First impression of the Copenhagen was modern, urban, full of youth. Our accommodation in hotel was in the heart of the city, very modern and functional. Just few minutes from famous canal Nyhavn.
Copenhagen is peculiar city because of few things: urban fashion, beautiful people and idea of free town Christiania. First thing you will realise about fashion is that everyone wearing scarfs, because of constantly windy weather. Copenhagen people adore riding bikes, scooters, and skates. Most of them walk regardless of the weather. That makes Copenhagen very lively with abundant of pedestrian arias. What else makes Copenhagen so peculiar? It’s the beauty of their ladies. I really do not remember to see any other European country with so many beautiful women. Tall, slim unique beauty, and of course, coats in pastel colours under which they wear fluttery dresses. Very decent and harmonious fashion stile.
Copenhagen is the city you can explore and get to know by walking. Unfortunately, it is the best way if you have enough time and you are not bothered by constant wind. One of unavoidable location in Copenhagen is Hans Christian Andersen’s house.
This museum will take you to the world of fairy tales, and it will refresh the memory of all characters from your favourite fairy tales: The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Nightingale, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Snow Queen, The Little Match Girl, and of course, The Little Mermaid.
The Little Mermaid is rare literary character who got her statue. The bronze statue of Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the angelinie promenade. The statue is one of the most popular location for tourist and it is icon of Copenhagen. Pity to say, in recent decades it has become a popular target for defacement by vandals and political activists.
Nyhavn, what in Danish means New Harbour, is 17-th century waterfront and one of the most famous districts in Copenhagen. It is great place for enjoying your favourite coffee flavour or lunch at some terrasse restaurant or just enjoy the sun. Colourful facade of townhouses and bars are recognizable symbol of Copenhagen. The canal harbours many historical wooden ships what also gave special charm to Nyhavn. At the end of the Nyhavn there is Memorial anchor, the monument commemorating Danish officers and sailors in service for the Navy, merchant fleet or Allied Forces, who lost their lives during World War II.
One of favourite tourist destination in Copenhagen is Freetown Christiania, in the past anarchistic hippy commune and today just sad shadow of idea of the free town. It is an international community and commune of about 900 residents, established in 1971 in a squatted military area. Since then it has been a source of controversy. Cannabis trade there was tolerated by authorities until 2004. Since then, relations between Christiania and Danish authorities have been strained. And finally, at the beginning of the 2010th, the situation has been “normalized” better said unnormalized and today Christiania is under Danish law. So, Christiania’s dream of becoming Denmark’s hippy paradise at the end, did not realised. Today the neighbourhood of Christiania and her hippy community is beset by problems of their identity and future. Intolerant local authority, police, and tourist disturbing everyday life. It was “a weed smoking Disneyland” and of course, by the time mass tourism arrived, Christiania become victim of her own success. With mass tourism rent prices started to grow and old hippie residents couldn’t afford it anymore. Some of them left the Christiania. Most of the old residents today say that tourism is killing Christiania, and that no one likes feeling like they are spectacle, like in a zoo. More about life in Christiania and about idea of that stile of living you can find in Per Smidl autobiographical novel about life in Christiania named Wagon 537 Christiania.
Today in Christiania you can find elegant restaurant and bars. There is huge open market with a lot hand made things, especially made from wood. Later that day, our cab driver told us a little bit more about Christiania during 80s when he was living there. He said the idea soon became commercial, and lost the soul of project because of rich people, solicitors, and doctors, were buying apartments in Christiania and that change her. That period probably was beginning of the end of liberation and freedom, peace, and love in Christiania. Today it is just mass tourism and a police patrols tree time a day what proves that the idea of a free town has failed.
One-day trip to Malmö
Once you are in Copenhagen it is shame not to visit Malmö. Easily accessible by the train that pass by the Öresund Bridge, combined railway and motorway bridge. It connects two countries and metropolitan areas. Where the bridge finishes, train continues through undersea tunnel. The Öresund bridge is important because it connects the road and rail networks of the Scandinavian Peninsula with those of Central and Western Europe. A data cable also makes the bridge the backbone of internet data transmission between central Europe and Sweden (and, prior to 2016 also Finland). We spend half day in Malmö, just to feel a bit of Sweden spirit. It was very cloudy and windy day. Once again. We spend it in main square and had a lovely lunch in local restaurant.