Copenhagen, Denmark

Although our trip began with a day in London, our first stop in the Baltic (and the first item of many crossed off the list) was in Copenhagen. My first impression of Copenhagen in our first few minutes of meeting: it's clean, the Danish are fashionable and they ride their bikes everywhere! They must also be very trustworthy, I didn't see one bike lock.

Hotel d'Angleterre

The book obviously recommends this hotel for an overnight stay as well as it's adjoining restaurant (Kommandanten), but since we're on a cruise, we just had the day. Our day in Copenhagen began with coffee at the Hotel d'Angleterre. The coffee wasn't just served in a mug with a small stash of sugars and creamers. No, it was served in fine china, complete with warmed milk, raw sugars, and even came with chocolate breakfast cookies. The hotel facade looks like many others you'd see throughout Europe, but the hotel does overlook an impressive garden square in a busy section of Copenhagen. As we sipped our coffee, we watched out the window as the Danes made their morning commute to work on bikes. Bikes everywhere! The hotel, although recently renovated, still held its old world feel. As we walked across the carpeted cafe area, we could hear the squeaks and creaks of the old wooden floorboards. 

 

Tivoli Gardens
Is a classic amusement park opened in Copenhagen in 1843, probably the first in the world. The grounds are spectacular, yet simple. The glasswork decor throughout the park is colorful and whimsical. We only spent limited time here, but enough to take a quick walk throughout the park.

Restaurant Ida Davidsen

A legendary restaurant in Copenhagen, this place serves the open sandwich: smørrebrød. All ingredients are extremely fresh, prepared from scratch, and are rather unique. I stuck with the tried and true tomato, brie, and bacon, while my other half went with the caviar and salmon. Ida herself even served us. Check it out Here.

Although not listed in the book, I'd highly recommend a side trip to the quaint Dragør fishing village just 10km outside Copenhagen.  In the 1970s, this fishing village banned cars from it's city center to keep its charm. The pedestrian walkways around the tightly knit residential areas are still in tact with cobblestones and many of the homes still have thatched roofs.  A little journey back in time. We had coffee and a typical danish pastry at the Strandhotel, located right near the water. And a beer too, because, why not?

Oh, and perhaps I've just never noticed this before, but I love the Carlsberg beer slogan. Probably the best beer in town.  Not the best beer, but probably.

Date of Completion: May 2010