We arrived bright and early after our flight from Stockholm - no passport control at either end which was a little bit concerning but turns out that once you're in the EU, they let you do your own thing.
We were staying at the Urban House hostel and I'm not going to lie, this was one of the worst hostel experiences that I have had on my trip so far. It was a beautiful and clean hostel, with so much potential, but it was a lot of the little things that were missing - state of the art kitchen, but no kettle or toaster. Efficient booking system - but it placed 7 people across 3 beds and when we let the receptionist know about it, she basically told us to sort it out because we were in the right and it was the other people who needed to move. While the hostel had a 90% approval rating, we weren't overly impressed. It wasn't that bad, but the things that need fixing did make it a bit of an awkward stay. Aside from this, it was in a great location and was quite inexpensive, which was good because it let us do more outside the hostel.
So, day 1: We arrived at the hostel, tried to check in, told it wasn't possible until 4pm, and then went to put our bags in our lockers. Upon realising that we had to pay (quite a bit) for these lockers, we decided to tote them through Copenhagen. So that, my friends, is how India and Laura, two Australians, ended up toting their (cabin sized) suitcases through Copenhagen on one of the hotter days of the year. Clearly, we didn't look like tourists at all.
We started off at a buffet - all you can eat because why not. Although the buffet charged for water (??), it was relatively inexpensive and we could keep going up for more. Stomachs full, we walked to Christianborg Palace and onto Nyhavn, a beautiful canal filled with coloured houses.
We headed back to our hostel and we were finally able to check in. After going to our rooms and lying down for a few minutes, we woke up 2 hours later (isn't it always the way?) to two Italian boys proclaiming that we were asleep in their beds. This was, obviously, more than a little bit awkward, and so after informing the receptionists that the beds were double booked, we headed down the road to the Tivoli Park.
This park was filled with rides and games, and India and I spent a lovely evening wandering around and talking. While it was quite expensive to actually go on any of the rides, the park was filled with colour and light so it was absolutely beautiful, especially as it got darker. Lollies in hand, we spent about half an hour watching the faces of those braver than me who decided to try the 'big drop'. No thanks.
The bed situation got sorted and the following morning we woke up and got ready before having a quick breakfast of pastries from our friend in the shop around the corner. While we had originally intended to hire bikes, this proved to be quite pricey and so we set off on foot towards the Rosenbourg Palace. On our walk, we stumbled across a beautiful park and so went for a wander through it. It was lovely to see a public space so well tended and obviously enjoyed by those who lived in the area.
We finally reached Rosenbourg and had a quick look through the gardens before following the guards on their daily 'changing of the guards' route to Amelienborg Palace - quite handy because we wanted to see it, but weren't quite sure how to get there.
Amelienborg was absolutely stunning - this is where the royal family of Denmark resides - and is made up of four large mansions. Although we had been warned that the changing of the guards ceremony would be dull as the Queen was away, there were hundreds of people there and it was still quite a decorative and complex ceremony.
We went to look at the Copenhagen Opera House across the water and then walked all the way around to this street food market we had been told about by some friends. It was, very clearly, popular with the locals which is always a good sign, and so we ordered and enjoyed Pad Thai and a sausage and chip dish that came in a cone, before finishing off with some ice cream. Of course.
Post lunch, we headed to the town hall for a 2.5 hour free walking tour. Although there were only about ten people on the tour, our wonderful guide Magnus was absolutely wonderful. He was larger than life and filled with information and jokes - 'I've lived in America so I'm fluent in English; in Denmark, so I'm fluent in Danish; and in Australia, so I'm fluent in sarcasm.'
Our tour took us to a few of the places we had been to before including Christiansborg Palace, Nyhavn, and Amalienborg, however Magnus had so much more information than we could have hoped to gather from our self guided walks, and so our afternoon was very well spent.
Post walking tour (and against the recommendation of Magnus), we walked to the Little Mermaid Statue, an incredibly famous (and apparently overrated) statue depicting the character in the tale by Hanns Christian Anderson. While she wasn't exactly mind blowing, it's always exciting to see iconic monuments in their cities.
While Copenhagen isn't renound for legalising weed (that's because it hasn't), we had been told that it was worth visiting the 'green light district'. While I didn't quite understand what was going on here, I gathered that weed use is illegal but in Christiania, they turn a blind eye. While it was almost empty when we went (aside from a few school classes having a look around), I can imagine that this would be a bussling place in the evening. No photographs were allowed, but picture a small enclosed town with lots of graffiti and a very hippie vibe.
Next stop was more food as we headed off to buy open sandwiches from a shop that is iconic for them. However on the way we were distracted by an open market, particularly the bakery titled 'Laura's'. We left with a raspberry biscuit pastry (a recommendation from Magnus) and a cinnamon pastry. They were absolutely amazing.
The man who worked at the open sandwich shop was so friendly and he gave us a rissole that was in some of the sandwiches to try before we purchased them: 'if you don't like it, you don't pay'. We did like it (a lot) and so left with 5 open sandwiches to share later. On our walk home, we happened to stumble across the same bakery as the day before (funny that), and purchased a pastry each for our dessert.
We wandered around Copenhagen in the afternoon, heading back to Rosenborg palace and also climbing up to The Round Tower, an observation deck that gives an incredible view over the centre of Copenhagen. While we did plan on going to Frederiksberg Have, another castle (do you see a theme?), it was quite a way out and with the limited time we had, we decided to spend it in the centre of Copenhagen. It's always good to leave something for next time!
As we headed to the airport, we passed a Dunkin Donuts and, of course, we had to try one. So that, my friends, is how India and I ate four pastries each on one clear day in Copenhagen. What a time to be alive.
So, my thoughts on Copenhagen:
For some reason India and I were not prepared for how expensive this place would be so keep that in mind if you do go. Walking tours are, as always, in my book an absolute must. Of course, also eat all the pastries. Looking back over this blog post, it seems that all I do is complain but I promise I did love Copenhagen, especially because of Queen Mary (Australia represent!), the beautiful castles and, of course, the pastries. I would recommend Copenhagen to anyone wanting to visit because it was a stunning city, however if you are travelling on a budget do keep in mind that it is possible you will have to miss out on some things.
So, half of the stops on my Spring Break European Adventure were done - next, to Berlin!
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