Copenhagen, Denmark is an exciting city and the gateway to Scandinavia. The orientation given by the Hop-on, Hop-off tours allow the visitor to have an overview of the city and then plan the most appealing activities. The red bus has three tours plus the option of a canal tour. Buying a two-day pass will allow for the orientation and more extensive, personalized sightseeing.
The tours are color-coded. The red tour is the longest, and can easily fill a day. The tour can start at any point along the route. The numbering starts at City Hall. This is a great place to start: an impressive building, and a larger than life size statue of Hans Christian Andersen. Be sure to climb up on his well-polished knee for a picture.
The second stop is at Tivoli Gardens, the most popular attractions in Copenhagen. To make the most of the admission you've paid for, plan on spending a good deal of time with the amusement rides, food, games, and marching bands.
The Axeltrov Square at this stop has an interesting series of sculptures depicting the planets scaled according to the distance of each from the sun.
Rosenborg Castle and the National Gallery
The third stop is Rosenborg Castle, the National Gallery, and the Botanical Gardens across the street. It would be easy to spend a half a day at this stop.
The next top is for the Swedish Gustav Church, followed by stops for the cruise lines.
The next sightseeing stop is for the Little Mermaid. Since she is on holiday, follow her visit to Shanghai with the live video feed on display or see a copy of the famous mermaid sculpture at Tivoli Gardens.
Stop 11 has multiple places to visit, including St. Albans Church and the adjacent Gefion Fountain. If the Norse legend of is not familiar, the bus commentary explains it well, making the fountain even more impressive. Also at this stop are the Resistance Museum and Fortress Kastellet.
Next stops are the Amalienborg Castle, the current Royal residence, and the Nyhavn district, which is great for people watching and restaurants. The Stroget, a pedestrian street, combines the people-watching with shopping.
Carlsberg Brewery
The return stop for the city hall is next. Here the tours cross, and the visitor can grab a yellow tour which is shorter. It goes to the Tycho Brahe Planetarium, the Copenhagen Zoo, and the Carlsberg Brewery, a great afternoon stop on a warm summer’s day.
The Frederiksberg neighborhoods and theater district, and the Museum of Copenhagen may inspire walking and people-watching. Hop on the next bus and a return to City Hall for more touring on the green line.
Christianshavn
The green line includes stops at the Christiansborg Palace and the Danish Arsenal Museum before crossing the bridge to Christianshavn. A stop at Our Savior's Church should be taken if the spiral steeple is open. The hike up the spire gives a wonderful 360-degree view of the city.
The freetown of Christiania will bring back memories of the hippie days in the U.S. It is a great place to explore. The new Opera House is a modern architectural sight while the navel base at Holmen is a great historic sight. Watch the window and listen to the commentary to learn how to tell who was out to sea.
This tour also ends at City Hall. If the option of a canal tour is added, the full extent of this Copenhagen experience can be planned for the next days. The outskirts of the city can also be explored, including Roskilde. Kronborg castle (Hamlet's Castle), and Odense, Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home.
Kim Youmans - Kim Youmans is an acclaimed educator, teaching preschool through graduate school. He writes about Theology, travels, and the outdoors.
