Copenhagen, Denmark

It was always a dream of mine to be able to visit a Scandinavian country. I have legit, always wanted to see the northern lights. I did not, however, see this this time. However, I ended up seeing so much more stuff that the not seeing the northern lights was really not that big a deal. 

I lived so much in these two days and I do not think I say this enough but I am so proud of myself. I do so much and overcome so much on my own. I am a fucking tigress. I travel so many countries with an almost empty pocket. It may sound like a brag. Let it. I love my spirit and I am so so grateful to be wired like this. 

Anyway. This blog is about Copenhagen. 

My favourite part of the city, was not the city itself but was a small enterprise right in it called Freetown Christiana. What a place! I immediately felt similar vibes to my most preferred place on Earth, Goa. It has such a similar energy and such wonderful vibes. 

In fact, mine and this place's vibes matched so much that tourists around me started thinking that I was a local and I was asked the directions by at least 5 different people! It must have been obvious that I felt at home in this hippie town. They have their own town, their own society, and their own rules. They have been built since to 70s from what used to be a military base and have now become a self governing society. It is so awesome to be here and I did not want to leave. 

I had to be dragged out by a friend I made there! If I have to move and settle somewhere, Christiana would totally make the list. Fun fact: They even have their own flag and their own rules. It is like a wonderful blend of the most peaceful places on earth, combined. It is like Konkan, Goa and Himachal all at once. I would highly recommend this place over ALL. There is nothing like it. I felt such peace here, I absolutely felt like I was home.

That brings me to my next part. Inside the town of Copenhagen are many many castles and other wonder inducing structures. They have lagoon blue rooftops. They are so interesting to look at.

 

A lot of the old parts of Copenhagen have been burnt down because of many fires that took the city by surprise. There are parts of the city that were salvaged are parts that were not. Here are some parts that were. 

There is also a lot of water bodies and rivers and lakes. The vibes of Copenhagen are very similar to Amsterdam. 

Rosenborg castle

This is such a pretty place, honestly. The garden outside is expansive and the rooftop is so beautiful! It is 400 years old an a renaissance structure. 

The Little mermaid

The mermaid statue was really talked up and honestly? When I went there to visit it, it was so tiny and not much to look at. That's okay, though as the walk there was really relaxing and refreshing.

Fountains!

There are so many fountains in the city that are definitely worth mentioning. Here are a few!

St Alban's Church

Here is something I did not look for on the internet. The best things are those that i "stumble upon" and this was exactly that. I just stumbled upon it.  That is my favourite thing to happen, to just randomly stumble upon something beautiful that we were not expecting to see.

The Lakes!

There are so many tranquil lakes in the vicinity of this city that one cannot get enough! Within Freetown Christiana, I also saw a lake that felt, looked and smelled exactly like the lakes back home. It was a tropical paradise in the stark middle of Scandanavia!

Otherwise, like I mentioned before, there are many waterbodies that are worth seeing all across. 

Roof paintings!

I randomly stumbled upon this bridge thing that had these wonderful paintings on the roof! It was really cool to see and make me really ask myself how they must have painted them!

Christiansborg Palace

This palace is stark in the middle of the busy streets of Copenhagen and is super attractive. The best part about is that it has a tower, free to visit for all. We can go up all the way and see the city from a height without spending any money at all! Also, there are some neat guidelines when you are city gazing inside the balcony to trace and name the towers. 

I found this really cool. 

Amalienborg Palace

This is the official residence of the Danish royal family. It has a wonderful central structure with a circular roof which is just great to gaze upon. 

St Alexander Nevsky Church

This is a Russian orthodox church in Copenhagen. It was built in the 1800s by the Russian government. This was back when there used to be Tsars who existed. 

The Royal Danish Theatre

This was founded as early as the 1700s and was first used privately by the king and then eventually by the country. It is a nice building, strong and looks alluring. 

Vikings!

Today Copenhagen is a welcoming and friendly city, but in past years the locals were feared far from the Danish shores. They were Vikings and famous for pillaging and raiding foreign villages. They were sea travellers who explored foreign territories in Europe, Asia and even North America. They believed in Norse Gods like Thor and Odin and their time ran from around 800 until 1050 AD.   The Viking Age lasted about 250 years and so, you will see so many vikings souvenirs for sale!

I made a friend!

I make friends everywhere I go. That is the poignant advantage of travelling solo. You are forced to talk to people. For me, I asked this person who looked Indian to take a photo of me. Later I found out she was a naturalised french citizen coming from India and we shared a hotdog and visited the rest of the city together. 

Church of our Saviour

This church has a charming golden staircase rolling top that makes it stand out in the area. I found this to be very interesting.

The Round tower

There are many towers in Copenhagen and this is one of them. It is in the middle of a busy shopping street and one can just go up the tower and awayyy, mentally. 

Amsterdam Vibes...

The entire town, trust me, with the style of the box like buildings, gives off MAJOR Amsterdam vibes. 

Copenhill

This was one of the places which had a glass elevator which lead to the top and gave an excellent view of the city. It also had a skiing place in the middle!

Dinner with other couch surfers. 

My new couch surfing Indian friend, Anamika and I made dinner together for our lovely host and a french couple that arrived in the house. It was a really cool shared experience. 

Sunset at 11pm !

Can you guess what time it is in this photo? It is 11 pm! Summers in Scandinavian countries have sunsets which are often godlike and late. The sun rose at 4 am the next morning!

There are so many awesome places to see in Copenhagen! With it's variety, it is truly one of a kind. There is no city I have seen with so much diversity. 

Aditi's recommendations

• Copenhagen is a walkable and cyclable city. You can rent out a cycle for a couple of Krones for the day. (Copenhagen does not use the Euro)
• Take a card that supports local currency with you. You do not necessarily have to take cash. Card works well with all things. 
• Public transport is expensive. Make sure you have enough. 
• Take advantage of the free tower, it will soon be charged.
  
• Do not forget to visit Christiana!

Until next time loves!