During the Easter Holidays, many Københavners were pretty much gone…gone on vacation, or gone home to visit their families. So the city was pretty much a ghost town on April 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th. By the way, Easter is called Påske. When I ventured out of my room on Thursday the 9th, I wasn’t expecting nearly all of the stores and libraries to be closed and for the streets to be practically empty. There was, however, an abundance of tourists. Camera-happy, map-wielding tourists. Guess they decided to take their Easter holiday in Copenhagen. Well, I had a camera. I blended right in with them! :-)
The weather was lovely all Easter weekend, so I spent a LOT of time outdoors, on foot, exploring Copenhagen. I also took advantage of my transportation pass and rode the 250S, 5A and 1A busses to the end of their lines. :-) As a result, I finally have a better idea of how the boroughs of this city connect. For example, by riding the 5A, I finally know that Nørreport Station is just around the corner from Rådhusplasden. I now know how to walk from Christianshavn Metro Station to Strøget. I figured out how to walk to the Little Mermaid. Little things like that! I’ve been here since August and I’m only now figuring it out. And by no means have I discovered ALL of the gems Copenhagen has to offer.
One of my favorite discoveries during the Easter break was Kastellet (the citadel), this really awesome park not far from Østerport Station. It’s actually a fortification, according to Wikipedia, overseen by Danish Kings Christian IV and Frederick III in the 1600s. This citadel formed part of Copenhagen’s defense against England in the 1807 Battle of Copenhagen. Refer to Wikipedia for more details. ;-) Walking around the entire pentagon-shaped area is a nice thing to do on a sunny afternoon, because the views are gorgeous. It’s also a nice place to take a jog.
Another place I visited during my Easter walks around Copenhagen was Langelinie (litterally “long line”), a ship port near the water. If you like boats, this is the place to go. There was also a discount clothing market and quite a few food stands. It’s a bit touristy but I had fun. Langelinie park is not too far from the ship yard and it is there that you can find den lille Havfrue (the Little Mermaid).
Finally, I walked down Islands Brygge, a waterfront street with lots of little bars and cafes. One end of Islands Brygge (the one closer to the island of Amager) looks a bit deserted, run down and rough, with graffiti on the buildings, junk lying about and huge piles of sand everywhere. The opposite end (closer to the city center) is nice, with good-looking apartments and a cute little dock. Back in March, my classmates held a bowling night at a bowling center in Islands Brygge and it was grand. I hadn’t been bowling (in the physical world) since high school gym class. :-)
A random woman offered to take a picture of me at Langelinie. She thought I was a tourist because as I left she said, “enjoy your holiday in Copenhagen!”
“Rougher” side of Islands Brygge
“Nicer” side of Islands Brygge
Double-decker busses used on the 250S route…I caught a ride in one and ended up at the bus yard in Islands Brygge at the end of its route
More photos: Kastellet, Langelinie, Islands Brygge
