mytravelbugbite

On our first day in Copenhagen we were totally unprepared. Normally prior to a trip I spend hours researching what to do in an area and have a vague itinerary planned however due to a fairly hectic schedule leading up to this long weekend I had failed to do any real planning. With this in mind we decided to just wander using the Triposo app to alert of any sights we may be passing on our way.

We set off from our hotel- the Tivoli Hotel- which is just out of the centre, and made our way towards the main hub of the city. This began with us passing the town hall then down some of the main shopping streets until reaching the Rundetaarn, or Round Tower. This 17^th century building is well known for its spiraling ramp that leads up to a viewpoint approximately 35m above the ground to enjoy the view over the city. Whenever I visit somewhere new I like to get up high to allow myself to find my bearings and get a good feel for the place. Inside the tower there were also a few small exhibitions although if I am honest I didn’t really pay much attention to these.

Attached to the Rundetaarn is the Trinity church which is pretty spectacular in its own right. It was built for students at the same time as the tower although it has been damaged since in a fire and then restored.

Next on our walk we arrived at the king’s garden for a picnic and there we stumbled upon the Rosenborg Castle. We bought a joint ticket for this and the Amalienborg Palace (which at least gave us one thing to do the next day) then went in to explore. This was also built in the 1600s and is quite splendid throughout. The particular highlight for me were the great hall including the royal thrones and the exhibition of the Danish crown jewels located in a basement vault. The opulence of the whole place is undeniable and makes it pretty breath-taking.

From here we strolled down to Nyhavn, probably Copenhagen’s most recognisable street. Here the brightly coloured buildings line the waters edge creating an incredibly photogenic backdrop. This does come at a price though as it is absolutely heaving with tourists especially at the prime time of day we were there. Most of the buildings house restaurants or cafes and to fit with this culture we decided to get an ice cream and sit people watching for a while.

Following this we had a quick pit stop back at the hotel before heading out to our evening destination- Tivoli Gardens. This is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world having been opened in 1843. It is a delight to visit although you do need to decide what you want to get from it before purchasing tickets. The price for adult entry is 100DKK, but this does not include any rides. If you just want to go on one or two rides or just the smaller, cheaper ones then it probably makes more sense to pay for your rides separately. If you want to do a few or go on the bigger thrill rides then it is advisable to get an unlimited ride ticket like we did for 220DKK each on top of the entry price. They are not the largest rides you could ever go on but being the big kid I am I had so much fun. The real magic is at night when the parks attractions light up and reflect upon the central lake. This, along with the illumination show, made for a really pretty, but costly, evening.

Despite the late finish when back at the hotel I spent a little time doing a bit of reading to plan what to fit into day 2 of our Copenhagen weekend.

Have you been to any of the places we visited? What did you think? Any tips for the best way to enjoy Copenhagen?