Of all the many beautiful sights that can be found within the city of Copenhagen, my favourite place in town is Nyhavn.
With its charming, brightly-colored houses, historic wooden boats, restaurants, bars and cafés lined across this former commercial port, it’s difficult not to be drawn to this area again and again.
This 17th-century waterfront canal was built as a gateway from the sea to the inner city, so that fish and cargo could be unloaded easily. So it’s no surprise that back in the day, Nyhavn was a popular hangout for sailors filled with pubs, alehouses and ladies of dubious distinction.
Fast-forward to present day, Nyhaven has undergone a major facelift to become a tourist epicentre, characterised by an abundance of restaurants with jazz music and a relaxed atmosphere along the canal.
It’s not only the tourists who come here. You see many locals sitting along the water’s edge. It’s such a beautiful place for an evening stroll and people-watching.
I was so intrigued by Nyhavn that I went there three times during my short stay in Copenhagen. Didn’t I get a wee bit bored with seeing the same thing over and over again? Not at all!
Nyhavn at various times of the day looks different under the changing light. There’s always something that catches the eye – no matter how many times you’ve been there previously. That makes it a great place to simply chill out and click away!
Continuing my exploration of Copenhagen on foot, I followed the sound of hooves which led me to Christiansborg Palace. I stood behind the wooden fence and watched a coachman drive a pair of royal horses around the palace grounds.
Christiansborg Palace located on Slotsholmen, Copenhagen, has an 800-year-long history as Denmark’s centre of power. It used to be the official residence of Danish kings and queens and now houses the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Supreme Court. Christiansborg is the only building in the world that holds all three of a country’s seats of government. Certain rooms in Christiansborg are still used today by the royal family for official events like gala banquets and public audiences.
Continuing on, I came by a lovely church that stood out from the other buildings with its distinctive copper-green dome.
Frederik’s Church (The Marble Church)
The Marble Church (Marmorkirken) or Frederik’s Church, is by far the most attractive church both in and out of Copenhagen. The church’s dome is the largest in all of Scandinavia with a span of 31 meters and standing on 12 columns. Designed by the famous Danish architect Nicolai Eigved, construction started in 1749 but it was only completed 145 years later in 1894 due to budget constraints.
I finally arrived at Amalienborg Palace where there was already a huge crowd of spectators waiting for the royal guard to march in.
Amalienborg Palace is the winter residence of the Danish royal family. The daily march of the Danish Royal Guard starts from Rosenborg Castle at 11:30am, ending up at Amalienborg Palace where the Changing of the Guard takes place at 12:00 noon. I was fortunate enough to watch the full ceremony that only happens during the winter months of September to April.
Changing of the Danish Royal GuardWhen Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is in residence, the Royal Guard is accompanied by the Royal Life GuardsMusic Band
The relieved watch’ passing by Frederik’s Church (The Marble Church) as they march back home to the Life Guard Barracks
After the ceremony, I stayed behind and lingered around Amalienborg Square waiting to catch up with my travel-mates who were somewhere in the crowd. I was anxious that all three of us make it to The Little Mermaid statue before it got too dark. I spotted NG quite easily but CY was nowhere in sight.
The two of us scoured the palace grounds and were almost at the point of giving up when we spotted CY seemingly inspecting the foliage around the palace garden. He had lost his handphone containing all the photos taken from the morning. The three of us spent a further 30 minutes at the deserted Amalienborg Square searching for the mobile phone to no avail!
Equestrian statue of King Frederick VII outside Christiansborg Palace on Castle Isle
This resultant delay made us think twice about making our way to The Mermaid statue before dark. We decided to try our luck anyway and hurried towards Langelinie Park where she sits.
On the way there, we came upon the beautiful St Alban’s Church. Also known as the English Church, this late 19th-century church is Denmark’s only Anglican church. It’s a really lovely and serene spot for a quiet evening stroll!
