an amusement park and pleasure garden visited by all ages. You can purchase tickets just to enjoy the park, without the thrill seeking rides for 120 DKK. If time allows we were hoping to make a visit.
Christiansborg Palace, the parliament building, was our first stop and a visit to the tower to experience Copenhagen from above. You can also visit many of the other buildings, including the Royal Reception Rooms, Party Kitchen, Stables and church for a fee or take a tour.
Admission is free of charge. The Tower/Tårnet is part of the present day Palace, previously destroyed by fire and below the viewing area is also a restaurant serving modern Danish dishes with an 11 metre high ceiling, the most spectacular room in the Tower.
After queuing for a while, we had another x-ray and bag search before taking a couple of lifts up to the Lumber Room and finally a staircase up to the viewing area. The lifts only take 6 or 8 people, so a little patience is required.
The Lumber Room contains a host of old plaster models, a wooden 3D model of the palace and other artefacts, hidden for years, relating to the artists and architects of the current and previous 2 palaces.
Although much of Copenhagen can be accessed on foot, the canals offer an opportunity to see much more of the city and from a different perspective.
We boarded our vessel on Gammel Strand, a short walk from Christiansborg Palace but you can also depart from Nyhavn. The canal tour is free with the Copenhagen card but only cost us 85 DKK each for an hour long cruise.
Our guide for the tour spoke perfect English, Danish and Spanish and translated everything in these 3 languages throughout the tour!
The wonderful weather, open top boat and the fact the boat was only one third full meant we had the perfect conditions to enjoy the tour. We saw many landmarks and passed through some very lovely residential areas and admired some fantastic architectural wonders.
We made good use of the facility to hop on and off the bus during our visit, using our combined public transport ticket but If you enjoy cycling then Copenhagen is for you!
There are bikes everywhere! We read that 60% of Copenhagers use a bike to get to work or school. There are dedicated cycle tracks all over the city. But probably best to avoid rush hour times unless you are a seasoned cyclist.
Next stop was Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront canal, lined on the northern side with colourful townhouses, bars and eateries. The south side of the canal has been reserved for museum ships, whilst the northern side displays privately owned, usable wooden ships. Hans Christian Andersen also lived here for many years.
This area of Copenhagen is always busy and a vibrant area with people boarding the canal tour boats or enjoying a drink or bite to eat outside overlooking the canal.
It also forms part of The Harbour Circle, a combined walking, running or cycling route along the Copenhagen harbour waterfront. The entire route is 13 km but you can experience as much or as little as you like.
A short distance from here is also the main shopping district of Strøget, one of Europe’s longest pedestrian streets and best shopping streets in Copenhagen. There are shops to suit everyone’s budget located here. When we visited there was lots of work being undertaken in the Kongens Nytorv, King’s New Square area.
After taking a break for something to eat we hopped back on the bus and made our way to see the statue of The Little Mermaid, a must see when in Copenhagen.
Although we had caught a glimpse of the statue on our canal tour we didn’t really get close enough to admire this national treasure and it turned out to be quite a way from the main area of Copenhagen we were walking around.
Plus, yet again there were hordes of tourists all vying for a selfie. If you have plenty of time to explore Copenhagen then the walk to this sculpture is delightful and you will pass several points of interest on the way.
The statue is quite small compared to other famous examples but small can often be beautiful and this bronze mermaid certainly is. We have read reviews from people who are disappointed and wouldn’t recommend taking the time to visit but it’s a matter of personal choice and timing.
We left our visit until the end of our day and by the time we reached this iconic statue most of the tourists with cameras and iPads had long gone home and we were able to enjoy this mermaid in a more peaceful manner.
Apart from the many people heading home on their cycles or the joggers enjoying the warm summer evening we were but a few people strolling around this delightful area.
Close by is a wonderful fountain, The Gefion fountain, next to St Alban’s Church. This huge bronze sculpture depicting Norse goddess Gefion, ploughing the sea with 4 oxen is certainly worth a look.
You will also be right next to the Kastellet or citadel, a superb star shaped 17th century fortress and one of the best preserved star fortresses in Northern Europe.
We finally arrived back on the bus at Copenhagen central station as the darkness was beginning to descend. All the illuminations of Tivoli were twinkling and we could hear excited squeals and screams resonating from the gardens.
As it was already close to 8 o’clock and our return journey would be at least an hour we decided to save a visit for another day, when perhaps we could use the pretence of indulging the grandchildren 😉