Never would I have thought I'd ever visit the little Danish territory in my life. The tucked away country is usually one that seems to be overlooked quite a bit by people traveling over Europe. Denmark is actually a beautiful country, with a deep historic background dating all the way to the Viking era's the country has a ton to offer.
One of the first things I noticed about Denmark when I flew into Copenhagen is the color tones they love to use; black, gray, and white. For some reason the Danish people don't seem to utilize as many vibrant colors as other countries, except for in Nyhavn. After taking the metro from the airport, my mother and I started looking for our hotel. This was also the first time for my mom to experience Europe in person and her first kebab (which I believe she enjoyed..). Once we found our hotel we were initially very shocked by the size of our hotel room. For most Americans this would probably seem to work for only one person, however you get used to it and realize the building space for European buildings is very minimal. Once settled we began our explorations by walking around downtown Copenhagen.
Our first sight was Nyhavn, the popular tourist harbor with rows of colorful buildings and full of sailboats.
After hanging out at Nyhavn for a bit we ventured around the coastline and saw many other historical monuments and churches including the Copenhagen Opera palace, Royal Palace, Frederik's Church, Gefion Fountain, and a few of the surround Russian churches. The image at the top of my blog is actually the Gefion Fountain which was a pretty powerful sculpture to see in person.
The next day we decided to see some of the famous castles of Denmark by starting off with the Frederiksborg Castle. The castle is not located within the Copenhagen city limits and is about a forty minute tram ride outside to a city called Helsingor up north. The castle was beautiful and was one of the first castles built for the kings in Denmark. It was also a major source of income for the earlier kings who started profiting from the entry duties imposed on traders coming into the area. It was also a very strategic castle because of its location close to Sweden who invaded Denmark numerous times and its entry way into the body of the Baltic Sea. If your a Hamlet fan this place would probably be a dream come true for you.
The next castle we went to was Kronburg Castle which lay west by about a half hour from Frederiksborg Castle. This was where the Danish kings spent lavish amounts of money on decorations and royal ornaments making it by far one of the most astonishing castles in Denmark. Painted ceilings, rich paintings, and spectacular details were in every room.
After making it through the castles we made our way back to Copenhagen just in time to see some light festivals going on at the popular Trivoli Theme Park in the middle of the city. It was a nice ending to a busy and eventful day.
Our next couple days in Copenhagen also took us to the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek and Carlsberg Brewery. The Carlsberg family is one of the most successful families in Copenhagen and have funded many different projects throughout the city including the Glyptotek. This museum showcased both the art collection of Mr. Carlsberg himself, sculptures, painting exhibits,and historical artifacts from numerous cultures. The museum also had a different vibe about it starting with when you were directed into a gigantic garden filled with sculptures. Not many museums start you off into a refreshing room filled with both beautiful plants and art. The museum architecture itself also had a mysterious sense about it when you toured the exhibits. It was quite interesting.
Last of all was the great Carlsberg Brewery. We had to save one of the best events for the last day in Copenhagen. The fourth biggest brewer in the world was an intriguing tour which showcased the strong history of how the company started, the very unique architecture, and Guinness world record for largest collection of beers in the world.
And then it was off to Amsterdam....
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