After an enchanting day in Bergen, it was onto Copenhagen, Denmark.
I was very curious about how I’d like Denmark for a couple of different reasons — the first being: it’s known as the place with the happiest citizens. I’d read in a few different places about how Danes pretty much win at life when it comes to, well, everything. From good looks (okay, that may be semi-subjective but I need no convincing) to physical health to social services to their education system, Danish people generally are model examples of how to do #FirstWorldLiving right. And so, of course, I wanted to witness it first hand.
Another reason I wanted to visit Copenhagen had to do with what I mentioned in my post about Bergen, Norway: Disney! From reading books about Walt Disney, I knew just how big a role Denmark played in Walt Disney creating Disneyland. How?
Well, as the legendary story goes, Walt was in Denmark in the 1950’s with his wife Lilly and stopped by the amusement park Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen. Before this point, anytime he had been to anything similar (like a carnival or fair in the United States), he found it to be kind of seedy and trashy. But not good ole Tivoli Gardens! Nope, just like with a lot of things, the Danes did theme-parking differently and it caught Walt’s attention. Tivoli Gardens was clean, well-kept, and exactly the kind of place he wanted to take his daughters for good family-friendly fun. Completely inspired, Walt built and opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California just a few short years later.
So, even though I only had a day in Denmark, I was excited to see what made Copenhagen so special.
One of the first things I noticed was just how prevalent biking was in Copenhagen.
And I don’t mean in a “sporty” way. Back home, I was used to seeing bikers every-so-often but they were usually people who were biking for fitness purposes — fully decked out in helmets and neon biking shorts.
This was not the case in Copenhagen — at least not from what I could tell. Besides people looking chic in designer scarves and trench coats, it seemed pretty obvious that bikes were considered another form of transportation for Danes — equal to a car, train, or bus.
Every road I encountered in my brief time in the city had wide bike lanes with a steady stream of bikers zipping by (and ringing their bike bells if anyone got in the way). And there were a lot of different kinds of bikes to be found — each one seemed to be customized to suit the needs (utility, aesthetic, and otherwise) of the owner.
I also noticed a lot of churches and towers — and so of course, we had to go up one to get some awesome views of the city.
That’s one thing about Europe: there are a lot of opportunities to see great cityscapes, but they come at a price — and I’m not just talking about Euros… I’m talking about hundreds of steps up spiraling staircases that have you gasping for air and questioning your sanity by the time you make it to the top. But, it’s usually worth it for the breathtaking views. (See what I did there?)
We didn’t stay too long at the top of the tower because it was pretty windy, so we went back down and explored more of the city by foot.
I found that the Copenhagen I saw was a mixture of old and new — a little bit of middle-ages here, a little bit of sleek and modern there. But no matter the age of the buildings, Copenhagen seemed uniformly clean and organized with a little eclectic flair.
With not a lot of time to explore Copenhagen, I knew where we needed to head before we left: Tivoli Gardens.
As I excitedly made Terri take a million photos of me near the entrance, I wondered: would I see the parallels between Tivoli Gardens and Disneyland? What would the inspiration behind Walt Disney’s legacy look like?
Well, Tivoli Gardens didn’t disappoint. After paying a fee to enter and crossing through entrance gates, it was clear to see that it was clean, beautifully constructed, and had a great mixture of restaurants, shops, and attractions. I definitely saw why it was one of the oldest, still-operating theme parks in the world and catered to millions to visitors each year.
We didn’t actually ride any of the rides, but I was most excited to see the facade for “Den Flyvende Kuffert” — which the sign said was a fairytale adventure. I was particularly excited because the ride reminded me of “Peter Pan’s Flight” in Fantasyland at the Disney Parks and because it also tied in works by famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. He’s most known for his fairytales like “The Ugly Duckling,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “The Little Mermaid.”
I also found the Danish version of Ursula, haha:
Tivoli Gardens was very big and had a lot of areas that seemed worth exploring, but we unfortunately did not have the time. We had a flight to Stockholm that we needed to catch and so we headed out of the park and back to Copenhagen’s main square.
But it was nice to see another reminder of H.C. Andersen’s legacy before we left (especially because the famed Little Mermaid statue was not available to be seen; it was on temporary loan to Shanghai):
Even after only a few hours in Copenhagen, I was beginning to see why it was the place where so many fairytales were born.
Overall, I liked what I saw of Copenhagen, but our visit was so brief that it left me wanting more.
I could see indicators of why it was considered one of the happiest places in the world, but I didn’t feel as if I really got a chance to interact with the culture beyond a superficial level. There are some cities that suck you in immediately and you instantly know what they are all about, but Copenhagen was different. It felt more like an introverted city — one that would take time to get to know, but would be so worth the wait. If I ever get the opportunity to Denmark again, I definitely want more time to learn about Copenhagen at Copenhagen’s pace (rather than that of a hurried backpacker). I left feeling like I had yet to see the best that Copenhagen had to offer, but that did not disappoint me — it only left me hoping to return at some point.
Have you ever been to Copenhagen?
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