Scandinavia ’25 – Day Four

Good morning Copenhagen! Up and at it fairly early Thursday morning. Day started with a little organizational work that included everything from the day’s itinerary to sorting garbage. Then we hit the streets on foot with the first order of business being to secure coffee. We selected Original Coffee Bredgade en route to our AM attractions. The Latte and drip pour were excellent and would surely get us through the morning.

As most attractions don’t crack a door here before 10:00 AM, we opted to trek to several park areas before spaces came online. The Kastallet (Citadel) is one of the best preserved fortresses in Northern Europe. A central area with barracks, armoury and official residences are surrounded by elevated ramparts and a moat. While serving as a protected area and public park, the Kastallet is still an active military area that belongs to the Ministry of Defence.

On the waterfront side of the park is perhaps one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, the bronze Little Mermaid Statue placed here in 1913. Her story begins with Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who penned “The Little Mermaid” in 1837. Now, in many “pundit” circles the experience in visiting the site is described as “underwhelming” and not really part of any Copenhagen to-do list. However, since we were there, we popped by to see what the fuss is about. Janie described watching the Hans Christian Andersen Disney movie many times in her youth, and it was a show stopper at their home. I’m guessing for some it’s an “if you know you know” kind of space. Of special note, we did watch a man slip into the water and get both feet wet as he angled for that “perfect” camera view 🫣.

We passed numerous statues, including the beautiful Gefion Fountain, on our way out of the park. Our next stop was Amalienborg Palace, the home to the royal family and a museum about the Danish monarchy. Constructed at the behest of King Frederick VIII, the palace complex has four identical Classical façades, effectively four palaces, with a central statue, laid around an octagonal courtyard. The square is open to the public and is worth a look for sure!

After a relaxing sit in a very quiet Kongens Nytorv Square to enjoy the massive equestrian statue of King Christian V, we made our way to the river for a visit to Det Kgl. Bibliotek, The Royal Library! A confident complex of buildings that reach over the waterfront. Super view from the sixth floor (see photo above) and stately interior. Beyond the walls exists the Garden of the Royal Library, with pool, fountain and gorgeous flower garden. A regal sort of space.

Adjacent to the library complex is the Krigsmuseet, or Danish War Museum. Located in King Christian IV’s Arsenal, this huge collection of military history artefacts ranges from knives and guns to missile launchers and a Leopard Tank. The story told here is a Denmark very active in warfare, and sometimes with devastating results. Information detailed in exhibits give the viewer an overview, but rarely drill down into root causes and the lasting impacts. We saw little information regarding why such a military was created, and the real “root” causes for such a war-like history. Good visit and artefact collection and drone exhibit, but topics such as colonialism, economics and enslavement could use some development.

It was a great morning for walking, and the warmth of Wednesday had been replaced with a handsome breeze and clear skies. At 16,000 steps by noon gun, we took advantage of our location near home to return home midday to enjoy a charcuterie snack and regroup 😴. We were both in need of some rest!

By mid-PM we’d gathered enough courage to get on the move again. This time we were enlisting the help of the Copenhagen Metro. Super clean, efficient, organized and economical, the Metro really made our PM transportation much easier. We headed to Marmorkirken (Marble Church), a working parish church and part of the Danish state church: the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark. It’s gorgeous, both inside and out, and we sat quietly in the pews (minus two little girls having a humorous spat) with light church music coming from somewhere in the background. Free to visit, and conveniently sitting next to the Metro.

The SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst (National Art Gallery) was a short subway ride and 15 minute walk through Østre Anlæg Park from the church. This immense gallery and collection was our next attraction, and an impressive display of both Scandinavian and European Artists from a broad cross section of movements. Masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt and Michelangelo can be found amidst works by Munsch, Matisse, and Picasso. All the while, much effort is placed to shine a spotlight on Danish Artists and hold an important space for home grown works in the Gallery. Very enjoyable with a leisurely pace inside and lots of time and room to move. Excellent visit!

From the Gallery we crossed a busy King’s Garden and Rosenberg Castle where sun worshippers, active play grounds and outdoor games were in full display. Parks here get used and Danes seem to love being outside and active! Our destination was the Rundetaarn, or Round Tower, in the central part of the city. This 17th-century tower was one of the many architectural projects of Christian IV. Built as an astronomical observatory, its more famously known for its ramp like equestrian staircase, a helical corridor leading to the platform at the top (34.8 meters above ground), and its views over Copenhagen. We managed it easily and loved the view from the top deck!

From there we sauntered a new way home, exploring the streets in the Stroget area toward Chritianshavn. We decided along the way to make like a local, and we picked up a few cans of refreshment and settled in canal side for chatter and snack having the comings and goings in full view amidst the warm shine of sunset. Simply relaxing ☺️ and as good as any stop we made all day! We stumbled up to our fourth floor accommodation having nailed an urban 28,000 step day! Ready for a sound night’s sleep.

… Scandinavia ’25 – Day Five