While visiting Rome we wanted to go to the Vatican City to see the great artworks there as well as Saint Peter’s Basilica. Research showed that the crowds in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel could become overwhelming, so we chose to do an early entry tour with limited participants.
St Peter’s BasilicaFontana della Pigna
We met our guide and other tourists at the Vatican Museum Entrance. She provided us with earphones so that we could hear her commentary and followed her inside and past the huge queues already waiting to enter. This was where we discovered that although this tour had limited members and we did indeed enter before the general entrants, there were dozens of other priority groups going in with us.
Vatican Museums
We slowly walked through the Vatican Museums, which are magnificent. If what we did was considered not crowded, general entry must be unbearable. We were able to see everything, from the sculptures to the ornate ceilings and the guide provided a fantastic commentary that we really enjoyed.
Bramante StaircaseVatican Museum CeilingStatue of Artemis, the Fertility Goddess
Raphael Rooms
Our next stop was the Raphael Rooms which were as amazing as we expected them to be and here we were able to take time to contemplate the artworks.
Raphael RoomsRaphael Rooms
Sistine Chapel
The highlight of the tour, as expected was Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. No photographs are permitted here, and silence is expected. There are guards that enforce these rules. We spent 15 minutes admiring this cultural marvel before we had to leave.
Saint Peter’s Basilica
Saint Peter’s Basilica is even larger than we expected. To demonstrate its size, the central aisle has the other great Cathedrals marked out for comparison. Sydney’s St Mary’s is tiny compared to Saint Peter’s. There are artworks, sculptures and tombs on display that would take days to appreciate fully. After showing us the highlights of the Basilica, our guide left us here. We spent hours looking here and down in the crypt where many past popes are interred.
St Peter’s BasilicaSt Peter’s Basilica
As with many places, there is a gift shop and a dedicated post office to send cards from the Vatican City.
Vatican City Crypts
What Did We Think?
The Vatican City is an amazing place to visit, even if you are not religious. The volumes of artworks and the historical significance make it a fascinating place to visit. The guide provided an amazing insight into the history and workings of the Vatican that we would otherwise not have had. A fantastic half day that we really enjoyed.
Our 30 day European tour included eight countries. Travel between cities was mostly by train, although we needed plane flights for two of the legs. There was a combination of self guided and organised tours, depending on our ability to reach the destinations we wanted.
To view each destination, click on the links below.
We have visited Copenhagen twice during trips to Europe. The first was a very short trip because our flight was delayed and we lost over a day before we had to fly to Bergen. The second trip was for four days, when we were able to see a lot more of the Danish capital as well as some of the surrounding area. We flew into Copenhagen from Tromso in Norway on our second visit.
Travel From the Airport to the City
On both occasions, we caught a taxi to our hotel because we chose convenience over the cheaper option of a train.
Accommodation
We chose hotels in the centre of the city on both occasions. The Alexandra Copenhagen for our first trip and First Hotel Twentyseven for the second, because they were close to most attractions and Central Station. Neither hotel had a restaurant, but did provide breakfast and there were plenty of options for meals close by.
Once checked in at our hotel , we walked around town for the remainder of the afternoon and into the evening.
Copenhagen Card
As our second stay was four days long, we purchased Copenhagen Cards before leaving Australia. these were available for collection at the Tivoli Gardens booking office so we dropped in to collect them.
The Copenhagen card provides free entry into most of Copenhagen’s attractions. As a great bonus it includes free public transport around the city as far as Roskilde and Helsingør. Ours were for 72 hours and were used extensively. Before you buy one make sure you will get value out of it by working out where you will go and what tbe would have cost without the card.
Hans Christian Andersen Statue
National Museet
A short walk down the Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard was the National Museet (museum). This is one of the world’s great museums with excellent exhibits illustrating Denmark’s history. Extremely well laid out, you start at the pre-historical section, and then make our way through Viking times, the coming of Christianity through to modern-day.
There is an excellent collection of Viking artifacts, ranging from swords and shields to boats and rune stones. Some of the best-preserved bog bodies are also on display. Gruesome but captivating at the same time.
Bog Body – National Museet – Copenhagen
Swords – National Museet – Copenhagen
Hindsgavl Dagger – National Museet Copenhagen
On the second floor is a very nice café where we stopped for a hot chocolate and snack, before pressing on. We spend around two hours here and could have taken longer if not pressed for time.
Viking Reconstruction National Museum
Viking Sword National Museum
Rune Stone National Museum
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace at Night
Reception Rooms
The reception rooms are all beautifully laid out and decorated. T
The banquet hall is decorated Bjørn Nørgaard’s colourful tapestries, Venetian glass chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and the walls are decorated with yellow marbling.
The throne room, where the Queen receives kings, presidents and ambassadors is also open to inspect. The king’s throne is adorned with two golden lions and the queen’s throne features two gilded griffons.
Christiansborg Palace Reception Rooms
Christiansborg Palace Throne Room
Reception Rooms Tapestry in Christiansborg Palace
The Royal Stables
Still operating as the royal stables with resident horses this building also preserves the history by displaying and conserving carriages. The stable’s finest vehicle is the Golden State Coach. It was built in 1840 and is coated with 24-carat gold leaf. The oldest coach in the stables is Queen Dowager Juliane Marie’s state coach which dates from 1778.
