Tag: travel

Copenhagen

The land of the Vikings and once the seat of power in Scandinavia, this nordic capital is located at the cusp of the North Sea. Home to luminaries like Hans Christian Andersen and Hans Oersted, the Danish capital has been the center of flourishing art, culture and innovation for many centuries now. Lego is perhaps their most easily recognizable contribution to the world.

How to get there

The capital city is very well connected to other Nordic countries via sea and air routes and sometimes by land (Sweden via Malmo). It is also connected to other countries in continental Europe and the rest of the world, through the Copenhagen International Airport. I had taken the Flixbus from Hamburg to Copenhagen, it takes about 5 hours and offers breathtaking views of the archipelagoes enroute.

Where to Stay

I didn’t stay in Copenhagen, I was there for a day trip (a long stopover) on my way to Oslo. However, some of the popular areas to stay are – Norrebro, Old Town, Christianhavn and Nyhavn. Like all nordic countries, it is on the higher end of the expense spectrum, so be ready to fish out atleast 50 euros a night in a decent hotel which is centrally located.

How to Commute

Copenhagen is one of the most bicycle friendly cities on the planet. The government has invested a lot in building dedicated cycling tracks and other supporting infrastructure around the metropolitan area. The Old Town (Stroget), NyHavn and ChristianHavn can be easily covered on foot, these constitute the lion’s share of all major tourist attractions. There is also regular metro, bus, train and ferry services which connect the city with its suburban areas, it has one of the most efficient public transport networks in the world.

Things to See

Centrally located Norreport station is perhaps one of the best locations to start your journey. However, I had started my journey at the Central Train station, just across the street from the central station is the Tivoli Gardens, the world’s oldest amusement park. It a veritable delight for people of all ages (not just the kids). Walk along the street next to the park and on your right you will be able to see the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (a fine arts museum). Continue straight and take a left from the junction, you will arrive behind the Town Hall square.

The Townhall square is the focal point of the locals during a sunny summer day, it has a lot of landmarks in its vicinity like Jen Olsen’s World Clock, the Statue of Hans Christian Andersen, Copenhagen Cathedral. The Copenhagen Courthouse is a stone’s throw away from the city center, built-in Greco-Romanesque style its imposing columns are a treat for the eyes. The Radhuspladsen has many cafes and restaurants around it, so you can easily take a table on the sidewalk and people watch.

There is a fork at the corner of the square which leads to the Old Town and Stroget. The lively, narrow alleys have high-end shopping stores on both sides and a lot of scrumptious food to gorge on. It’s is one of the longest pedestrian walks in the world and each of the bylanes from here is bound to lead to you somewhere interesting. For example one of the streets lead to the largest Lego shop in the world (a fitting tribute to the birthplace of Lego).

The Round Tower (Rundetaarn) is a 17th-century astronomical tower, it has a 360o observation deck at the top, which provides unparalleled views of the cityscape. It also has a museum dedicated to the life and work of Hans Oersted (one of the founding fathers of electromagnetism). Inside the museum there are interactive displays of the many experiments performed by Oersted, these demonstrations will take you back to the halcyon school days when the only image we had of these scientists and their findings were embossed in our science books. The panoramic views from the top of the tower reveal the profound magnificence of the city and its many architectural marvels. With the Nyhavn river circumscribing many neighborhoods of the city and numerous towers, spires, and turrets rising high into the sky gives it the appearance of paradise city – a surreal sight to behold.

Nyhavn is the most scenic location near the harbor, with its rows of beautifully colored gingerbread houses and scores of restaurants and cafes on the waterfront. Go past Nyhavn and take one of the bridges leading to the National Opera house – a marvel of modern architecture. You can amble along the waterfront here, perhaps grab a drink and sit on one of the benches, gazing at the other side of the town. The relative calm of the place is often shattered by the numerous ferries and yachts crisscrossing the river.

The city is adorned by three major royal palaces – Amalienborg, Christiansborg and Rosenborg. Christiansborg is the seat of the Danish parliament, Amalienborg is the royal residence while Rosenborg has the most beautiful gardens in the city. The viewing tower in Christianborg provides stunning views over the city and across the waters into Sweden as well.

A trip to Copenhagen is incomplete without a visit to the bohemian neighborhood of Christiania. Often dubbed as a free country within Copenhagen established at the site of the old military establishment in 1971. Initially the bastion of squatters, it is now a bustling hub of street art and music. Smoke, Weed (Marijuana), and Beer is freely available at each corner of the neighborhood. You can easily spend a couple of hours atop a small hillock by the lake here and watch acts of freedom (err… people getting high and wasted) unfold in front of your eyes. Christiania reminds me of Uzupis in Vilnius, these two should definitely be sister neighborhoods.

Things to Eat

Copenhagen is the epicenter of the new Nordic cusine, experimental food as well as recycled food. It has quite a few michelin starred restaurants like Noma and Alchemist which have to be booked months in advance. Traditional Danish cuisine consists of staples like Smorrebrod (open sandwiches), artisanal cheese, fish cakes, herring and salmon (pickled & smoked variations of both). Torvehallerne is the mecca of market food, it has about 80 shops selling local fares, this should be definitely on your list of gastronomic enclaves in the city.

How much does it cost

Like all nordic nations, expenses in Copenhagen don’t come cheap. At the time of this writing 1 Danish Krone is equal to 0.13 euros. A single meal in a decent restuarant will cost you anywhere between 20 to 25 euros (atleast). A day pass for public transport is about 17.5 euros. Card payment is widely accepted and encouraged here, even small street vendors have a card reader. So you don’t have to worry about exchanging your foreign currency, just make sure your credit/debit card works and you will be fine.

