Castles, Windmills and Colourful Villages of Denmark

COPENHAGEN

Our Milan-Copenhagen flight with Easy Jet, from terminal 2 of Malpensa, leaves very early at 7.10. So we get up at the crack of dawn and arrive at the airport while it is still night. We leave the car at the terminal, with the valet service of Parkingo. For the first time we use this valet service, where an attendant from the parking lot comes to pick up our car on departure and brings it back to us on return directly at the airport. Let's say that the Parkingo service worked very well on the way out. A bit too slow on the way back in bringing us the car. The Easy Jet flight is very punctual. Shortly after 9 we are already in Copenhagen. We pick up our car fairly quickly at the Sixt desk at the airport. Here they arbitrarily give us an upgrade we did not ask for. They hand us a Mercedes Station Wagon, a car as prestigious and expensive as it is uncomfortable and complicated.

We are not used to it. However, it will behave decently throughout the trip, without giving us any problems. By mid-morning we are already at our hotel Wakeup Copenhagen Borgergade booked through Booking.com. The hotel is centrally located, quite close to the famous Nyhavn canal. and near the beginning of the Stroget, the main street of the city. It must be said that in Copenhagen hotels cost a lot (like everything else) and this hotel, although quite expensive, was one of the cheapest in the city (about 170.00 euros per night for a triple room without breakfast). Indeed it is a disappointing 2-star, brand new, where a lot of attention is given to design and all the basic services are neglected. Oh well...we can't wait to change hotels. Of course the room is not ready until 15 in the afternoon. There is even a cost to pay to store the luggage while waiting for the room.

We start visiting the city with a walk along the very colorful Nyhavn canal, with the many colorful houses that house restaurants and various venues. There are many boats moored and from here the boat tours of the city also depart. There are lots of people; it is a place full of life and very, very pleasant. Right after we go to visit the Christiansborg palace. It is a sumptuous royal palace, today the seat of the Danish Parliament but with many furnished rooms on the first floor, all visitable. To visit it they make us wear plastic overshoes. Very opulent interiors and We are pleasantly struck by the beautiful white and gold library with galleries. At the end lunch and shopping on the Stroget, the central pedestrian street that, starting from the City Hall building, crosses the whole city with many historic buildings, shops and venues.

We then return to the hotel where we take possession, with some disappointment, of our room but I will spare you the criticism by referring you to my negative review on Tripadvisor. We then go out for dinner, choosing a KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) in Rathaus Platz (American fast food, all based on fried chicken). We then make a stop at the nearby Hard Rock Café, without buying anything though because the shop is rather small and then, tired, we return to the hotel to conclude this first day of travel.

COPENHAGEN

Breakfast is not included in the room price. We decide to eat here anyway and pay for it extra (about 10 euros each). The buffet is at the bare minimum anyway and we decide not to repeat the experience. Since strangely it seems that it is not raining (the weather in Denmark is truly awful, it changes constantly), we decide to take the boat tour on the canals. The tour lasts an hour and is very pleasant. The guide in English is very clear and thorough. From the canals you can see practically all the main points of the city, starting from the famous Little Mermaid (which is not much). We pass under bridges so low that the guide invites us to lower our heads so as not to touch them. We barely have time to get off the boat, when it starts raining hard with gusts of wind that turn our umbrellas inside out.

We head towards Rosenborg Castle with great difficulty but visiting the interiors is impossible due to the long queue at the ticket office. Moreover we cannot even visit the beautiful park with moat because, at that moment, the weather is really bad and we all get soaked. Given the persistent rain, we decide to take the car and go to the Harley Davidson dealership, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, as per tradition on every trip. The store is quite large and welcoming even though we find nothing traditional to buy. We content ourselves with a Harley t-shirt with the name of the city, at skyrocketing prices. In the afternoon the weather seems to improve and we continue visiting the city. We decide to go visit the Carlsberg beer factory, on the outskirts of Copenhagen. For the trip there we take a shuttle departing from Rathaus Platz.

But it is the last one of the day and for the return we have to manage with a regular bus. Once we arrive on site though, we decide to skip the guided tour and visit only the shop to buy some gadgets. We end our stay in the city with an outdoor dinner on the canal at the famous Nyhavn 17. Everything very expensive but for the setting it is worth it.