St. Alban’s Chuirch (The English Church)
Right next to St Alban’s church is TheGefion Fountain (Gefionspringvandet), one of the largest monuments in Copenhagen and as famous as The Little Mermaid.
This fountain tells the mythical story of how the island of Zealand came about. It features four oxen being driven by the legendary Norse goddess, Gefion.
Gerfion Fountain took more than 10 years until completion in 1908.
According to legend, King Gylfe of Sweden, offered the goddess Gefion as much land as she was capable of ploughing within one day and one night. In order to achieve this, she turned her own sons into oxen and used them to plough as much land as possible in the given 24 hours. The land that Gerfion ploughed out of Sweden became the island of Zealand, the main island of Denmark upon which Copenhagen stands.
It is believed that if you toss a coin into the fountain and make a wish, your wish will come true. I would have liked to put this to a test except that the fountain was under maintenance and completely drained of water.
Langelinie Park Seagulls at Copenhagen Harbour
Langelinie Park stretches from Gefion Fountain along the waterfront to the start of Langelinie Pier where some cruise ships berth. It is a very scenic place with lots of trees and grass. The park has a number of monuments, statues, a children’s playground and a marina, and is home to the iconic Little Mermaid.
While walking along the waterfront, I came across a huge sculpture made out of junk metal and unwanted machinery parts.
Zinkglobal – The Key to the Future
The placing of this sculpture called Zinkglobal– The Key to the Future in one of Copenhagen’s poshest areas was mired in controversy. The sculpture was regarded as a heap of junk metal that did not belong there.
On approaching the northern end of Langelinie’s promenade, I saw a small gathering and knew that I was close to the Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue).
The life-size bronze statue of the Little Mermaid sits on a rock at Langelinie promenade
One of Denmark’s greatest tales by the city’s most famous writer, Hans Christian Andersen, the statue depicts the moment the mermaid sacrifices everything to be united with the human prince with whom she has fallen in love. Created by Edvard Eriksen, the statue was donated by Danish brewer and philanthropist, Carl Jacobsen (of Carlsberg fame) and remains one of the most visited attractions in Copenhagen.
It had started to get dark and we trudged back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
Copenhagen city at night takes on a very different vibe, with its beautifully-lit streets and buildings, digital images and moving lights.
The King’s New Square (Kogens Nytov) Strogert Street City Hall SquareCity Hall
We were at Nørreport Station the next day to take a shuttle to the car and ferry terminal that carries passengers between Copenhagen and Oslo. DFDS Seaways operates two ships that depart at 4:30 pm daily from each city, arriving in the other at approximately 9:45 am the following morning.
Leaving Copenhagen and watching he sun setting behind Copenhagen city from the deck.
Copenhagen is a truly incredible city, having achieved a perfect balance between its historical past and dynamic present. The fact that everywhere is explorable on foot makes it deserving of a longer stay of at least three to four days. I would love to revisit this striking Nordic city after it becomes safe to travel again.
Copenhagen is a surprising city, blending old-world classical elegance with a modern vibe that’s at par with any other major capital city in Europe! Its historical and cultural roots echo from almost every street corner of this charming, medieval city. One moment you are strolling down the cobblestone streets with gothic spires and mythical sculptures, and the next, you’re faced with all kinds of lines and shapes that challenge your standard notions on contemporary living.
Copenhagen belies its size – large enough to host well over 30 museums, 15 Michelin-starred restaurants and some of the world’s most innovative aichitecture, yet compact enough to explore on foot so you can pack in a lot in just one day!
With so much ground to cover and given the limited time, choosing a suitable hotel becomes key. In a city like Copenhagen, you want to be able to wander around on foot or cycle to see as much as possible.
In this respect, I have my travel mate, NG, to thank. She had booked the three of us into The Square Hotel Copenhagen, which sits on a bustling street corner in the heart of the city opposite City Hall Square. The simplicity and functionality in design, especially the comfortable beds, made this hotel the perfect place to come home to after a long day of walking.
