Copenhagen - Canal Tour and Tivoli

We are back in Copenhagen, and this time I want to tell you more about the place itself.

If you want to do your decent share of sightseeing you need to go into Copenhagen downtown. The metro station you want to get off is "Kongens Nytorv", being one of only two metro stations in the actual city. As much as I loved everything else, the public transport system is not very good, they do not have a lot of stations, and the maior tourist sights are not well or not at all connected. Like a Finnish friend of mine said, "Well, guess why they all ride their bikes??" So if you travel to Copenhagen just reckon with a lot of walking (and a lot of looking for directions and signs that are not there). The good news: They build a metro station at the Townhall at the moment, to connect this area to the public transport system.

When we got off one of the first things we saw was a flower market. We had minus degrees and it was a lovely sight! Nowhere in the more Southern countries I have seen anything like that in the Winter months....

On Gammel Strand (yes, this is its real name) you find one of two Cannel Tour stations (the other one is at Nyhavn, check www.canaltours.dk, you can easily book online, which is what we did). I always find roundtrips very useful to give you a first orientation in a city and also a first look at it. In Copenhagen of course you get the hop-on-hop-off-busses as well, but if there are waterways I always prefer those.

From Gammel Strand station you have a view on the island of Slotsholmen, most prominently on this picture you find the Stock exchange which is most famous for its Dragon Steeple, representing four dragons, their tails intwining and forming it. It is actually just next to Christiansborg Slot, where you can find the Houses of Parliament. In Summer time the boats go almost nonstop from this station, in Winter there are about 5 tours a day, and you will find a marker here telling you when the next boat is going, which is about each 1.15 hrs. But with such a fine view waiting is easy - and we only had to wait for half an hour or so. (You do not find the times in the internet, so don´t bother.)

The boats are fabulous! They are extremely flat because they have to be able to pass underneath
the sometimes extremely low and narrow bridges. The guide on board will tell you like a zillion times to be extremely cautious and watch your head - in Summer time, when the boats are open, I am sure this is absolutely necessary! Even now I saw people hopping up and down outside and almost missing the low bridges coming up. But it is not the guide´s fault, she really tries to keep you alive!

The boat takes you on a tour of the most important parts of Copenhagen. Like for example Nyhavn - "Newhaun" as it is actually pronounced - a dead end with historical boats anchoring, in Winter time they have a Christmas market there and in Summer many restaurants attract lots of customers.

They also take you out into the Harbour area, where part of it is military area and therefore closed to public. (The Cormoran did not seem to bother though.) The Denish people claim that their Navy is the oldest in the world.

This is the Danish Opera House. It is located opposite Amalienborg Slot (which is where Queen Margarethe is residing, but  I will show Amalienborg to you some other time) on the island of Holmen. Building it was extremely expensive, but, I don´t know.... for me an opera house as to be old-fashioned, not stylish..... But this is just personal taste!

On this tour you also get to see the Little Mermaid looking out into the harbour, but you see her only from the back, so I will also tell you more about here some other time. Instead I want to show you how narrow and low the bridges are when they take you back into the city, this time into the Christianshavn area.

And as you can see the weather had improved dramatically! So when we got off at Gammel Strand again we could explore the Christmas market there.

Here you are extremely close to the Stroget, the main shopping street of Copenhagen, it is a pedestrian zone, so walking is very comfortable, and the shops (e.g. the Illum) you find there are really nice. The Stroget takes you down to the Townhall and the Tivoli, which is exactly why we followed it.

Don´t ask me what these poor people did here, just clad in colours instead of a warm coat. They did some movie shooting there and I dare say that the Denish film is just as akward as the Austrian one....

Behind the Townhall you will find the H.C. Andersen Boulevard (yip! yip! yip!), and after crossing it you are at the Tivoli! It is Copenhagen´s amusement park with the same rustic flair as for example Coney Island, and each year before Christmas they set up their famous Christas market there. For us a new experience, because the roller coasters and caroussels are still working, but you also find litte booths for Christmas shopping, Christmas gloegg.... We paid 200 crowns just to get in (just to get in, mind!), so food and if you want to go on any of the rides is extra) but believe me it is worth it. Just remember to go there by night, and you will be overwhelmed. It is just sparkles and lights and wonders.....

I leave you here now with a few images of the Christmas market at Tivoli by night, it is phantastic. See you really soon and enjoy!