FREDERICKSBORG AND HELSINGOR

This morning we have breakfast in the room with coffee and muffins bought at the nearby 7-Eleven (American drugstore chain, open as the name says from 7 to 11 in the evening). The buffet breakfast at our hotel is not worth the cost. Right after we set off towards Hillerod, 30 km from Copenhagen, to visit Fredericksborg Castle. It is a magnificent castle, out of a fairy tale, located on the small islets of the small lake Sloto. One of the most beautiful castles ever seen; and we are true experts on castles, we have visited many in every corner of Europe. Fredericksborg Slot not only has splendid gardens; the interiors are also very, very sumptuous. The coronation chapel leaves us breathless, with galleries that extend along the entire perimeter of it and richly decorated. The immense ballroom with that opulent ceiling also strikes us very much.

Then, when we go out into the gardens, we can't stop taking photos from every angle. Around the castle there is not a simple moat but a real lake. In a corner of it, we also notice a small boat that carries visitors. We rush to take a seat. The drivers of the small motorboat are very kind and let the children steer for a while, even handing out a driving certificate. There are few people on board and my daughter, who is not little, can happily steer for a long stretch. So we do the complete tour of the small lake of Sloto, admiring the castle from every side. The boat also makes stops in the center of Hillerod and at the town park, allowing passengers to get off and then get back on board on subsequent runs. A beautiful experience. We then leave the castle to have lunch in a central street of Hillerod. We enter a Backerei, that is, a bakery.

In Denmark it is not rare to find these bakery shops equipped with tables inside and sometimes outside where you can consume the products purchased on the spot. It is an excellent solution for lunch or a snack, at low prices, with baked goods both sweet and savory. Right after we head towards the final destination of the day, where we have booked the hotel for the night: HELSINGOR. As soon as we reach the town, we notice majestically overlooking the sea, Hamlet's castle, Kronborg Slot, which however we admire only from the outside. After that, we reach our Hotel, in the city center, right in front of the station: HOTEL SKANDIA. It is a traditional small 3-star Hotel, of average quality. 147 euros per night, triple room, breakfast included. The bathroom though is a real horror. Very small and very uncomfortable. Everything else is fine.

We visit a bit of the central streets of Helsingor and, at (Italian) dinner time we realize that all the venues are already closed or are closing right now. Oh yes...you should know that in small towns, in Denmark, shops and venues close very early. The shops even around 17, while the other venues no later than 19. Only Pubs and the occasional café remain open. So, often, pubs have represented for us the only solution to have dinner at a decent hour (that is, around 19). Even that evening, we manage somehow. However we return to the hotel early for various reasons: 1) it started raining, just for a change; 2) there is really no one around anymore except some clueless tourist like us who hasn't understood how things work here. What these Danes do in the evening remains a mystery to us.

GILLELEJE - FAABORG

First stop of the day is the small port of Gilleleje, a picturesque fishing village, in the northern area of Zealand. We walk on the piers of the small harbor, look at the moored boats and appreciate a still sleepy Gilleleje, considering that it is still early morning. But we like it so quiet. We then head towards the central island of Denmark, Funen. To reach it you have to cross a 7 km long suspension bridge over the sea: Storebaelt. The toll costs about 30 euros and we will have to cross it again on the way back. In the middle of the bridge we also spot a lighthouse, which we manage to photograph. So we arrive at Kerteminde and take a short walk along the central street of the pretty little town, then have lunch once again in a Backerei. Not far away there is also a windmill that can be visited inside too, Svanemollen (swan mill).

It is a mill very similar to those seen in Holland at Zaanse Schans and well preserved, with a nice outdoor space. Then off towards the final destination of the day: Faaborg. We have booked at the Faaborg Fjord hotel. It is a large holiday hotel, positioned on the sea, which almost reminds us of an American motel. You cross the road and find yourself on a small beach, with a long wooden pier. The North Sea is certainly not like our Mediterranean Sea; it has completely different appearance and colors. It is certainly not inviting for a dip (my daughter aside). However it has its charm. Then we visit the picturesque center of Faaborg. The guide describes it to us as one of the prettiest villages in Denmark, with an ancient charm. And it is not wrong. The town center is very, very pretty.

