Colorful Copenhagen

We went for a day trip to Copenhagen, and traveled by train from Køge (where we stayed) to Copenhagen which was about 40 minutes. We arrived at Copenhagen Central Station. 

Here is our itinerary ⬇️

Sightseeing Copenhagen

We initially decided to explore the city on foot. Our first stop would be Rundetårn as this spot should provide fantastic views of the city. Along the way we needed coffee and sat on a nice terrace.

First stop: Rundetårn

Great views over Copenhagen from Rundetårn and Højbro Plads including the statue of Absolon.

Lunchtime: Højbro Plads

This strenuous first hotspot had made us quite hungry, so we decided to go to the Højbro Plads for a good lunch. Bishop Absolon (on his statue) was already waiting for us. Absalon was founder of the city of Copenhagen. In 1167 he gave the name 'Kaufmanne Hafen' to this place, which means 'merchant harbour', today København or Copenhagen.

The Little Mermaid

Colorful port Nyhavn

We took the bus from the Little Mermaid to Nyhavn, to see the colorful houses. It was worth the drive, we passed the star-shaped 17th-century fortress first and along the water and then we arrived at the harbor. 'Nyhavn'. These colorful storefronts houses and buildings here are a sight to behold. Who would have decided on all the colors? Interesting fact: the buildings aren't the only colorful thing here – its history is colorful too. Originally it was a commercial port where ships from all over the world would dock, and it was packed with sailors visiting pubs, alehouses and ladies of pleasure. We stretched our legs on a waterfront stroll, and relaxed with a coffee and a Danish pastry..

Hans Christian Andersen - tour

Copenhagen 'breathes' H.C. Anderson. He was born in 1802 and spent his early childhood in Odense, then he moved to Copenhagen when he as 14 were he spent most of his life. Several of the places that were the centre of his life can still be visited today. Copenhagen served as an huge inspiration for his fairy tales.

Hans Christian Andersen is probably the most famous Danish author to have ever been. His works have been translated into over 100 languages and children all over the world grow up with the stories of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, The Red Shoes and many more. Our kids love The Efteling, a Dutch fairytale themapark, where we had admired his fairy tales numerous times. So we were curious about a few of these places. 

Of course, the most famous statue in Copenhagen is also linked to H.C. Andersen: The Little Mermaid. 

Then the second striking memory of him is at the harbor we just had visited, and in particular Nyhavn 20;  this house is also known as the Boel House (Danish: Boels Gård), and Hans Christian Andersen lived in this house, when he had his first fairytale published. Apparently, he lived  in three different houses in Nyhavn, so this area must have been important to him and his work. 

Next H.C.A. landmark: there are two statues of the writer in Copenhagen and as it had already been a long day, we decided to go to one of his statue on the way to the train station, the one on H.C. Andersens Boulevard. 

The statue of author Hans Christian Andersen; he is a very important part of Danish culture, and his fairytales are known worldwide.

The other statue can be found in The King's Garden. Nowadays, you can also book the  Hans Christian Andersen Experience, which is a lively museum celebrating the life of Denmark's famous fairytale writer. Andersen died in 1875 and is buried in Nørrebro.

Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli is a famous amusement park with antique wooden roller coasters, it was founded in 1843. Unfortunately, we couldn't visit the Tivoli gardens without buying an entrance ticket which are around 21 euros per adult and 9 euros for the kids (3-7 years). The rides are not included in the entrance ticket. Because our day had already come to a reasonable end and we still had to return to our overnight address in Køge, we decided not to and walked around the gardens back to Copenhagen Central Station. Maybe next time!