8.5 Mermaid Sculpture and Kastellet Fortress
The Mermaid Sculpture coordinates: 55.692702440047576, 12.59917655740218
Kastellet Fortress hours: 06:00–20:00
Transportation: Take the subway to Østerport station, then walk for 15 minutes to reach the Mermaid Sculpture.
Ticket: Free
Duration: 1.5 hours
Rating: 4 stars
The Mermaid Sculpture is located on a rock by the sea and is a landmark of Copenhagen. It was created by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. It has been damaged many times in history, including being stolen, bombed, and having its arm chopped off. Aside from its fame, the sculpture doesn’t have much else to offer, and it feels particularly far to walk from the station.
We also took a stroll around the nearby Kastellet Fortress. On October 28, 1626, King Christian IV ordered the construction of Kastellet as a defensive wall for the northern part of Copenhagen. The fortress is shaped like a star, with five corners: the King’s Bastion (Kongens Bastion), the Queen’s Bastion (Dronningens Bastion), the Count’s Bastion (Grevens Bastion), the Princess’s Bastion (Prinsessens Bastion), and the Prince’s Bastion (Prinsens Bastion).
The fortress still has soldiers guarding it, and visitors are free to roam the outdoor areas of the fortress.
9.1 Frederiks Church
Address: Frederiksgade 4, 1265 København
Ticket: Free
Hours: 10:00–17:00, Sunday 12:30–17:00
Duration: 20 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
This is an 18th-century Lutheran church built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Oldenburg dynasty’s ascension to the Danish throne. The church features the largest dome in Scandinavia, spanning 31 meters. It is located next to Amalienborg Palace, so be sure to enter when it opens.
The morning light is especially beautiful, and the front of the church is rarely crowded, making it perfect for photos.
Be sure to enter as soon as the church opens; both the interior and exterior are impressive. The large dome and the marble walls with decorative tones and lighting are beautiful—perfect for photos.
9.2 Amalienborg Palace and Changing of the Guard
Address: Amalienborg Slotsplads, 1257 København
Ticket: 125 DKK, advanced booking recommended on the official website
Hours: 10:00–16:30
Duration: 1 hour for the palace, 1 hour for the Changing of the Guard
Rating: 4 stars
We chose the earliest 10:00 entry time, and before opening, we wandered around the palace square, which had good light and fewer people. Several soldiers were patrolling the square. At exactly 10:00, there was a small-scale Changing of the Guard, and we followed the soldiers’ route, capturing some prelude shots for the grander ceremony at noon.
The palace interior is relatively plain, mostly displaying rooms representing the Danish royal family’s living spaces, such as the bedroom, living room, library, etc.
There are some royal collections on display, like vases and earrings. Among them, the “hen in the egg” was particularly interesting—a tiny object with exquisite craftsmanship. A gold egg within an ordinary eggshell contains a hen, which holds a crown, and inside the crown is a royal ring.
The noon Changing of the Guard ceremony is grander and attracts many tourists. The area around the square is cleared by police ten minutes before the ceremony. Visitors must stand behind the central markings on the ground. The B point is recommended for a good view. I stood at C, where the view was from the side, but it was still decent.
During the second half of the ceremony, the soldiers change posts, and it becomes a bit chaotic as tourists rush to follow them. It’s harder to get clean shots without other tourists in the frame. Luckily, we had already familiarized ourselves with the route during the 10:00 ceremony and quickly made our way to the changing point for a better view.
9.3 Copenhagen City Hall
Address: Rådhuspladsen 1, 1553 København
Hours: 09:00–16:00, closed on Sundays
Guided tour: Available on tiqets.com
Ticket: 10 USD for guided tour, other visits are free
Duration: 45 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
The City Hall is the seat of the city council and the mayor’s office, located in City Hall Square. We passed through the square several times during our trip and were always impressed by it.
On the side of the building is a statue of Hans Christian Andersen, and reportedly, nearby stands the oldest post office, though we didn’t notice it during our visit.
The City Hall was completed in 1905 and was designed by architect Martin Nyrop, inspired by the city hall in Siena, Italy. It features a richly decorated facade, a golden statue of Bishop Absalon (1128–1201) above the balcony, and a tall clock tower standing at 105.6 meters, one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen.