Copenhagen - Hotel and some recommendations

I definately wanted to go to Denmark for quite a while with actually two main reasons behind.

1) I was in London businesswise in July 2005 when terrorists targeted the public transport system and several bombs exploded in the tubes and on busses in the morning rush hour. The only reason why I was not in one of the tubes on fire was my kind collegue from Denmark, coming up to me in the lobby of the hotel, smiling and saying, "I am so old, they pay me a taxi to go to the conference venue. Do you want to join me? There is room in the car!" So I went with her and was lucky not to get blown up. (Other collegues went by tube this morning and definately had stories to tell, many of them about fire and explosion.) This warmed me up for Denmark and its very kind people enormously.

2) For my thesis I had to do a lot of research on Hans Christian Andersen, and while reading his diaries I learned a lot about Denmark, its rough sea and its long, cold Winters at warm fireplaces. So this wish built up inside me to go and see it all for myself.

It was a very early flight but the cool thing is: From Vienna you are in Copenhagen at 8.30 a.m. and have a full day ahead.

Our hotel was the BELLA SKY COMWELL, a very stylish hotel, only recently built, and we learned that it won "Best Architecture in Europe” at the International Hotel Awards, which is actually no surprise if you see it for yourself. http://www.bellaskycomwell.dk/hotelsite2011/frontpage/?gclid=CN2YnNbRlLQCFcq9zAoduEsAhw

The Nordic people definately have a feeling for design - just think of Finnland´s Iittala or Marimekko, or IKEA from Sweden - and just the same is found in Denmark. The difference to the often stylish but cold design I found in many other places of the world like e.g. Miami Beach with its loads of glass and coolness: The design in the Nordic countries is mostly very practical and still comfy at the same time.

Everywhere were lights and green - real green by the way, no plastic stuff - and the staff of the hotel was extremely friendly. And if you sat on one of the design chair it was always comfy.

Our room of course was the same. Stylish but so very comfortable! The best shower in the world, and the bed was heaven.

I need not say anything more about the skybar. Comfy seats, wonderful view, lovely staff, nice drinks.

The hotel is situated in an area outside Copenhagen which they probably want to build up. The station (bus and metro) is called Bella Center, but actually we did not see much of a center except our hotel. Still it only takes you 15 minutes to the very center of Copenhagen, which is fabulous of course! But still you can take photos like this just by stepping outside....

 

 

I definately would recommend this hotel any time, we really, really loved it.

 

Food is ridiculously expensive in Denmark, I was told that it is the high taxes, and I guess the people living there cope with it and have an income that is adapted. But if you come from a non-nordic country (except Switzerland or Japan) it really is ridiculous. A nice sandwich and a coke easily can come up to 100 Denish Crowns, which would be around € 14,-. So you better make sure that you book your hotel with breakfast, and I assure you you won´t be disappointed. Nowhere in Scandinavia I ever got a breakfast buffet that was not ample and with everything you could think of and wish for.

 

 

And there is something else I recommend in Denmark: The Yam-yam chain! It is basically an Asian food chain that offers a certain number of dishes, you simply chose if you want noodles or rice and which of the dishes on top, you will find Chicken Tikka Masala, Yellow Thai Curry, aso. And believe me: Outside Asia I have never had better Asian food! You smell the fresh ingredients, taste the Coconut milk... and it is actually a bargain compaired to a "real" restaurant. It is to go, but you can also sit down and enjoy it right there.

 

 

Yes, shopping is an issue in Denmark! In Copenhagen you find lots of great (and wonderfully decorated) shops and department stores - the most popular being the famous "Illum" - and people definately enjoy going shopping there. Of course it is expensive for non-Scandinavians, but of course you can get a tax exempt any time. We bought a little something for me, but I will officially only get it at Christmas. *smile* Usually people go to places like New York or London for Christmas shopping, that is fine of course, but try Copenhagen the next time!

 

 

The Christmas spirit is anywhere to be found in this lovely country, so do come here in Winter time and enjoy it! Go with the flow, experience the very special flair and get to know Denmark and its kind people! We certainly loved it and are absolutely happy that we chose exactly this time of the year to come here. Here you see the Townhall and its Christmas tree, so I am really close now to tell you more of the sights and the place itself. More to come soon.

 

 

Until then: Have a good time!