"Velkommen hen til København!" a Copenhagen Travel Page by rwlittle

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Changing of the Guard, Amelienborg Slot

A few words about Copenhagen

Copenhagen's in Denmark. In fact, it's the capital of Denmark. There are lots of Danes living here in Copenhagen. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised that everyone I talked with (hotel, restaurants, the little camera shop I stopped in for more film) spoke perfect English. This was important to me, as I don't speak a bit of Danish. Generally I can get by in France or in England, because the locals in those countries both speak languages that I can more or less understand with only a bit of trouble. So, I'm very thankful to the friendly and helpful reception I received here in Copenhagen.

Now, a little about the history and sights of Copenhagen. The city is approximately one thousand years old. It is situated in a strategic point between the Baltic and North Seas, and the Vikings who populated the area founded the city in the 12th century to control the passage, and to also control their holdings in the Baltic. Copenhagen and Denmark have a long royal and expansionist history, and that has contributed to a large supply of fine architectural sights to see when visiting Copenhagen.

The days of empire have long since faded, of course, and Denmark has joined the European Union. Denmark has a fine reputation for science and engineering, and style. Denmark has a fine architectural heritage that you ignore only at your own peril.

A few things which stand out as highlights of Copenhagen... Hans Christian Anderson's mermaid statue is a must-see tourist trap for all visitors. Elsinore, of Hamlet fame, is a short train ride away. Similar to London, there's a changing of the guard at Amelienborg Slot...but you can get a little more up-close-and-personal here than at Buckingham Palace. Rundetarn offers great views of the city, and you can even see over to Sweden! And Tivoli, the world-famous amusement park, is located here in the downtown area as well.

The city is reasonably flat and walkable, with rail links to the airport. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy, so they haven't converted to the Euro, so you'll want to bring (or convert to) Danish Krone, or use your credit card or ATM card.

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a display for the Wonderful Wedding, Amagetorv

So, what was rwlittle doing in Copenhagen anyways?

I'd love to say that I was invited to the Wonderful Wedding, uniting Crown Prince Frederik to Australian Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, but such was not my lot in life. I just happened to be in town for the wedding weekend.

I happened to be in Denmark on one of my short-notice business trips (I think I had four or five days notice this time), and took advantage of the opportunity to get over to Copenhagen for two days to see the sights. I think I would have liked one more day to really do the place justice: I didn't get into see Tivoli, and didn't get out to see Elsinore. Armed with Time Out Copenhagen, a few tips I gathered here on VT, a good pair of walking shoes, and my camera, I did manage to see everything I could, and it was worth it!