Prague

Prague is a city of Castles, Bridges, Alchemy and Kafka, once the main residence of the Holy Roman Emperor (Charles IV), it is a modern metropolis, which gleams in the pure radiance of the past. The capital of Czechia, home to more than 2 million people and the hotspot of the Velvet Revolution, there is a lot to explore in this city, it has something to offer for everyone.

1. How to get there 


Being the capital city of Czechia, it is well connected to the rest of the world through land, rail, and air. I had taken a bus (FlixBus) from Berlin to Prague, its less than 4 hours away, and the journey is quite comfortable. You can also take the train, Prague (Praha) Central Station has inter-city express trains running every hour. It is one of the easiest locations to get to.


2. Where to Stay 


It’s always preferable to stay near the Old Town because it’s close to both the Central Station, Bus Terminus, and all other major tourist sites. However, there are a lot of accommodations in Mala Strana near the Prague Castle and also one on top of the Zizkov T.V tower in case you are feeling too adventurous. I had stayed at Hostel Rosemary which is very close to the Old Town Square.


3. How to commute 


The City has all forms of modern public transport – Trams, Buses, and the Metro. Trams are ubiquitous and the preferred mode of travel. It’s advisable that you buy a travel pass (one-day or multi-day) it’s cheaper and saves you the hassle of buying tickets from the vending machines every time you need to use the public transport. I had used all three modes of transport, the city is very well connected, the trains, buses, trams always seemed to be on time.

4. Things to see

Start your journey from the historic old town of Prague. The Old Town square has both medieval and modern juxtaposed. The oldest functioning Astronomical Clock Tower in the world, Church of Our Lady before Tyn, Jan Hus Monument, Kinsky Palace,  and many more interest points. Since, the old town square is at the very center of the city, pick a direction and walk along the narrow lanes and alleys, you are bound to end up at some cool places. For example – if you stand straight, facing the Jan Hus monument, the corner to the left leads to banks of the Vltava River and Charles Bridge. Take the one to your right and you end up near the National Library, walk straight and slide left and keep on walking you will make it to the Old Jewish quarter.

There is a six-foot figure of Sigmund Freud Hanging from the top a building, you have to keep your eyes open in order to see this, I had passed through the same lane thrice and missed it, it’s very inconspicuous. Charles Bridge is undoubtedly, the most popular bridge in Prague (and in all of Europe as well). It has figures of Charles the IV surviving from the 1400s, along with several dozens added over the centuries. It’s a marvel to gaze at the Prague Castle at one end of the bridge and the waters of Vltava lapping beneath it. The most famous statue in the bridge has to be that of St. John of Nepomuck. There are watchtowers at either end of the bridge (I would recommend climbing the one at the end of the Prague Castle in order to get a panoramic view of the river as well as the Old Town).

Cross the bridge and slide to your right, you will be entering one of the most iconic streets of Prague – Mala Strana (the lesser street), St. Nicholas church is the most imposing and touristy place just at the start of Mala Strana. Walk uphill through the Mala Strana and you end up at the Prague Castle, the Presidential Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, The Golden Lane. Perched on top of a hill, the castle offers some of the most panoramic views of the city. You can easily spend a couple of hours in the Castle, gaping at the treasure trove of artifacts from the Roman to Medieval times. 

If you have had enough of the touristy places for a day, you can head off to another fortress about 5 miles south of the Prague Castle on the other side of the Vltava, its called Vysehrad. Not very popular among the tourists but frequented a lot by the locals, it will offer you breathtaking views over the Vltava, you can easily relax and sip a cup of coffee at one of the many of the restaurants and coffee shops atop the fort. Other notable sights around the city include – Wenceslas Square (popularly known as the Independence square), Rotating Head of Franz Kafka (a technical marvel), the Opera House, National Museum, Municipal House, the Spanish Synagogue, and the monument of Kafka beside it. Head over to Kampa Park for a breath of fresh air and glance at the John Lenon Wall nearby.

One of the hidden treasures of the Old Jewish Quarter is the Alchemy Museum (Speculum Alchemiae), it’s totally surreal and feels like you have entered a dungeon straight out of the Harry Potter movies. Except that it’s real, the underground alchemy workshop was sealed and hidden for about five centuries, it was only after the floods of 2002, that they were accidentally discovered. The king had patronized alchemy and funded this underground laboratory during his reign, it was frequented by renowned astronomers of the day like Tyco Brahe and Nicolas Copernicus. The chambers are very well preserved and the guided tour offers you an insight into this occult art of turning any metal into gold. Not only this the scientists of the day also experimented with many potions like – the elixir of life, potion of love (need any more potter references my analogy wasn’t too far off to begin with), etc. There are also many secret passages which lead from this chamber to important locations in the city like the old town, the banks of the river, of course, these are all sealed now. All this was done in secrecy because the church didn’t approve of the practice of alchemy. So what are you waiting for pack your bags and head over to Prague.


5. What to Eat

Prague is a foodie’s heaven starting from the iconic Chimney cake to Roasted Pork. Among traditional Czech cuisines, their Beef Goulash and Bread dumplings are a must-try. You can also find a variety of soups in Czech kitchens starting from potato soups, mushroom soups to broccoli soup. The Czech have their own variations of Gluhwein and Pilsner which are in some ways better than their German counterparts.

6. How much does it cost


Prague is one of the cheapest European capital cities, one Czech Crown equals to 0.037 Euro at the time of this writing, hence everything automatically becomes much less expensive. The entire trip all-inclusive of the transport, accommodation, food, and sight-seeing cost me less than 100 euros. Most places in Prague would accept payment in card, apart from some street food stalls near the old town. In case you are looking to exchange your foreign currency to the Czech Crown take your time and go over to alteast 3-4 exchange shops, there are many strewn all across the city, sometimes more than one in every corner. You will eventually find one which gives you a good exchange rate sometimes equal to the market rate.