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48 (Winter) Hours in Copenhagen
Copenhagen, 7 and 8 March 2022 This is a very delayed blog post about two days I spent in Copenhagen during March 2022. It was my first trip abroad after Covid. Day 1 Copenhagen Sightseeing Boat Tour. Being a waterfront city, the large canal boats are a great way to explore Copenhagen. During the tour you come across many of the city’s landmarks, including the little mermaid. The boat tour takes about an hour and there is a live guide commentary. Visit to Amalienborg Palace. Amalienborg Palace is the winter residence of the Danish Royal Family. The Palace consists of 4 buildings set around a courtyard. One of the buildings is the Amalienborg museum, which has a number of exhibits related to the Danish Monarchs in the last 150 years. You can see recreated studies, libraries and staterooms as they were used by members of Royal family. In 2022, Queen Margarethe II celebrated 50 years on the Danish throne. In celebration of her jubilee year, Amalienborg Palace also housed an exhibition of Queen Margarethe’s personal jewellery (as opposed to the Danish Crown Jewels) aptly named, “The Queen’s Jewellery Box”. In the exhibition you can see many pieces of jewellery that hold great personal value to the Queen and you can hear about the some of the pieces in the Queen’s own words. The Little Mermaid Statue After Amalienborg Palace, I walked along the water front to see the Little Mermaid Statute. Unveiled on 23 August 1913, the sculpture is made of bronze and granite and sits on a rock in the water at Langelinie Pier. The statue was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s famous fairytale about a mermaid who gives up everything to be united with a young, handsome prince on land. The statue was funded by the Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen who gifted it to the City of Copenhagen. The brewer was so captivated by the fairy tale after seeing a ballet performance based on it, he commissioned the sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture of the mermaid. The sculpture was inspired by ballerina Ellen Price, who in 1909 danced the lead role in the ballet The Little Mermaid at the Royal Theatre. However, Ellen Price would not model in the nude for sculptor Edvard Eriksen, and so Eriksen’s wife, Eline Eriksen, posed for the sculpture of The Little Mermaid. Quick stop at the Round Tower. This tower was built by King Christian IV in the early 17th century at a time when Denmark was famous for its astronomical achievements thanks to the astronomer Tycho Brahe. After Brahe’s death in 1601, the King built the tower as a way to continue Brahe’s research. Today, the observatory is still used by amateur astronomers and is the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. The observatory and is at the top of the tower, accessed via a spiral walk. There are great views across the city from the top of the tower as well. Hans Christian Andersen Experience The Hans Christian Andersen Experience is a museum celebrating the life of Denmark’s famous author, Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote many fairy tales, including the The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina. In the museum you can find out more about Andersen and his life as well as bringing many of his fairy tales to life. Visiting the museum was also a chance to revisit many of the fairy tales I had first heard as a child, in their original versions. It reminded me that fairy tales from this period didn’t always have happy endings. For example, in the original version of the little mermaid, there is no happily ever after; the prince marries the princess from the neighbouring kingdom and the little mermaid throws herself off the ship and turns into sea foam. Visit to Museum of Copenhagen The Museum of Copenhagen gives a great overview of the city and its history dating back 800 years. Also a good place to have a break and a coffee. Day 2 I am at the Copenhagen Central station to catch a train to Helsingor, to visit the Kronborg Castle. The journey takes about 1 hour. Arrive at Kronborg Castle. In winter, the Castle opens at 1100, so I have some time to walk around and see the scenery. Across the water, you can see the Swedish city of Helsingborg. Kronborg castle was first built as a stronghold in the 15th century. In the 16th century, King Frederick II had the medieval fortress turned into a royal palace. In 1785, the castle ceased to be a royal residence and was converted into Army barracks. The Army occupied the castle until 1923, after which, it was turned into a tourist attraction. Inside the Castle there is an exhibition of Danish monarchs in the last 1000 years or so. Instead of historic artist portraits, the Kings and Queens are depicted by modern day actors and actress in period costumes, which makes the exhibition very striking. Kronborg Castle is most famous for being the home of the fictional Danish Prince in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. A less well known fact is that in real life, Kronborg was home to James VI of Scotland (who would go onto become James I of England) for several months. Anna of Denmark (daughter of Frederick II of Denmark) was betrothed to James whilst he was still king of Scotland. As was the custom at the time, after a proxy marriage, Anna set-off for Scotland in August 1589. Her ship was blown off-course and she had to seek refuge in Oslo, Norway. King James set-off from Scotland to find Anna. They were married in Oslo and they travelled to Kronborg Castle in December 1589. They resided at Kronborg during the winter and left for Scotland the following spring. Today at Kronborg Castle you can see the royal apartments King James and Queen Anne stayed in. You can also explore the castle casemates, where there is a statue of Ogier the Dane. Ogier is a legendary Danish King who is a said to be asleep under Kronborg until he is needed to save his homeland. After about an hour in the castle, it was time to take the train back to Copenhagen. Visit to Rosenborg Castle. Rosenborg castle dates back to the 17th century and was built by King Christian IV. Today, the castle houses the Danish Crown Jewels and many other royal treasures. : Visit to Christianborg Palace Christianborg used to be a Royal residence until late 18th century when it burned down. The Royal family moved to Amalienborg Palace and the restored Christianborg Palace is now used for Royal ceremonies and audiences, receptions and state dinners. The Palace is also home to the Danish Parliament and Supreme Court and also houses the Prime Minister’s Office. The Royal Reception Rooms you can see include The Tower Room and The Oval Throne Room where foreign ambassadors to Denmark are received by the Queen. The Throne Room gives access to the balcony where the Danish monarchs are proclaimed. The Great Hall is the grandest room in the palace. This also houses the Queen’s tapestries. The tapestries were a gift from the Danish business community to Queen Margarethe II on her 50th birthday in 1990. The series of 11 tapestries depict 1000 years of Danish history. You can also visit the underground ruins of Christianborg Palace, where some of the structures date back to the 13th century. There are also some fun exhibits for children about underground monsters. You can also visit the castle kitchens which are still used to prepare state dinners. You can also climb to the top of the palace tower which offers panoramic city views. The tower is 106 meters tall, making it the tallest tower in Copenhagen. There is just enough time to for a coffee and a cake before it is time to head back to the airport. I thoroughly enjoyed my short, but packed two days in Copenhagen. It was the perfect way to restart travel after two years of lockdown.
Publish Date : 2023-10-08 12:31:00
Image and News Source : diaryofatourist
