"Nyhavn canal and harbour"
"This is where I was very nearly pickpocketted (right) - the entrance to the Christiansborg Palace
"The Christiansborg Palace is a palace and government building in central Copenhagen. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget), the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also, several parts of the palace are used by the Danish monarch, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel and the Royal Stables."
"For such an important building there appeared to be a remarkable lack of security."
"The Vintage Cars"
"The Tivoli Ballet Theatre"
"Chinese pagoda cafe (right)"
"Fatamorgana (left), The Golden Tower (right)"
"The Tivoli Concert Hall"
Copenhagen, Denmark
(22nd May 2018)
This was our second visit to Copenhagen, the first being on a Leger Christmas Markets coach trip last November. This time we made our way into the town centre on the shuttle bus and then walked first to Nyhavn canal and harbour, which was only a short walk from our drop-off point, and then along the main waterway to the Christiansborg Palace and then to the Tivoli Gardens.
Nyhavn was constructed by King Christian V using Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War 1658–1660. It is a gateway from the sea to the old inner city at Kongens Nytorv (King's Square), where ships handled cargo and fishermens' catch. It was notorious for beer, sailors, and prostitution. Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived at Nyhavn for some 18 years. As the harbour became to small for use handling cargo it gradually fell into disrepair until in the mid-1960s, the Nyhavn Society was founded with the aim of revitalising the area. In 1977, Nyhavn was inaugurated as a veteran ship and museum harbour and in 1980 the quay was pedestrianised; since then it has become a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. It really is a colourful and interesting place to go with street cafes, painted buildings and river boat trips to see.
Danish Hot-Dog
As we approached the Christiansborg Palace, I bumped into a lady who came up behind me; I apologised and carried on. Just inside the entry arch there was a map of the palace on the wall; I stopped to look at this and suddenly became aware of movement behind me. I looked round and down to see my shoulder bag open and this lady (of east European origin) was about to steal my wallet which had a lot of money and cards, etc. I shouted at her and grabbed my bag just in time to prevent her taking the contents of the bag. This is the closest I have ever come to being pick-pocketted and believe me this will be the last time I ever carry any valuables with me in future holidays. Bearing in mind that these days there is really no need to carry currency when on holiday as almost every cafe, resaturant, bar, shop accepts card payment. A lesson learned but I was very lucky.
We walked through the grounds of the Christiansborg Palace and having now read up on how important the palace is for government and royal family, I am quite surprised at the lack of security; I only saw one police car and there appeared to be little or no obstruction to anyone moving around the grounds. We walked through the grounds towards the Tivoli Gardens which is a must for any tourist in Copenhagen. The last time we saw this was at Xmas last year and the difference between winter and summer was very marked, i.e. no artificial snow , Xmas trees and decorations but with the plants in full flowere it presented a colourful and equally interesting picture.
From here after we had eaten the obligatory hot dog, which are enormous and very tasty (inset right) we walked back along the sea that is part of Copenhagen Harbour to catch the shuttle and return to the ship.
