Column

28-07-2022

COPENHAGEN

In the words of Hans Christian Andersen “To travel is to live”. What better place to reignite our passion to explore the world than his hometown, Copenhagen? We ummed and ahhed about how long to linger in Denmark’s capital, opting for our longer option of 5 nights, and we are so pleased we did. There is so much to do in this historic capital.

There is little traffic in the city centre as everyone opts to walk or cycle. The museums and galleries are excellent. The National Museum currently has an extraordinary Viking exhibition, where you can follow their journey through the ages as they travelled through the Mediterranean to Egypt, west to Iceland, Greenland and parts of Canada, and also their successful raids on Britain where still today their legacy lives on.

The National Gallery is also excellent with a broad collection of Nordic art through the ages; art from the Middle Ages to the most contemporary. My favourite gallery was Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek – the extraordinary private collection of Carl Jacobesen, funded through the family’s Carlsberg brewing, is housed in a remarkable building where ancient sculptures can be found in the gardens of the Green House not far from the Tivoli. Allow several hours to explore the extensive Egyptian, Greek and Roman collections; head upstairs to the Western art collection where you will find works by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir and Paul Gaugin. Visit the Design Centre and the Architecture Centre – both feature the best of contemporary Nordic design. Or head into the palace to see the best of yesteryear with the gracious court rooms open to the public when the Queen isn’t in residence.

There are great restaurants to discover – just make sure to book in advance because it can be hard to secure a table. There are several Michelin-starred restaurants and we were lucky to indulge at Kokkeriet, renowned for fine dining, carefully designed with seasonal local produce. All the guidebooks mention Nyhaven and its multicoloured buildings overlooking the canal; my advice is to step around the corner from this tourist mecca into Store Strandstraede, which is where you will find the locals in the evening enjoying a glass of wine, or continue up the road to Sankt Annae where the road is divided by parkland where the children play on swings, tai chi is being practised and life is happening for residents of the area.

Head across to Christiania, where some hippies still hang out in this off-beat part of Copenhagen. Wander along cobbled streets, discover hidden squares and parks, stop in the glorious sunshine for a coffee or an Aperol Spritz and soak up the atmosphere. Isn’t this what travelling to Europe is all about?

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