Golden State Coach
Ruins under Christiansborg Palace
The ruins under Christiansborg Castle, date back to 1167 and the original Bishop Absalon’s Castle. Walking around this underground site, you will get an idea of how the castle was continually renewed and developed.
Christiansborg Palace Ruins
Tivoli Gardens
We went to the Tivoli Gardens in the evening, because many other attractions were closed and we were able to see the rides lit up. The gardens are very popular with locals and tourists and were very busy. We found them to be more crowded than expected and difficult to get through at times. Certainly very pretty, with everything lit up, but we found it quite boring, and apart from a coffee and a walk around, did not stay more than an hour.
Tivoli Gardens at Night
Strøget
Christmas Tree – Stroget – Copenhagen
Christmas Tree – Stroget – Copenhagen
Round Tower
Located in the centre of town not far from Storget the Round Tower provides a magnificent view of the city. Access is via a spiral walkway that takes up the full width of the tower. The final part consists of some short one way ladders where you need to make way for other visitors. The viewing platform circles the full roof of the tower and there are signs indicating the location of important buildings.
The Round Tower
Inside the Round Tower
Rosenborg Palace and Crown Jewels
Walking through town to the Rosenborg Palace in the early morning allowed us to experience the sights and sounds of Copenhagen. The grounds approaching the palace were beautiful, even in winter and were enjoyable to walk around.
The interior of the palace is furnished in its medieval style and is very dark. This contrasts with Christiansborg Palace which we saw later which is very bright and decorated in a modern style.
Rosenborg’s big draw card is the Crown Jewels which are displayed in the palace’s dungeon. They are very well set out and you are able to get quite close to view them. The crowns even have steps next to them so that you can get a better view.
Rosenborg Palace Copenhagen Denmark
The Danish Crown Jewels Rosenborg Palace
Throne Room Rosenborg Palace
Jen Olsen’s Clock
Located in the Town Hall this amazing clock was undergoing maintenance when we visited. Access was still available enabling to to view it but not see it operate.
Copenhagen Town Hall
Jens Olsen’s World Clock
Friederik’s Church
The Marble Church with the characteristic copper green dome is one of the most impressive churches of the city. There is a magnificent view from the dome, which can be visited at 1 pm every day during the summer months and the same hours in the weekends of the rest of the year.
The church is open daily to the public, with restricted hours on Friday and Sunday.
Friederik’s Church
Nyhavn and Amalienborg Palace
Getting to Nyhavn, most of the usual crowds were yet to arrive, so we could see all of the docks and buildings without other people around. The same went for the Amalienborg Palace. There was only a few people there. We took it as an excellent opportunity to take pictures of the palace and guards.
Nyhavn
Buildings and Boats in Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Nyhavn – Copenhagen
The Canal at Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Nyhavn – Copenhagen
Amalienborg Palace – Copenhagen
Guard at Amalienborg Palace – Copenhagen
The Little Mermaid Statue
One of the big attractions in Copenhagen is the Little Mermaid Statue. Its biggest criticism though is the size of the crowds of people gathered there. Not early in the morning though. There were less than ten of us, and could get photos of just us by the statue. Nearby is the Geflion Fountain. In winter the water is turned off, so it was not as spectacular as when operating, but still a very nice sculpture.
The Little Mermaid – Copenhagen
Geflion Fountain – Copenhagen
Canal Cruise
A canal cruise is a great way to see the highlights of Copenhagen giving different perspective to that seen from the streets. Taking about and hour the cruise enable to to see Nyhavn the Opera House and many other landmarks from the canals. A commentary provides a good overview of the history of the sights as you go. We sat in the open area at the rear of the boat. This gave us a great view in all directions, without the windows or roof of the boat getting in the way.
Copenhagen Opera House from The Canal
Roskilde
Travel to Roskilde by train was covered by the Copenhagen Card, as was entry to the attractions there. We caught the train at central station and it was a short 20 minute trip to Roskilde. We walked into town from the train station taking in the main street and lovely gardens as we went.
Viking Boat Museum
Located on Roskilde Harbour this museum houses five preserved viking boats. The displays are well presented with viewing platforms enabling excellent views of the displays.
If you have children, there is an interactive area for them, where they are able to go onto a replica ship.
Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Main Display Hall Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral is the traditional resting place of Danish monarchs. As such there is a huge amount of history present there as well as the magnificent building itself. We spent two hours making our way around the tombs and interior of the cathedral before heading towards to Viking Boat Museum
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Interior of Christian IV’s Chapel.
Sarcophagus of Scandinavian Queen Margrethe I
Helsingør
We caught the 45 minute traIn ride from Copenhagen Central and again used our Copenhagen Card. The main reason for visiting this city, was Kronborg Castle, located only a short walk from the train station. As we walked to the castle, we found some interesting statues along with a male version of the little mermaid.
The Workers
Han Estatua
Kronborg Castle is famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The castle interior is furnished in places as it was in the middle ages. We found the highlight to be the dungeon level which had limited lighting making it very atmospheric. As you wander around this level you are able to visualise how guards in medieval Denmark would have felt.
Kronborg Castle
Main Hall Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle Dungeons
What Did We Think?
We found Copenhagen very easy to find your way around and we felt very safe. People were very friendly and helpful and the city centre is full of great attractions. We visited in December the first time and the city was full of festive decorations, with most shops having candles in their doorways, as well as decorations. Travel using the Copenhagen Card was easy and cheap which made the trips to Roskilde and Helsingor simple.
For other stories about our trips around Europe, click here
