Copenhagen

Last summer I visited the beautiful Danish city of Copenhagen which dates back as far as 1043 and as such is full of historical attractions as well as more modern ones.

One of the first things I visited in Copenhagen was Hans Christian Anderson’s very famous The Little Mermaid. It is far smaller than I was expecting and not to be confused with the larger statue of a topless mermaid which can be found just around the corner!

The Little Mermaid

As I only had a limited time in Copenhagen I decided to buy a ticket for the open top sightseeing bus tour of the city but I wouldn't recommend this as traffic is quite heavy and more time was spent stationary in traffic than actually seeing the sights the city had to offer. Instead, I would recommend that any future visitors opt for a boat tour instead because it allows you to see far more of Copenhagen in a shorter space of time and is far more relaxing, especially on a sunny day. After spending too much time on a non-moving bus I decided to do just that and the boat trip I took began on the Nyhavn next to the Kongens Nytorv Square and was very reasonably priced for the one hour cruise time and allowed me to see far more of the cities attractions.

Nyhavn

The Nyhavn district, pictured above, is a lovely place to stop and have a coffee or a cold drink whilst watching the people and boats passing by. There are lots of cafes and restaurants located in the quaint multicoloured buildings above and I imagine it would be a great spot to relax with a drink in the evening.

Whilst strolling along the main shopping street of Copenhagen which begins on the opposite side of the Kongens Nytorv Square and stumbled upon a stunning little café- The Royal Café. This is situated in a quiet and quirky courtyard next to the Georg Jensen Museum and offers a wide array of beautiful cakes and pastries that I can highly recommend! The courtyard setting of this cafe means that is it a great place to sit and relax whilst avoiding the buzz of some of the cafes on the cities main streets.

My cupcake at The Royal Café

Another of Copenhagen's top attractions is Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest amusement park in the world dating back to 1843. As well as rides and amusements to suit all ages there are also garden areas with beautiful water features and relaxing places to sit and take in the atmosphere. Tivoli Gardens can get very busy and crowded so I'd advise avoiding it at peak times during the day unless you have a lot of time to spend in queues for different rides.

The entrance to Tivoli Gardens

Whilst in Copenhagen I was lucky enough to see the changing of the guards at Amalienborg Palace, a 16th Century construction in the Danish Rococo style. The changing of the guards takes place at 12noon everyday, but again this can get quite crowded in summer so if you wish to have a good view then I suggest you get there nice and early. Amalienborg palace is the main residence of the queen of Denmark and when she is in residence the changing of the guards is accompanied by a marching band.

Changing of the Danish Royal Guard outside Amalienborg Palace

Copenhagen is such a vibrant city which merges its cultural and historical side extremely well with a more modern and cosmopolitan feel. The Norrebro and Vesterbro districts of the city are filled with great bars and clubs and can offer visitors a different view the city come nightfall.

Statue of the worlds tallest man (Copenhagen is home to the Guinness World Records Museum)