(Denmark Flag)
(Denmark Map)
All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2011:
After a sea day on Monday, the Emerald Princess docked in Copenhagen Tuesday morning ending my cruise.
I was transferred to my hotel, the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark.
The hotel was designed by Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen
for the airline Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) between 1956 and 1960.
At its completion the hotel was the largest in Denmark and the nation's first skyscraper.
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark with a metropolitan population of two million.
Just a block away from my hotel is the heart of the city, City Hall Square.
The Stroget is Copenhagen's pedestrian shopping zone, and it's Europe's longest shopping street.
On the Stroget, visitors find countless smaller and larger shops in all price ranges,
along with larger department stores, restaurants, and cafes.
Amager Square (Danish: Amagertorv), is part of the Stroget pedestrian zone, is often described as
the most central square in Copenhagen. The square is dominated by its Stork Fountain and a number
of buildings, the oldest of which dates back to 1616.
King's New Square (Danish: Kongens Nytorv) is a public square at the end of the pedestrian street Stroget.
It is the finest and largest square of the city, it was laid out by Christian V (equestrian statue ) in 1670.
Tuesday evening I walked across the street to Tivoli Gardens, a famous amusement park and pleasure garden.
The park opened on August 15,1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world.
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Hello Friends & Family: Yesterday was a sea day and the last day of the cruise. Early this morning we docked in Copenhagen, Denmark. I am on my own here in Copenhagen for two nights before moving on to Switzerland for the final leg of the trip. We had some sun and rain in Copenhagen today. I am staying at the Royal Hotel, which is a landmark of itself. I believe this is the first high-rise hotel ever built in Europe. The hotel is pictured below on the left. The hotel is nicely located in the heart of Copenhagen. The town hall is just across the street. I took a walk around town this afternoon. Below are some pictures from my walk. Sorry I don't know what everything is. More later, Tim |
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2011:
Zealand is the largest island of Denmark.
On Wednesday I took a day-trip to the north coast of the island to see Frederiksborg and Kronborg Castles.
My first stop was at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerod, Denmark.
The castle was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as
The Museum of National History. The palace is located on three small islands in the
middle of Palace Lake and is adjoined by a large, baroque formal garden.
The oldest parts of the castle date back to 1560, and were built by King Frederick II, after whom the palace is named.
We passed by Fredensborg Palace on our way to Elsinore.
It is the Danish Royal Family's spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important
state visits and events in the Royal Family. It is the most used of the Royal Family's residences.
When we arrived in Elsinore we had lunch and then proceded to the castle.
Kronborg is a star fortress situated near the town of Helsingor (immortalized as Elsinore
in Shakespeare's Hamlet) on the extreme northeastern tip of Zealand at the narrowest
point of the Oresund, the sound between Denmark and Sweden.
The castle's story dates back to a fortress, Krogen, built in the 1420s by the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania.
The king insisted on the payment of sound dues by all ships wishing to enter or leave the Baltic Sea;
to help enforce his demands, he built a powerful fortress controlling the sound. Kronborg acquired
its current name in 1585 when it was rebuilt by Frederick II into a magnificent Renaissance castle.
There are nice views across Oresund into Sweden from the Castle grounds. This part of the sound
is only 4 km wide, hence the strategic importance of maintaining a sea fortress at this location
commanding one of the few outlets of the Baltic Sea. The castle has for centuries been one of
the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The castle is probably the most impressive when seen from the air.
I didn't get to experience that first hand, so I will borrow the image below.
We took the scenic coastal route back to Copenhagen.
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Hello Friends & Family: Hello again everyone. You're probably really tired of hearing from me by now. Last night after I sent my email I walked across the street and visited Tivoli Gardens. This is probably the most visited tourist attraction in Denmark. It's an amusement park built in the 1800s. I'm not much into the rides but there are also nice gardens, concerts and other entertainment. In the picture below you can see the City Hall behind the gardens. Today was my last day in Copenhagen. Weather was the usual mix of clouds, rain and sun but it was also very windy. Today I journeyed a bit outside Copenhagen where I visited a couple of castles. The first castle I visited was Frederiksborg. On the way to the next castle we drove past the queen's summer residence. The next castle was Kronborg. The interior of the castle was completely destroyed during the war when it was used as a barracks. There is a nice view from the walls of the castle looking out on the sea. That is Sweden on the other side. Tomorrow afternoon I will fly to Zurich. I will spend the last 12 days of my vacation in Switzerland. Tim |
Click on the arrow above to continue to the next adventure, Switzerland!
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