At the meeting time, we were surprised to find that the security guard at the entrance was our guide. He humorously showed us the large bunch of keys he carried, giving us a glimpse of his duties. The tour was very enjoyable thanks to his wit.
The City Hall was initially conceived as a public castle for citizens. This idea is reflected in the many details inside, such as carvings of ordinary citizens in the wooden staircase railing, as well as fairy-tale-like wall decorations.
The building is divided into two sides, each with different themes. One side is light and colorful, with decorations of butterflies and flowers, representing festive gatherings, while the other side is darker, with bat and owl motifs, symbolizing solemnity.
As we followed the guide, we got to visit the Finance Department, where we saw the old vault. The sink in the restroom had the inscription “don’t waste but don’t save.”
Next, we visited the beautiful second-floor staircase hall, with walls decorated like something out of a fairy tale.
The second-floor banquet hall is magnificent, with Danish royal crowns as decorations, and the royal chairs beneath them. The central balcony of the hall overlooks the City Hall Square, where the royal family traditionally greets citizens. Famous people and world champions may also be honored with a view from this balcony.
The side hall of the banquet room displays fine tapestries, as well as old refrigerators and phone booths.
At the end of the tour, the guide told us an interesting fact. The architect believed that nothing could be perfect in this world, including buildings. To reflect this, he added some intentionally imperfect elements during the construction. For example, one of the balcony’s stone columns is inverted compared to the others, and one decoration is deliberately different from the rest. We spent some time trying to find these small imperfections—an entertaining way to pass the time.
9.4 Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Address: Dantes Plads 7, 1556 København
Hours: 10:00–17:00, closed on Mondays
Ticket: 125 DKK, no need for advanced tickets
Duration: 2.5 hours
Rating: 4 stars
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is a privately owned museum with a large collection of Mediterranean sculptures, as well as mummies and masks. However, there aren’t many paintings on display, which I didn’t find particularly interesting, so I rated it 4 stars.
The museum’s central tropical garden is quite famous, but I didn’t find it particularly special. I started with the sculpture section, where there are over 10,000 sculptures, many of which are ancient, dating back to around 550 BC. I only walked through briefly.
The central hall is grand, decorated with Roman columns and sculptures.
Other sections include an Egyptian area with mummies and Egyptian sculptures, as well as collections from the Middle East.
Although the museum isn’t primarily focused on paintings, I did find some interesting works, such as paintings from famous French artists from 1800-1870, Danish art from 1780-1930, and works by Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
On the top floor, the view isn’t particularly wide, but it’s a nice spot to look out over the building’s plant garden.
9.5 Nyhavn
Coordinates: 55.680044111309, 12.591381688646438
Duration: 15 minutes
Rating: 5 stars
We strolled around Nyhavn both in the early morning and at dusk. The colorful houses lining the harbor attract many visitors for photos. Hans Christian Andersen once lived in Nyhavn and composed fairy tales such as “The Tinderbox”, “Little Claus and Big Claus”, and “The Princess and the Pea”.
In the early morning, there were few people and it was very peaceful, although the best view is of the row of houses against the backlight.
At dusk, there are slightly more people, but the colorful houses on both sides are truly beautiful. Find a spot with good lighting to take portraits with the colorful houses in the background, as you are less likely to be disturbed by other tourists.
9.6 Old Town Copenhagen
The old town of Copenhagen showcases the city’s street views over two and a half days, featuring historic buildings and interesting decorations and graffiti.
Day10: Half Day in Copenhagen and Departure
Attractions: Danish Veterans Day, Rosenborg Castle and Gardens (Rosenborg Slot)
10.1 Danish Veterans Day
On Denmark’s final day, we visited Rosenborg in the early morning and unexpectedly encountered Veterans Day. The normally closed rear garden of Rosenborg was open for the occasion, featuring a grand celebration. Our travel experience taught us that if you see a crowd gathering or a surge of people, you should definitely check it out. We cautiously approached the gate, asked a soldier if we could enter, and he said it was fine; then we mingled discreetly among the crowd, capturing moments of the event.
The magnificent military band performance and the veterans’ commemoration were far superior to the midday changing of the guard at Amalienborg.
