We ( 3 adults and a 4 year old) will be in Copenhagen mid February. I would like your opinion on the one thing you think is a must see/do within the city, no matter the subject (history, art, science, fun, etc)? I also would like to know if you have a favorite day trip from Copenhagen other than to Malmo, Sweden. I have read several books with suggestions but I would I would like other travelers ideas as well.
Thank you!
Tivoli Gardens. I can't think of another major city that has a giant amusement park in such a central location. What a great symbol for Scandinavia's high priority on quality of life. It has lots of food options for a meal and has rides that would be appropriate for younger children. Except I don't think it is open in February.
Tivoli is closed in February.
For the four year old, there is a really neat museum/center setup on Paper Island (Papiroen) right along one of the canals called Experimentarium City. It's a science center with games and stuff to do, fun for both kids and adults (my wife and I are in our 30s and both enjoyed it). Right next door is a food hall with tons of different trucks and vendors, it was delicious. You can go back and forth between the two. Experimentarium City isn't cheap if I recall though, but we had the Copenhagen Card so it was covered.
The National Museum (very close to Tivoli, and free) was excellent. Would highly recommend that.
I'm not sure if it would hold a four year old's attention, but we really enjoyed the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum very close to Tivoli. Be sure to see the Rosenborg Slot and the Little Mermaid statute (the latter is tiny and touristy, but seemingly every visitor to Copenhagen goes to see her).
For day trips, consider: (1) Helsingor (with its famous Krongborg Castle (Hamlet) and a great maritime museum, right along the water across from Sweden), also the Louisiana Museum for Modern Art in Humlebaek on your way back to Copenhagen; (2) Roskilde (truly awesome viking ship museum as well as a UNESCO World Heritage cathedral where Danish monarchs are buried); or (3) Hillerod (Fredericksborg Castle, lovely little old town).
Not sure how long you will be there for. With the little one, I think Roskilde might be the best day trip. The viking ship museum would be great for a kid.
Thanks guys! Steve our daughter would love the science thing. Anything hands on that she can do she loves!
I think you should also see Amalienborg (http://www.kongernessamling.dk/en/amalienborg/visit-amalienborg/), where the queen lives. Just take a walk into the center and admire the buildings :-)
And maybe Rosenborg, where they keep the Crown jewels.
If you have the stamina you can follow the Royal Guard from their barracks in Rosenborg to their "job" in Amalienborg. You can see the timing here: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/amalienborg-palace-gdk492887
Also see: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/sightseeing/top-30-attractions
I hope you have a nice vacation :-)
Day trip: We took two, here they are.
Fredericksborg Castle: I think that this very impressive palace is one of the highlights of Denmark. Easy access to the town by rail, but rather poor bus signage or street signage (for walking) to the castle, about 1-1/2 miles. Although this trip may be enough for the day, many people pair a visit with Kronborg castle on the coast, another good walk (over a mile) from the train station. Kronborg is a traditional castle in the sense that it's a stone fortress with moats.
Roskilde: Closer to the city, this town has both a Viking Ship museum and a major cathedral. As above, both require quite a bit of walking from the train station and there is no signage.
For a child I would think that either of the building climbs to the top for the view, either the round tower or the Church of Our Savior, would be the most fun.
I loved my daytrip to the Frederiksborg Slot (castle). Not only is it like a movie version of a castle (complete with moat!), which will appeal to your 4 year old, but the town of Hillerød itself is quite nice too.
The castle in Helsingor, by contrast, was more plain, and the town wasn't nearly as nice as Hillerød. I wasn't as bowled over by the Louisiana Museum as others are, and I'm not sure it would appeal to a young child (a big part of the appeal is how it integrates with its waterside setting).
As for one thing that is a must Copenhagen, I would consider National Museum of Denmark. Really it covers a lot of topics and there is plenty of history to enjoy.
There are lots of good suggestions above. For kids I agree with Tom about the Round Tower (Rundetårn), with it's internal spiral walkway, you always see kids running down inside it. It's also conviniently located in the city centre. The Church of Our Savior (Vor Frelser Kirke) is also quite impressive, but here the spiral staircase is on the outside at the top of the spire. The views are great, but it might be a bit scary and cold if it's windy. It's located in Christianshavn.
For day trips use www.rejseplanen.dk to plan all public transport.
Harold, I think you are mixing up Frederiksborg and Kronborg. Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød is a palace with no real defensive features. It's was build as a royal palace and is very grand and beautifull. Hillerød town on the other hand is pretty bland.
Kronborg Slot is a proper defensive fortress, built to control shipping in the narrow Øresund Strait. It has moats, cannon emplacements, bastions and all the defensive features of a rennaisance fortress. The palacial parts though are not nealy as impressive af Frederiksborg, but it has a lot more history.
Helsingør town also has much more historical parts left and is worth a visit itself.
Thank you everyone for all the great suggestions and ideas. Reading about all of these is really making us more excited about this trip!
