We arrived in Copenhagen around 1730, and got lucky….our luggage not only made it through three legs, but they were some of the first bags on the carousel! The metro from the airport is super easy and relatively cheap, so definitely use that versus a taxi.
Our first night we had scheduled dinner at our hotel on the roof. The name of the bar is “Roof”. Looks like the Danish are just as literal as the Norwegians! We were there in perfect time for sunset.
The next morning we had booked a harbor cruise with “Hey Captain”, which turned out to be a great option since there were only 4 of us on the boat, versus other boats that seemed to be jam packed!
This is a view of the stunning Opera House from the dock where we met the boat. It seems every European city has a stunning Opera House!
Once on the boat we all got acquainted with each other. Our guide Jonas was excellent!
Our two hour cruise took us out to a former fortress at the entrance to the Copenhagen harbor, known as Trekroner Fort, which was initially built on the submerged wrecks of three vessels back in 1713.
The original intent of the fortress was to protect the harbor from the nasty Swedes and Norse folks! It’s open to the public…you just need a boat to make your way out there! Highly recommended!
During WWII it was used by the Nazi’s as a barracks. Following WWII, the fortress served as a prison for the very same Nazi’s. It’s hard to make out, but this map that was painted on a wall is the last remaining sign of the Nazi occupation.
Jonas then took us past the most popular tourist attraction in Copenhagen…the Little Mermaid statue. I had thought it was further out in the harbor than this. Look at the crowd gathered around this little statue! You’d think it was the Mona Lisa!!
Since our boat was quite small we could easily fit down a lot of narrow canals that the larger boats couldn’t visit.
We even passed under the Circle Bridge, formed of concentric circles and made to look like a sailing ship. We’ll have to check this bridge out from the landside when we return.
This gorgeous building is the library! We haven’t seen the inside yet, but perhaps when we return after our cruise.
After departing our tour, we were a bit hungry, so we stopped at this restaurant on the water for a quick bite and a beer.
After our lunch we decided we were close enough to visit a local attraction called Copenhill. On the way there we passed what is considered by many to be the best restaurant in the world, Noma. That’s Copenhill in the background.
These are the gardens and greenhouses for Noma. We are on the waitlist to eat here when we return to Copenhagen at the end of our cruise…fingers crossed!
Copenhill, which just opened in October 2019, is a facility that generates power by burning trash. The stack gases you can see are supposedly more than 99% water vapor.
Rather than just have an ugly power facility, the architects decided to make something beautiful and ultimately useful. On the roof of the facility they have created an actual ski slope!
You can also hike up to the top and get incredible views over the city! More importantly, you can also get a beer!
The ski run on the roof isn’t very long, but still a pretty cool thing to have in a country that is almost entirely flat!
That night while walking back from dinner we passed by Tivoli, the amusement park that Walt Disney got his inspiration from way back when. We will be visiting Tivoli upon our return. Sure looks like a Disneyland entrance!
The next morning, before we could board our cruise ship, we visited the Church of our Saviour, with it’s super cool twisted spire! The church was built in the 1680’s in Baroque style, which is apparently very rare in Denmark.
It’s a rather humble interior as European churches go, with the exception of the altar.
As well as the gorgeous organ that dates from 1698! We were lucky that somebody was playing the organ while we were there! It is said that this organ is among the most photographed musical instruments in the world.
I found the lower supports for the organ interesting, with two elephants seeming to hold the entire thing up.
If you visit you must climb up the spire, with it’s incredible views! Make sure you buy your tickets in advance, as they only allow so many people at once since there isn’t much room on the spire. The church itself is free to visit.
Also make sure you meet some cool people on the spire so you can take turns taking photos!
It’s interesting to note that this spire is so famous it was even mentioned in Jules Vernes “A Journey to the Center of the Earth”. The character Axel is made to climb the tower for 5 days to cure him of his fear of falling before their descent into the volcano.
We saw one woman walk out and she was so afraid she plastered herself to the side of the spire…and just wanted to get down! Fortunately we don’t share that fear.
We spotted our cruise ship, the Silver Dawn, before we headed back down.
Coming up next, we board our cruise ship and head off for more of Norway!