There are little alleys with low old colorful houses, with facades covered by characteristic very tall flowers, whose name I don't know. They have a small entrance staircase; very often an old bicycle leaning in front and pretty curtains at the windows. All very romantic. Then there is the main square, very lively, where the ancient Hotel Faaborg in red brick stands out. The town center is very lively but, as usual, in the early evening hours it empties out: the shops close, the venues too. We have to, as usual, hustle to find a place to have dinner. Just outside the center we find a pub that suits us. Here they serve sandwiches with enormous hamburgers. The one Max chose even has 3 stacked one on top of the other. In Denmark the meat is truly good; both the red meat and the crunchy fried chicken. The hamburgers certainly don't resemble the dried-up ones from MacDonald's.

Here they are nice and thick, big and tasty. Be careful though because the Danes put onions everywhere. When you place an order always specify: "without onions".

EGESKOV- RIBE

More than satisfactory breakfast at our hotel in Faaborg, with a rather rich and varied buffet. And then the sea-view windows of the breakfast room do the rest. We read somewhere that in Faaborg there is a watermill that can be visited, Kaleko Molle. We look for the address and in a few minutes by car we are there. We find the mill working, with a pretty canal from which it draws water and rural buildings typical of the place. There is also a small museum of furnishings typical of peasant life. To make it more realistic there are also mannequins in traditional clothing. We had been waiting for some time for the visit to this place, of which we had seen fantastic images. It is described as one of the most spectacular castles to visit in Europe. Between this castle and that of Fredericksborg, visited days ago, we couldn't say which is better.

It is a Renaissance castle located on a large estate, with lake, moat and small lakes connected to each other. The route through the gardens is fantastic. However the interior is nothing exceptional. You visit a few rather ordinary rooms. More interesting is the attached museum of vintage vehicles. There is even a very ancient camper. What clearly strikes you is the exterior and the beautiful gardens. We also visit the little shop attached where I can finally buy a little scarf because here in Denmark it is truly cold and my mid-season clothing is not suitable. Here, in August, you need proper winter clothing: I miss the sweatshirts and the quilted jacket left at home. After leaving the castle, after a couple of hours by car, we reach Ribe where we have booked a hotel right in the main square of the town: Dagmar hotel.

The hotel is located in a very ancient building in a very central position. Unfortunately, since it is a very ancient building, we also discover that it is rather uncomfortable. The parking is far away and our room is not in the building but in an attached little courtyard that we have to cross every time. In short, we don't like it much and the cost is decidedly high: about 190 euros per night for the triple including breakfast. However, at least, we are right in the heart of the charming little town. We like Ribe very much: the center is crossed by a canal and we are crazy about cities with waterways. There are little bridges to cross; from one of these we also spot a watermill spinning at full speed producing a pleasant rushing sound. There would also be the cathedral to see, if only it were open at a decent time.

For dinner, we give in to our good intentions and choose an Italian restaurant right next to the hotel. We eat the usual things found in Italian restaurants abroad: pasta and pizza of average quality. At least we spend little. Next to the restaurant, there is then an inviting ice cream shop and we get some waffles with cream before returning to the hotel.

ROSENHOLM SLOT AND AARHUS

stop at the town of Viborg. The travel itineraries we have read and the guides speak very highly of it and present it as the oldest city in Denmark, with many luxurious buildings etc. etc. Maybe it is because today it is raining persistently and, as we know, with rain everything looks uglier and sadder. However, once we reach the town center, we really don't understand the reason for so much space dedicated by the guide to a truly plain and uninteresting city. It is just fine for a technical stop in search of the toilet and then we set off again. We therefore choose to visit a castle that is on the way: ROSENHOLM SLOT The castle, like all those we visited here in Denmark, is surrounded by a large moat. The interiors are described as interesting.

However we don't want to sit through 45 minutes of a guided tour so we content ourselves with seeing the kitchens, to which access is free, and taking photos around the moat. It is still raining, so we decide to go directly to Aarhus, where we will stay overnight. Today we are not so lucky with the stops chosen. We don't like Aarhus at all either. After all it is the second largest city in Denmark and we don't like big centers. We prefer to visit small picturesque villages as we did in recent days. And Aarhus is a truly chaotic city but it represented a convenient stop for what was planned the next day. We cross the city center by car, skipping it outright since we have not the slightest desire to stop in such a busy place. We prefer to go directly to our hotel, Marselis Hotel, which is located outside the center, overlooking the sea. As beautiful as the sea of Aarhus may be.

