For my Christmas present last year, I was delighted to receive from my daughter plane tickets and a few days stay in Copenhagen. However, when she told me we would be staying in a hostel, to say I was a little apprehensive was an understatement! This from a girl who travelled around South East Asia, through Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Australia - so hostels were no problem for her, but I prefer a little bit of luxury when I'm away from home.
However, I was so pleasantly surprised when we got to The Steelhouse, very close to Tivoli Gardens, that I would even stay there again. I pictured steel bunk beds and having to trot down the corridor to the loo in the middle of the night, so I was even thinking I would take a quick look then find a proper hotel!
The Steelhouse was far from that. She had booked a private en suite room for two, although actually there were six beds (four unused of course), but instead of bunk beds, there were cosy pods which were actually bigger than a single bed. Some of the rooms even have a balcony! There was even a hairdryer and shower gel provided.
The decor was distinctly urban chic - bare concrete walls and rustic tables and benches, but since we didn't eat there, it wasn't a problem, and the comfy chairs in the lounge were perfect for a delicious hot chocolate at the end of the evening.
Food was available - breakfast "bags" of sandwiches, and there were pastries and yummy yoghurts with compote and granola, but as my daughter is gluten intolerant (more of that later) we ate out every night. There is a kitchen for those who want to cook, and even a swimming pool - but of course these cost extra. While it wasn't exactly luxury, it was adequate and certainly wasn't "roughing in" while the guests included people of all ages and young families. There are walking tours and there is entertainment provided too - perfect if you're on your own or just want to join in!
My tick list for Copenhagen was Tivoli Gardens, Nyhavn Harbour with the multi-coloured buildings and the Little Mermaid statue. Tick, tick, tick.
Our first day saw us wander around the city centre to get our bearings and work out what we wanted to see. First stop was the food hall attached to Tivoli Gardens, where there was every kind of food from salads to street food to sushi or burgers. It was a perfect choice for my gluten free daughter, and the salads were delicious.
I had googled "gluten free restaurants" before we went and saw that there were around 170 offering gluten free food, however, most offered only one dish on their menus, so we did struggle. Since I am ok with gluten, it was such a shame as there was an abundance of beautiful fresh vegetarian and vegan sandwiches - but my daughter couldn't eat any of the bread. Fortunately we stumbled on Joe and the Juice, which became our go-to eatery for much of the holiday, as they served gluten free flatbreads, juices and salads. I was even heartened to see that they have premises in the UK, though unfortunately not near us!
We had quite a walk to the Nyhavn Port, but it was so pretty, with traditional Danish houses painted in different colours, and boats moored along the water. It is here that you can take a tourist boat along the river, though as it was freezing cold, we gave that a miss, but it must be very pleasant in the summer months.
This is a very touristy area and I can imagine that in summer it is very busy with pavements full of tables and chairs for the restaurants and bars spaced every few yards. Famous author Hans Christian Anderson lived at No 67, which now bears a plaque commemorating where he wrote many of this fairy tales, although actually, he wrote many more books which were not for children.
After a gluten-free dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (we always have to go in every city we see, since my daughter has to have "verified visits" (!). I love the decor but the menu is not my personal favourite) we visited the Victorian fairground at Tivoli Gardens after dark. Built in 1843, it is the second largest amusement park in the world, with the fairground featuring traditional rides, while the site was beautifully lit with vibrant colours. Unfortunately since this was a cold, damp night in February, it was rather too chilly to take advantage of the rides, many of which were not running, though the ice skating rink was open for business. However, if you are planning a winter trip - check that it is open as it closed shortly after our visit and doesn't re-open until April!
We returned the following day to see the fairground in daylight, and it was a little busier, particularly with families, and there were more rides open. There are various ticket prices, meaning you can get a 24 hour pass, group or child discounts, or one with unlimited rides.
However, the weather took a turn for the worst, so as always we jumped onto a hop-on, hop-off red bus to see the city from the top deck. To note there is more than one company, and for a few krona extra, you can include a boat trip with your ticket price.
