Copenhagen sightseeing and places to go
A wonderful way to get your first view of Copenhagen and its environs
is by the little motor boats that chug through the canals of the city and
the surrounding coastline. Well planned guided tours to various points of
interest are available. Others include all-day tours of South Zealand, all
or half-day tours of North Zealand, Deer Park or historical sites.
Of course, it's fun to sightsee on your own too. The Queen lives in the
beautiful Amalienborg Palace. The Changing of the Guard takes place at noon
when the Queen is in residence. The royal reception rooms in
Christiansburg Palace are open to visitors. Other sights are Grundtvig's
Church which is situated in the middle of the residential quarter of
Bispebjerg, and the Church of our Saviour, with a spiral staircase outside
the spire. The Copenhagen Zoo is one of the most important zoos in Europe.
The Tivoli is a famous amusement park in the centre of town, where
you can dance, hear music, dine or ride a Ferris wheel Orstedsparken is one
of the loveliest parks in Europe surrounding a charming little lake full of
graceful swans. Other sights of interest include the Rosenborg Castle,
the University of Copenhagen, the Houses of Parliament and the Gefion
Langelinie, where also the statue of the Little Mermaid can be seen.
If you are there in early June you will be able to enjoy the annual Green Mermaid Festival. this festival is all about environmental issues and aims to promote the city as the "Environmental Capital of Europe. Much of the activity centres around the central city lakes, although other activities and projects are scattered elsewhere. A month later is the famous Copenhagen Jazz Festival which always has a fantastic line-up of big names in the Jazz world. Concerts are all over the city, in small intimate clubs, concert halls, parks, shopping areas, and on the water. Festivals that take place in May are the Danish Beer Festival where you can not only sample the famous Danish pilsner style beers but also beers from Belgium, Germany and Britain. Also in May is the Whitsun Carnival, where the streets of Copenhagen come to life with music and costumes with a main procession on the Saturday and a huge night-time parade on Sunday.
Side trips from Copenhagen can be made through the lovely surrounding
countryside. You can go to Kronborg (Hamlet's) Castle 28 miles north. Here
you are able to wander through the royal quarters, and see one of the
longest great halls in Scandinavia. In the castle grounds there is a chapel
and the Danish Maritime Museum, all of which are open all year. The
Royal Deer Park (Dyrehaven) is a beautiful wooded area about 10 km north of
Copenhagen. Here you can take a ride in a horse and carriage and also visit
Bakken which is one of the oldest funfairs in Denmark. At Lyngby there is an
interesting Open Air Museum (Frilandsmuseet) featuring around a dozen
recreated buildings from the rural past of Denmark. Farmsteads, thatched
fisherman's huts, windmills and workshops of artisans are all reconstructed
in the pretty little village on the edge of Copenhagen. Each building is
fitted out with appropriate old furniture, fittings, tools and utensils. In
the summer various activities take place like folk dancing and
demonstrations of old, traditional crafts. Also close to Copenhagen is
Fredensborg Castle which is the lovely spring and autumn residence of the
Royal Family. For beach and bathing areas, Bellevue Bathing Resort is only 8
miles from Copenhagen. Hornback Beach 40 miles from Copenhagen, is also
worth visiting.