Copenhagen The Travelogue: Cool Castles, Magnificent Monuments, Surprising Spring

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

From the onset, we expected — and found — true grandeur during our seven-day stay earlier this month in Copenhagen. The public spaces, from the broad squares to parks, epitomized all that can be great in an urban environment with origins more than a few centuries old. 

Still a monarchy, there were castles to explore in the city and beyond. We appreciated the number and caliber of the monuments that graced many locations.  And, we learned that Denmark in early May can be cool, especially after dark (which was past the 9 pm hour, or 2100 in European/military time); yet we were impressed by the late-spring floral. 

As a follow up to my May 15 Narrative post, here’s the photo-focused Travelogue. 

Wonder what’s on this guy’s mind? Well I googled “Adam Oehlenschläger” and learned this Copenhagen native was a poet and playwright who “introduced romanticism into Danish literature.” His statue commands a strong presence in front of the Royal Theater.

The Marble Church is just as spectacular inside. The rococo architecture of this Evangelical Lutheran church is truly stunning. From the rooftop of our hotel, we viewed many tall and elaborate church spires to the west.

Not sure what kind of instrument this man was playing in a plaza north of our hotel, but the sounds were soothing. Like many from Copenhagen, his mode of transportation was a bicycle.

As referenced in the Narrative post on May 16, we encountered the Copenhagen Marathon after exiting the Metro to reach street level. As noted here, we had to dodge marathon runners and scores of parked bicycles to cross the thoroughfare.

This guy perched on the horse was a king back in the day. This formidable monument is in Amalienborg Castle, where the changing of the guard takes place every day at noon. I took in the event one day and was admonished by a guard in full dress uniform for sitting on the steps leading to a building. I readily complied with his command.

Decisions. Decisions. Even with digital technology, I found it useful to have a print map when we headed off on a day trip. Here, we’re in the Copenhagen Central Station.

Just outside Central Station, we noticed this multi-towered apartment development, testimony to the fact that even a great historic urban center like Copenhagen needs to adapt to modern demands for housing.

Kronborg Castle, the fictional site for Hamlet, is way beyond cool. Located in the town of Helsigner, a 55-minute train ride north of Copenhagen, the castle also boasts a formidable collection of art and tapestries. We learned the author of the legendary tragic play never set foot in Denmark.

It took me 145 (or was it 146?) steps to reach the top of one of the Kronborg Castle towers. The result was this awesome view of the castle compound, which recently was used as a military barracks, and the surrounding harbor.

Now, that’s one bad-ass Viking. This sculpture was at the entrance to the Kronborg Castle dungeon. He would be the last guy you would want to cross — in a dungeon or above ground.

Yes, this is the Kronborg Castle dungeon. And, yes, it’s scary. And, no, I did not want to visit again any time soon. Now, I can say I’ve experienced the ultimate in creepy.

The lilacs were in bloom and just spectacular in many parts of greater Copenhagen during our visit. So were tulips. This lilac bush was just steps from the Little Mermaid sculpture. We also enjoyed viewing beds of tulips in full bloom.

Okay, the last castle. I promise. This is Rosenborg Castle, built in 1606-34 by Christian IV as “a pleasure palace.” It’s located in the Kogens Have, otherwise known as the King’s Garden, and is visible in many parts of Copenhagen.

Fans from one of the Danish national soccer (I mean football) teams held a loud and spirited pedestrian parade down a main street in the afternoon on game day. Not sure which team won, but many fans, especially those carrying four-packs of Tuborg or Carlsberg beer, certainly had a good time before the game.

Seemingly, every major city in Europe has a Central Station. This is the one in Malmo, Sweden, which we visited one afternoon following a short train ride from — you guessed it — the Copenhagen Central Station. We learned Malmo is the third largest metro area in Sweden, and this year it was the site of the famous Euro Vision music competition.

As a self-proclaimed transit guy, I was intrigued by this “double articulated bus” in Malmo. Assuredly, this bus can only operate on very, very wide streets by an operator who is very, very well trained.

The modern and the traditional in Malmo. On a stroll along the quiet riverfront, I was enthralled by the modern art work in the foreground and the castle-like building across the river.

We found that spritzers are quite popular in Copenhagen. Here, Susan enjoys one during our visit on a sunny, mild afternoon to the Tivoli Gardens.

Although we did not take in a ride on one of the many modern amusement rides at Tivoli Gardens, we were captivated by the dramatic range of architecture across the park, which has been around since 1843!

One surprise during the Tivoli Garden visit: A series of music performances by teenaged school kids. The caliber and scope of the songs delivered varied greatly, but were impressed by how well the event was organized. The band above — and I’m not kidding — performed AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

The entrance to our wonderful home base, the Hotel SKT Annae. A fitting conclusion to this post on our visit to Copenhagen. The Hotel — which is modern, well-designed, and staffed by a team of dedicated hospitality professionals — was located on a quiet street a short distance from the raucous Nyhavn canal and a few minute’s walk to the waterfront. Highly recommended.