[caption id="attachment_3457" align="alignnone" width="1200"]
Ella and her brother outside Kronborg Castle, otherwise known as "Hamlet's Castle"[/caption]
It's so lovely to have another guest post from my very gorgeous niece Ella, who’s 16. So far, she has written on Barcelona, Whitstable and the Veggie Prets in London! Now she's telling us about her trip to Copenhagen.
"This summer, I was lucky enough to visit the beautiful city of Copenhagen. Having never been to Denmark before, and having no idea of the language or culture, this was a very insightful and exciting trip – and one I would highly recommend.
The Tivoli Gardens were the highlight of my holiday. Known for stunning scenery, the gardens did not disappoint – and this was one for all the family. Whilst our parents sat entranced by the beautiful flowers, buildings and waterfalls, my brother and I loved going on a wide variety of rides and rollercoasters. One of my favourites was described to be similar to Disney’s “It’s a small world” – but this one was a history of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tales, and is definitely not to be missed. As well as the slower paced rides, there were plenty of rollercoasters to choose from – varying in speed and scariness! There really is something for everyone.
Entry into Tivoli was quite pricey, so I would recommend dedicating an entire day to spending there to get your money’s worth. In addition to the entry fee, you do have to pay for the rides. These cost anywhere between 25 and 75 DKK (£3-£8). My brother and I both bought wristbands for 220 DDK each (£26) – these allowed you unlimited access to all the rides for one day, and are particularly good if you are there off-peak, and can avoid long queues.
The statue of Hans Christian Anderson’s Little Mermaid is a supposed must-see during a trip to Copenhagen. However, my family and I found it to be very under-whelming, probably due to all the hype it’s given! In saying that, I wouldn’t advise you to avoid it all together – perhaps rather than dedicating a trip to it specifically, you can settle for seeing it on a boat trip.
We used our first morning in Copenhagen for a sight-seeing boat tour on the canal. This was the perfect way to start our holiday, and get a great taste for the beauty and intricate architecture of the city. As well as glancing The Little Mermaid, a wide variety of other sights are to be seen – including The Copenhagen Opera House, and the impressive Black Diamond Library.
The tour takes approximately an hour, and is guided in English, Danish and one other language per boat - varying between German, Italian, French, Portuguese and Spanish. I would definitely recommend it, but make sure you wrap up warm!
It is no secret that Copenhagen is an expensive city. Prices are all very high, and perhaps this wouldn’t be the ideal destination for a solely shopping holiday! We found a good way to get around the high costs, especially in restaurants, was to buy supermarket food and make our own meal once a day. The people we encountered were all very friendly, which made shopping in a supermarket full of a completely unknown language a much easier task.
[caption id="attachment_3459" align="alignnone" width="750"]
Nyhavn[/caption]
I loved walking around and getting a feel for the beautiful, quirky city – a walk on the colourful Nyhavn is definitely not to be missed! This is the cute and attractive harbour, where the buildings are painted a multitude of different colours, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.
We also embarked on a very interesting day trip to "Hamlet’s" castle. If you’ve hired a car, the hour long drive from Copenhagen to Helsingor is a great way to see a little more of Denmark. There are many fisherman villages on the way, and the drive is very beautiful. The castle itself is also quite a sight! It is called Kronborg Castle, and is the actual castle that Shakespeare set Hamlet in (otherwise known as Elsinore).
Copenhagen is a city that many tourists and residents choose to cycle around, so renting a bike is another great way to become acquainted with the city.
Overall, I really did have a lovely holiday, and Copenhagen is definitely worth a visit."
More by Ella on Barcelona and Whitstable, Kent
Labels: Blog, Copenhagen, Denmark, Ella, Elsinore, Europe, Hamlet, Little Mermaid, Nyhavn, Scandinavia, Shakespeare, Tivoli Gardens