The Square Hotel Copenhagen
It was a relief to find a 7-Eleven convenience store right next to the hotel! This 7-Eleven is very different from the 7-Elevens that we have back home. Other than the usual bottled drinks, juices, coffee, alcoholic beverages and snacks, it also serves different types of breads, sandwiches, croissants, Danish pastries, pizzas as well as vegetarian and other healthy choices. Best of all, there are 2 tables so that you can sit down for a quick bite instead of having to take away.
An early morning stroll outside the walls of Tivoli Gardens
After an early breakfast, we set off for Tivoli Gardens which was conveniently situated just two streets away from our hotel.
Opened in 1843, Denmark’s most famous attraction updates its collection of rides regularly while still retaining the ambiance of a pleasure garden from bygone days. This 177-year-old theme park attracts visitors of all ages with its classic rides, games, concerts, theatres, food stands, and restaurants.
Visitors to Tivoli can enjoy breathtaking views of the city on the Ferris Wheel, embark on virtual reality adventures or stop by at the amusement park’s many food stalls to test out the various Danish specialities on offer.
At its most magical moment, after sunset, Tivoli comes alive with fairy lights and multi-colored bulbs, while the gardens provide the backdrop for outdoor concerts and events especially in summer.
I crossed the road to City Hall Square (Rådhuspladsen), a popular venue for exhibitions, celebrations and demonstrations. This Square also happens to be one of the starting points for Copenhagen’s famous shopping hotspot, Strøget.
The City Hall and Palace Hotel at City Hall Square. Towers and spires dominate the skyline at City Hall
Designated as a car-free zone in 1962, Strøget is one of Europe’s longest pedestrian-only shopping streets at 1.1 kilometers. It’s a great place for hanging out and taking in the sights and sounds of Copenhagen.
This buzzing shopping stretch caters for all tastes – from boutiques and Scandinavian fashion to international brands, you will find everything here. While young and budding fashion labels like H&M, Vero Moda, Zara and Weekday can be found nearer the City Hall end, big designer labels like Prada, Armani, Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Mulberry are represented at the end of the street leading up to Kongens Nytorv.
Besides shopping. Strøget is made up of a larger area of smaller side streets with restaurants, bars and cafes to give tired feet a rest.
LEGO Stores all over Denmark carry exclusive sets that are not available elsewhere.
Copenhagen is probably the most bicycle-friendly city in the world. Bicycles outnumber cars and are everywhere in this city. More than 60% of people living in Copenhagen cycle to work and school. Bicycles get priority over other types of traffic and there’s even a safety manual for riding a bike in Copenhagen. If you don’t want to meet with an accident, you need to keep away from the bike lanes.
“Cycling has truly exploded in the last 10 years. It has even become an important tourist attraction in its own right. People come to Copenhagen from around the world to do some serious cycling in the city, or they just want to ride around for a few hours to get a few pictures to be able to prove they were cycling in Copenhagen.”
– Yael Bassan, Copenhagen Bicycles, (August 8 2019) Los Angeles Times
AmagertorvSquare is a great spot for street performers as well as people-watching.
The Stork Fountainat Amagertorv
The Kings New Square (Kongens Nytorv) with Magasin du Nord, Scandinavia’s oldest and largest department store (right)The Royal Danish Theatre at The King’s New Square (Kongens Nytorv)
Coming out to TheKings New Square (Kongens Nytorv) at the opposite end of the street, I caught my first glimpse of Nyhavn.
These colorful buildings made up mostly of hotels, restaurants and bars along the length of the canal give Nyhavn an upbeat vibe. While restaurant prices here tend to be on the high side, you can also get food and beer from the nearby hotdog stands. Most people simply stroll by the canal or relax on the wooden benches to take in the ambiance of Nyhavn.
Dancing With Shadows 