A SCANDINAVIAN FAIRY TALE
From the chic Danish interiors to jaw-dropping architectural designs of its palaces, Copenhagen is the hub of avant-garde
My holiday in the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen, was one of the best ways to get a taste of the Nordic culture. Why? Because it was a chic distillation of everything Scandinavian. This city’s café and bar scene sets the standard for being vibrant and trendy, and its famous industrial design has warmed its way into every home across the globe. And then, there are nine centuries worth of history and storybook streets from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. The city has survived fire, plague, invasion and just about everything, and yet has grown from a little fishing town to the vibrant capital of Denmark.
THE ROYAL INFLUENCE
For a small city, Copenhagen has it’s fair share of royalty. It has three major palaces and castles all within the city centre. After grabbing the best cinnamon rolls and a cup of coffee, I started walking towards the Amalienborg Palace where the current Danish royalty resides.
The palace was originally built in the 17th century by four noble families. The royal family bought the buildings in 1794 when Christiansborg palace was burnt down. Frederik V asked the noblemen, who built the palace, to build a statue of himself in the middle of the square. It took them 14 years to complete the statue and ended up being more expensive than the four mansions put together.
I was lucky to have walked right into the royal guards, who were marching from the barracks towards the palace. At noon, they would relieve their comrades. While the change of shifts was interesting, I also learnt some additional aspects of it. For instance, a guard change only occurs when none of the members of the royal family are in the palace. Also, different coloured flags indicate which members of the royal family are at the palace.
But what really amazed me was the guards’ uniforms. With bearskin hats and the characteristic blue trousers, that have been in use for 300 years, the guards are on duty even during snowstorms and heatwaves.
A LITTLE WONDER
Making my way from the Amalienborg Palace, I reached a spot swamped with tourists. I pushed my way through a mob to see a tiny sculpture of the Little Mermaid made of bronze and granite. It was inspired by Andersen’s fairy tale about a mermaid who gives up everything to be united with the prince on land. The locals say that every morning she swims to the surface from the bottom of the sea to look for
the prince.
FORGOTTEN HARBOUR
The next morning, I started my day at Nyhavn aka New Harbour. The place had boats tied up along the canal with their sails still down from the night before. This was originally a busy commercial port where ships from all around the world moored.
With the colourful 16th century houses as a backdro I found myself travelling bac in time. The oldest property this neighbourhood is Number 9, dating back to 16 I walked along the quay browsing through the weekly market. I stopped at every stall along the quay with souvenirs, mulled wine or pancakes with Nutella.
A FREE TOWN
After having heard interesting things about Christiania, I couldn’t wait to see what this neighbourhood had to offer. This is the only self-governing neighbourhood that I know of. It consisted mostly of an old military building that was abandoned sometime after the World War II. People from the surrounding area broke in and claimed the area for themselves. A total of around 800 residents of Christiania have been calling it a free city since 1971.
It took me less than five minutes to realise that the culture here is very antiauthority and hippy. Deeply rooted in meditation, skating and recreational marijuana, i seemed like a sanctuary for free thinkers and those disenchanted with modern society. The residents consider themselves as a collective rather than individuals. They are against any private ownership, bosses or any form of authority — particularly the government. No weapons, private cars and gang colours are allowed.
ANIMATED GARDENS
A thin thermo underneath, woollen socks, gloves, scarf and a jacket prepared me for the evening at Tivoli Gardens. The whole feel of the place
it esmerising. Given that it served as an inspiration for Walt Disney to create Disneyland, it was no surprise that Tivoli was decked out. The dazzling light installations, baubles in every imaginable shade of red, green and gold, took me straight to a Disney movie. The aroma of sugar coated almonds filled the air. The harbour was buzzing with people sampling food and glühwein (mulled wine). No matter where I stood, the music, chatter and the screams of thrill-seekers on the rides punctuated the air.