Copenhagen

I loved Copenhagen. I instantly felt comfortable there and I can’t entirely tell you why. I think there are two possibilities. One, I’m getting super comfortable with travel and I know what to do in new places. Two, Copenhagen is a magical beautiful place full of charm, Danes that speak English better than I do, and a city that’s so easy to navigate. It is probably a bit of both, because the second bit is definitely true. I liked Copenhagen a lot–and will gladly go back in the future. I only had three nights and two days, not very much time to see Copenhagen. I managed to do a lot!

My main reason for visiting was to see the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek–one of the premiere collections of Greco-Roman sculpture in Europe. It also has a large collection of French and Danish painting from the 19th and 20th centuries. I was there before it opened, ready to go and get Eurotrip 2018 started. It was a great collection, in spite of it being 900 degrees in the galleries with skylights (all of them), I had a great time and it was amazing to be able to see some of these portraits, many of which are the best of their type.

After the museum, I decided to wander. I wandered to Christiansborg Slot, the current Parliament house. On a complete whim, I decided to do a canal cruise–just go full-blown tourist. I’m glad I did–since I was only there for a brief time, I got to see a good portion of the city that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise, plus some really super views and photo ops. After the boat trip, I grabbed some food, and walked around the rest of the city. I tried to visit all three of the churches I wanted to, but the each closed super early and I had been happily boat-touring. Copenhagen is such an easy to navigate city, completely flat, easily laid out. I walked for a while just checking it all out. That night, I had dinner at a restaurant that exuded hygge and the server was so nice and congenial.

The next day I wanted to go to their National Gallery, Rosenborg Slot, and Tovhallerne; they were all grouped together. The National Gallery was relatively small, with a lot of Danish/Nordic works, and a strong collection of French 19th and 20th century painting. I was super bummed because the European Art from 1300-1800 collection was closed–what can I say, I prefer the older the better!
After finishing up at the National Gallery, I popped over to the Konigs Have (King’s Garden)–the public gardens that surround the Rosenborg Slot or castle. The castle was built by Christian the IV, Denmark’s 17th-century absolute monarch. Now, the castle is primarily a museum that houses the Royal Treasury, including the crown jewels. I almost didn’t go inside–largely because Copenhagen is such a pricey city and I felt like I was bleeding money, but I’m glad I did. It was well worth it. It was a beautiful day to enjoy the gardens too– it had been forecast to rain and thunderstorm, but as you can see from the pics, it was a glorious day.

I then headed to Tovhallerne, a open air produce market and like food hall. It was super crowded and busy (I realized later that this was a very busy weekend to be traveling because all of Europe is on holiday) and it was mildly overwhelming. I kind of wish there had been smaller bites to purchase instead of just full-blown meals (maybe there was, I just didn’t see them) b/c there was a lot I wanted to try, but didn’t want to commit to for an entire meal. I eventually settled on some Vietnamese meatballs with a baguette. Yum! I then walked back to my hostel, taking the scenic route through Olmsted Park, a happy and gorgeous chance.