Exploring Copenhagen

It’s time to wander around the city and see what the big C has to offer. During about two hours of sunshine, Debbie and I went to the Botanical Gardens near Rosenborg Castle in the Norrebro district. The gardens are sponsored by the University of Copenhagen and have a huge collection of flowers and plants. A stunning glass greenhouse is at the top of the gardens with many different rooms for tropical flowers, orchids, cacti, etc. We had a nice little stroll and when the clouds came again, we headed back home.

Botanical Gardens

My furthest trip to date was to the northern part of Zealand, which is the island that Copenhagen is on. The first stop was to Kronborg Slot (castle) which is the setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. We made a smart move and took the free guided tour – or else I would have had no clue what we were looking at! The tour went through the “casemates” which looked like a prison underground, but was actually where the king’s soldiers lived until they were needed. Most men died down there because of disease or just going crazy. Then the tour went through the royal bedrooms, dance hall, etc. What’s interesting about the Shakespeare story is that they believe he never actually visited the castle, but spoke with someone who lived there. They say that he places his characters so well in the play that it is hard to believe he has that much knowledge of the castle without an actual visit.

Hamlet's Castle

After hopping on the wrong train and going a bit out of the way, we arrived at another castle called Frederiksborg Slot. Although we didn’t go inside, the outside was much more elaborate and surrounded by a lake and well groomed gardens. The sun was getting low so there were very few visitors which helped with the peacefulness of the area. After a full day of trains and castles, we headed back to Copenhagen.

Fredriksborg Slot

As if this was not enough exploring, one of my kitchenmates took me on a bike tour around the city the next day. Marie is quite talented and was able to be my tour guide while biking and yelling over her shoulder and dodging cars and pedestrians. One of the first and my favorite areas was Vesterbrogade. During the day it is hipster/artsy with cool shops and trendy cafes. At night it is full of prostitutes and sex shops, a bit different. We rode through the Carlsberg brewery that is now a museum, Fredriksberg park, Norrebro, a flea market, and finally ended with Christiania.

Marie - my tour guide

Christiania is a “free town” that is not technically part of Copenhagen where the residents don’t pay taxes and have their own society. It is also where they sell drugs. You notice the difference as soon as you set foot into this area. The buildings are suspiciously built, there are bright colors and paintings everywhere, dogs running freely, and of course a constant haze. It is such a neat and relaxing place. You would never guess you are in the middle of Copenhagen.

Back of Christiania