My February half term break was spent in Scandinavia (well Stockholm + Copenhagen) with Katy and Shannon. I have had a few friends who have been to Denmark and really loved it, so I had high hopes. The three of us were a bit hesitant to go because we knew that it would be cold, and even though we are Canadian and should be used to the cold, living in London for the past year and a half has turned me into a whimp when there's cold weather. We stayed at the Generator Hostel in Copenhagen which I would highly recommend. It was one of the nicest hostels I've stayed in, was in a perfect location, and each night had a special social theme (Tuesdays were game night, Thursday there was a local DJ.) The only downside to Copenhagen (and Scandinavia) is how expensive everything is, so if you visit be prepared to spend a lot.
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| My first view of Denmark - haven't seen real snow since 2014! |
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| Frederik's Church |
Nyhavn is a 17th century waterfront and entertainment district. The newest house in Nyhavn was built in 1681. I couldn't believe how much Copenhagen reminded me of Amsterdam - we took a canal cruise and the guide explained that King Christian IV loved Amsterdam so much and used it as inspiration.
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| Christianborg Palace |
While in Denmark, you must have a danish pastry. We got the most delicious cinnamon buns!
Before the trip, I did a little research and found an area called Freetown Christiania. This little area was established in 1971 as an alternative to mainstream culture and is its own self-governing town with its own currency and flag. Upon entering you'll see a wooden post that says you are now leaving the EU. Its quite small, but the main attraction is Pusher Street, where its major export is cannabis. Photography is strictly not allowed, where I actually saw a woman have to delete her picture from one of the security officers. It's really a strange place, I felt like I was in some sort of psychedelic dream but it's worth seeing!
We took the train just north of Copenhagen to Hillerod to see the beautiful Fredricksborg Castle where King Christian IV resided in the 17th century.
I had my fill of castles, so while Katy decided to go visit another one, Shannon and I went to the Carlsberg brewery. Carlsberg was founded in 1847 by J. C. Jacobsen and also brews Somersby, Tuborg and Kronenbourg.
