As mentioned before, we planned 5 days for our Copenhagen trip. Therefore, we spoiled ourselves with the luxury of a day trip to Copenhagen’s so-called ‚Whiskey Belt‘. We’re talking about the northern areas of Copenhagen which are easy to get to via urban railways.
We were really lucky with the weather. Like the rest of Europe, Denmark experienced a really dry summer with lots of sunshine. In August, we were still able to witness some of these beautiful, warm days.
We started at the central station. Transport and entries were all included with the Copenhagen Card. There’s no hassle with buying tickets or whatsoever and the only thing you need to care about is not missing the train.
Frederiksborg Castle/Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød
Our first destination was Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød, a really gigantic castle. You’ll see the mightiness already from a distance and it’s really impressive and elegant. It burned down in 1859 and was rebuilt in 1884. So it looks like a Renaissance castle, but it isn’t.
We took the boat over the Slotsø (only in the summer months) and walked back along the lake.
The palace garden is really amazing. We can’t tell how the castle looks like from the inside. We can imagine though. Whenever the weather is good, we have a habit to avoid any kind of museums. Inside the castle, you can actually see Denmark’s Museum of National History.
Hillerød
Hillerød itself is adorable. Small but nice and peaceful: Just like you imagine a Danish suburb. An idyll, where you like to see your children grow up. At least following the chliché Denmark picture I have in mind.
The town centre has some restaurants and cafés and they all seemed cute and inviting. You have to decide on your own if you want to come here without seeing Frederiksborg Slot. Maybe it’s a bit too boring without it. But yes, the town centre is cute.
Kronborg Slot/ Kronborg Castle in Helsingør
We took the train to continue our trip from Hillerød to Helsingør to see the famous Hamlet Castle.
From the main station, we walked around the harbour and could already see it from a distance. The castle got famous for its role in Shakespears‘ famous masterpiece Hamlet. It belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage and those cannons invite kids (and big kids, actually) to play a little bit of war. It could all be so innocent.
Thanks to the Weather Gods in Scandinavia, sunshine and warmth prevented us again to see the inside of the castle. Therefore, we had all the time seeing the castle from the outside and enjoy the perfect view over the sea to Sweden. Bullerbü country is namely just a 20-minute boat drive from Helsingør.
If you have time left, Helsingør’s town centre is worth seeing as well. But we still had something else on our radar.
Louisiana Museum in Humblebæk
Last but least – yes, this day was a bit exhausting – we managed to see Denmark’s most visited museum, the Louisiana Museum in Humblebæk. It started getting fresh in the evening, so this visit was compatible with our personal museum-ethos on sunny days.
The exhibitions change and are always playing in the top league. In August this year, the focus was on artist Gabriele Münter.
Those who’re not interested in the exhibition itself will find themselves in a fantastic location anyway. Starting with the Gamle Villa (Old Villa), the Sculpture Garden and the view over the Øresund over to the delicious buffet in the evening at the museums café offering an amazing view as well. It was a perfect, Danish summer evening.
The End!