Rainy Copenhagen

Author: jan44134
Date of Trip: May 2010

What do you do when it’s cool and gray in Copenhagen? If you’re lucky, you start with a complimentary upgrade to the Executive Level at the Hilton Airport. The exec level lounge gave us free breakfast, guest use computers, fresh fruit and afternoon sweets ’til 5 pm (love their cookies & cakes!) and for those who like it, complimentary cocktails from 6-8 pm. But you don’t need to hang out here all day just because the weather is disappointing.

Since we booked a 6 night stay, we purchased a 7 day/3 zone transportation pass at the airport DSB booth. It’s been well worth the 310 DKK, since it gives us unlimited access to train, metro, bus, mini-bus and water taxi without having to fumble around for correct change. After taking the metro to the Nørreport station, we walked a very short distance to the Botanical Garden. It’s free! A path around a small lake provides plenty of photo-ops, as does the climb to the rock garden just loaded with spring blooms. I wish I had a guide to spring flowers here. There’s so many blooms I don’t recognize in addition to the forsythia, tulips, azalea, rhododendron, grape hyacinth, and viburnum that we know and love.

A fellow traveller told us about the Rte. 11 bus in town. The “City Cirkel” mini-bus stops at many major tourist destinations including Tivoli, the City Square, Nyhavn, and Stroget. We got off at the National Museum another free treasure. There are many sections, but we particularly enjoyed the Danish pre-history (skeleton of elk & auroch, lur horns), People of the World (the Music Room is a great place for a cat nap when you’re about done in), and the Roccoco rooms of the Danish royal palace. Sat. & Sun. there’s a tasty bruch buffet at the museum cafe for 185 DKK.

Holy Ghost Church is the oldest in the city and another great freebie. Inside it’s an oasis of beauty and tranquility. On the back wall the massive organ is flanked by an angel and the Virgin Mary in scenes from the Annunciation. The pulpit is ornately carved.

We haven’t exhausted the Copenhagen freebies yet. Sunday is free admission at an art museum I can’t spell or pronounce. Must go!