One thing Denmark is also famous for - more for the residents than the tourists, is cycling! Every road has a cycle track with its own traffic lights, and motorists don't view them as a nuisance as they do in the UK. Having said that, the cyclists tend to be on traditional bikes, ridden sedately rather than the lycra-clad,helmeted cyclists on sports bikes we see on our roads. The first cycle lane in Denmark was opened in the early 1900s and there are five bicycles to every four people! Many tourists take to cycles too, which is probably quite sensible as the city is very spread-out, and you can hire a bike or electric scooter almost on every street corner. Just pick up a discarded bike, log in and leave your credit card details, and then log out when you get to your destination and leave the bike for the next person.
Finally we made it to the Little Mermaid statue - featured in Hans Christian Anderson's iconic tale. The bronze statue is quite tiny, and was modelled on ballerina Ellen Price, though she did not pose in the nude - the body was actually based on Eline Erikson, wife of the scultor Edvard Erikson. In her 100+ years, the mermaid has been decapitated twice although her head was returned both times. She has also had her arm sawn off, she has been blown off her rock with explosives and doused in various paints as protesters made various political statements.
Our red bus dropped us off while we took photographs, and waited until everyone was back on board to set off - for which I was eternally grateful since it was quite a schlep from the centre.
Having been fans of the Danish thriller "The Bridge" we were keen to see the fabulous Oresund Bridge which we had spied from the plane as we landed. Jumping on a train to Malmo, Sweden took us onto the bridge, although the rail track runs beneath the road surface. Incidentally, the helpful staff at Copenhagen station told us to buy a family return ticket, which worked out cheaper than single tickets for the two of us. The bridge is partly underground as it departs Copenhagen, built so that it would not cause issues for planes landing at the Danish airport. Once clear, the bridge travels across the water for five miles and is the longest combined rail/road bridge in Europe.
To be completely honest, Malmo was a bit of a disappointment. We found the most unattractive castle which looked more like a prison, so wandered round the grounds and found a delightful old windmill and a park which is probably very pretty once the flowers bloom.
Back in Copenhagen, we got back back on the red bus since we had bought a 24 hour ticket, which was still valid. Tours are always helpful in relating the history of the city and some of the buildings which one would never know about. The yellow Nyboder buildings had fascinated us the first time we saw them, so it was interesting to learn that they were built by King Christian IV in 1631 to house naval personnel. The rows and rows of terraces housed families who had access to their own medical care, police and guardhouse, but in exchange, all boys born into those families had to complete military service.
We decided on our last afternoon, to wander around the shops "downtown". There are a number of independent boutiques and bookshops, cafes, bars and restaurants. There are also some great tourist spots, including Amalienborg Palace, home of Denmark's Queen Margrethe II and her son Crown Prince Frederik, where you can watch the changing of the guard at 12 noon daily. Tourists also make their way after dark to the Ice Bar. Visitors can play games or quizzes or enjoy a cocktail or two if you can stand the cold! This is a real bar with ice hewn and imported from Northern Sweden and kept at a frosty -5 degrees. It was cold enough outside and we preferred a hot drink, thank you!
Nearby is Rosenburg Castle, now a museum housing the crown jewels and art treasures, the lovely King's Gardens and the imposing Gefion fountain.
The Gefion is dedicated to the Norse Goddess Gefion, who plouged the island of Zealand from Sweden. The story goes that Swedish King Gylfe offered her as much land as she could plough in a day and a night - so she changed her four sons into oxen and they ploughed so well that they pulled the land into the sea and created an island. So much for legends!
We found three days to be long enough if I'm honest, but maybe the inclement weather didn't help. I would suggest if you are going to visit, then go when the weather is a bit warmer. Everyone tells me there is a great atmosphere in the bars and restaurants during the warmer months, so it strikes me it would be quite a lively place to go. There are also a number of museums and notable art galleries in Copenhagen, but these are scattered throughout the city and suburbs.
Worth visiting - yes, but go when it's a bit warmer!
