About a week ago I was surfing the net when I saw a picture of Copenhagen on a news site. The article was titled “Happiest Place on Earth”. Basically, the UN found that the Danes were the happiest in the world due to factors such as social support and personal freedom. Well, let’s see if this hype is all true!
We arrived in Copenhagen around lunchtime by train. It took about 40 minutes to cross the Øresund Strait, which separates Sweden and Denmark. After a every short walk of a few hundred metres we were checked into our hotel, The Absalon. Our hotel was near the main train station. The location was fabulously central and the hotel itself was so stylish and modern. But the area was a bit dodgy in the junkie sense (not sure this is fitting in with my “happiest country” ideal.
We spent the rest of today strolling along the main shopping strip and ending up at Nyhavn, Copenhagen’s infamous waterfront. Nyhavn was originally a busy commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock. Today the beautiful old houses have been renovated with restaurants dominating the street. It is truly beautiful. Of all the places we have visited on this holiday, this pocket of Copenhagen is by far my favourite.
After a little rest, we ventured over to Paper Island for dinner. This has an interesting story. The industrial building on the island once served as the paper storage for the Royal Danish Press.When the contract was terminated, a developer bought the buildings. However, the Government stipulated that they must use the building as a creative space for 5 years and then they could develop into housing. And so, the space now houses a number of street food vendors. It was brilliant – the food was great, the beer good and the vibe so chilled and relaxed. We are glad to have seen it as building commences next year.
The next day was spent sightseeing the usual tourist hotspots – The City Hall, The Royal Palace, Churches and any other interesting looking building along our route. Of course this included a visit to The Little Mermaid, a statue in honor of Danish Hans Christian Anderson.
A special mention on our sightseeing route needs to goes to freetown Christiana. Freetown Christiania was established in 1971 by a group of hippies who occupied abandoned military barracks and developed their own set of society rules, completely independent of the Danish government. It is a mix of homemade houses, workshops, art galleries, music venues and cheap and organic eateries. But it is most famous for its marijuana and hash dealing, which is illegal in Denmark. The main drag is a drug market called Pusher Street. Here, there are various (army-style) stalls set up with people dressed in balaclavas selling drugs. Further on, people sit at large tables relaxing and reaping the benefits of their purchase. This area is a “Green Zone”so no photography is allowed. It is absolutely amazing and a must see. However, you must leave all judgement at the gate when visiting.
Glenn also (finally) got his 40th birthday present from me. He had a wonderful experience of buying a Georg Jensen watch in Copenhagen.
Our last day of holiday and we were not flying out until 9pm. We decided to do a day trip to Helsingor and Louisana. In Helsingør lies Kronborg Castle, made famous as Elsinore in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Kronborg Castle is the actual castle that Shakespeare set Hamlet in! At first I really wanted to visit Hamlet’s castle, and then I was indifferent as we had done so much sightseeing, but I am so glad we decided to go. It was so majestic and grand. Thumbs up!
Last on our list was Louisana, the Museum of Modern Art. Even though it is 35 minutes from Copenhagen it is the most visited museum. And this was evident the day we went as there were hordes of people. The museum is excellent. It has a real mix of art from many genres and mediums. The highlights were the temporary exhibition on eye illusion art (I needed to sit down as i as getting dizzy) and the video installations.
And that’s it. Off to the airport for 21 hours of glorious (not) flight time.
Erika Does Scandinavia 