The hotel though, even though it is a big square brown block, inside is very elegant and equipped with all comforts, including pool, gym, conference rooms etc. An elegant and spacious lobby welcomes us and the room is also very spacious and modernly furnished. But the thing we like most is the wall completely of sliding glass that overlooks the sea. It almost seems that the sea enters the room. I want to sleep with the curtains open so I can see the sea from the bed early in the morning. From the balcony you can see the gardens below and, on one side, the port of Aarhus, while on the other a nice stretch of coastline with trees and lawns. For dinner though there is nothing nearby and we cannot even dine at the hotel since, being a 4-star, it would be too expensive. We must, much to our regret, take the car and get closer to the center of Aarhus, where we find a Diner, American style.

Having been to many real Diners in the United States, we can only say that this one merely apes the genre. But we eat abundantly even though everything is, as usual, expensive.

AARHUS - MIDDLEFART

Our last day of travel opens with a fantastic breakfast at our beautiful hotel in Aarhus. We are truly satisfied, so much so that we consider it the best hotel of this vacation. And the price is not even higher than that of the other hotels where we stayed in Denmark. We leave the hotel to go a few minutes away from it, still in Aarhus, to visit DEN GAMLE BY. It is an open-air museum that represents Danish town life, from 1800 up to 1970. The most interesting part is the one before 1900. There are typical houses, shops of the era, costumed characters, carriages and horses. The village is crossed by a pretty canal with a watermill. In short: a very pleasant visit. On the way out we set off again towards MIDDELFART where we have booked at the hotel Park. We arrive after a few hours of travel, crossing beautiful Danish landscapes. The hotel surprises us right away from the outside.

It almost looks like a castle in red brick, situated in the greenery, while instead we discover that it is an ancient hospital completely renovated and transformed into a Charme Hotel. The room is also spacious and well furnished. Large bathroom. Great. The little town of Middelfart, although having a pretty town center with some typical houses, is very small and without particular attractions. However we chose to stay here since it is located at a good distance from Copenhagen, for our return flight. For the evening we have dinner at Cafè Laura, in the town center. At that hour we are the only customers and the bartender, extremely kind, gives us all his attention, taking a great interest in us and Italy and telling us something about the Danes. In our honor he also thinks it well to put on suitable background music: The best of Albano and Romina.

KOGE AND RETURNING HOME

The breakfast at the Hotel Park in Middelfart is superlative. There is everything at the buffet. Definitely the best of our trip. Our last day in Denmark could not have started in a better way. In the afternoon we have the plane but first there is still time for one last stop. On the road between Middelfart and Copenhagen there is Koge, flagged by our trusty Mondadori guide as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Denmark. We arrive and park in the central market square where the main buildings are located. Then we walk towards the river where there are pleasant views. Here we notice a pretty Café and chocolaterie, The Coffee Cellar, with delightful tables placed along the river. What an idyllic corner! We don't think twice and take a table ordering American coffee to sip slowly while watching the canoes gliding along the river.

We want to fix in our memory this pleasant little scene as the last moment spent in Denmark. There is even nice sunshine! Then off towards the airport to return the car and for the usual procedures. There is also time to do the last purchases and spend all the leftover coins in the shops of the terminal. Not too much though because our flight is moved up by 10 minutes. We arrive at the gate just in time for boarding. Easy Jet outdid itself on this return trip and we arrive at Malpensa 20 minutes early. Unfortunately the Parkingo service is not as efficient and we have to wait a bit for the valet to arrive with our car at the airport. We are not very satisfied with this service, which we tried for the first time. Conclusions: Denmark is a very pleasant country to visit; it has all the things we like: castles with splendid moats, mills, waterways, villages with colorful little houses.

Unfortunately there are 2 negative factors: the awful weather even in the height of summer and prices too high for us Italians. But, overall, it was worth it. DANI, MAX AND CLARISSA For more details