The event lasted for several hours, and we witnessed the opening ceremony and speeches.
It concluded with the veterans lining up and marching around the field, reminiscent of a school sports day.
On one side of the lawn, soldiers performed a ceremonial firing, albeit without gunpowder and sound, yet all the details were executed.
10.2 Rosenborg Castle and Gardens (Rosenborg Slot)
Address: Øster Voldgade 4A, 1350 København
Hours: 09:00–17:00
Admission: 140 DKK. It is recommended to purchase tickets online in advance, as you need to choose a specific entry time. When buying on-site, the available entry time was delayed by an hour. Entry times are strictly enforced.
Rating: 5 stars, highly recommended
Duration: 2-3 hours
The castle was built in 1606, originally as a summer residence. It is also one of King Christian IV’s many architectural projects, featuring Dutch Renaissance architecture.
After several expansions, it took on its present appearance in 1624.
While waiting after purchasing tickets, we strolled around the castle gardens, which offer excellent views of the castle’s exterior.
The garden is free to enter and quite expansive, though we only walked the part closest to the castle.
Inside Rosenborg, the tour is designed as a one-way route through each room, making it hard to backtrack. Every room and display of treasures is beautiful, so it is recommended to allocate half a day to explore at a leisurely pace. We were a bit rushed, as our time was affected by the Veterans Day celebration and we had an airport departure in the afternoon.
We first visited King Christian IV’s writing room, bedroom, and even the restroom, all of which were exceptionally beautiful.
Even the restroom walls are adorned with beautiful blue and white tiles.
The Marble Chamber, decorated in 1668 with Italian marble imitation, features shields of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway from left to right, symbolizing absolute royal authority.
A corner of the room displays treasured collections.
The hall of King Christian V features portraits of the king and queen on its walls.
The Stone Corridor has a huge family tree of King Christian IV hanging on the wall.
Ascending the staircase to the second floor, the walls are adorned with royal equestrian portraits and floral paintings.
The second floor contains rooms and display cases dedicated to various kings.
Princess Sophie Hedevig’s room is entirely decorated with lacquered embellishments, a style dating back to 1665 and one of the oldest wall decoration styles in the world, making it very distinctive.
From one angle, this painting depicts Frederick IV, and from another angle, his sister.
The mahogany furniture, including tables, chairs, and mirror frames.
The grand tapestry in the hall of King Christian VI showcases the grandeur of Alexander the Great.
The mirror display room features mirrors, which were considered extremely valuable at the time, making their use in room decor a symbol of luxury.
A rare amber chandelier.
The hall of King Christian VII.
Displays of bronze-plated gilded utensils that were very popular at the time.
We then reached the magnificent Great Hall on the third floor. The three-headed silver lion, made in 1670 from whale ivory and silver, guards the thrones of the king and queen.
At the center of the plaster ceiling is the Danish coat of arms.
Twelve tapestries hang on the surrounding walls, depicting King Christian V’s battles against Sweden from 1675 to 1679.
There are several rooms adjacent to the main hall that can be visited. The Glass Cabinet, the most beautiful of them, is worth a visit, although its reflective glass makes photography challenging.
Then, outside the castle, there is a staircase leading to the basement, which houses the most impressive royal collections.
The Weapons and Wine Room displays various armaments; the miniature golden figures that assembled the army are truly astonishing.
The Ivory and Amber Room are masterpieces of craftsmanship, featuring collections from between 1575 and 1850.
The Green Cabinet displays the vehicles used during King Christian IV’s coronation and his son’s wedding.
Other precious royal items are on display.
The final highlight is the king’s crown, which concludes the tour. During peak times, there may be many people, so it is essential to allocate sufficient time to thoroughly admire the dazzling crowns, scepters, orbs, and reliquaries—symbols of absolute royal authority.
10.3 Goodbye, Denmark
After admiring the most stunning royal jewels, we went to the hotel to collect our luggage and headed straight to the airport. The Danish airport did not offer any notable local foods; perhaps chocolate eggs with nuts are considered a specialty.
I bought a sandwich at the airport and was surprised to find raw bean sprouts included—a first in my life.
The brief self-drive tour of Denmark concluded, leaving an overall impression of a fairy-tale atmosphere in the country.
