TRAVEL
EXPLORE
DENMARK
A SUMMER
at Søerne
Spend idyllic days by the lakes of Copenhagen, admire the quirky design of the city, and enjoy long breezy days discovering one of the happiest countries in the world. BY SARITA RAJIV
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EFORE I LAND in Denmark, I recollect hearing three facts about this rather small country in Europe: it is one of the happiest countries in the world, it makes Lego (its most famous export and a much cherished toy in my childhood) and, it was home to Hans Christian Anderson. So I come to Copenhagen with a curiosity to know more. I arrive in Copenhagen at the start of summer. And it seems I’ve chosen the right time. Having heard of the winter here, I know it’s better to visit Copenhagen in summer to see what the city and its band of merry residents have to offer. In winter, the Danes are too obscured in their heavy jackets and thick woollen scarves, to show you how happy they are and how wonderful Copenhagen is. But, the frosty demeanour gets shed along with the pile of clothes at the first sight of summer. A friend, who has lived in Copenhagen for a while, tells me Denmark doesn’t have much of a spring. The long, dark and sometimes harsh winters give way to long days and breezy summers. What she doesn’t tell me and what I discover for myself is that it rains a lot in summer. Not the gushing, heavy rains I was used to in Mumbai; more like a gentle drizzle. As I walk around, Copenhagen draws me in with its appealing architecture, its take on design and its vibrant cafes and restaurants. I take in the medieval Church of St. Petri, nestling comfortably with the renaissance Rosenberg Castle and the unabashedly modern architecture of the Blue Planet aquarium and the 8Tallet residential building. As I pore over a map of the city, eager to discover more, something strikes me. Right in the city centre are three blocks of water close together. These are
EXPLORE Copenhagen’s three lakes—Sortedams Sø, Peblinge Sø and Sankt Jørgens Sø. Curiously all three are manmade, which explains their rectangular shape and being lined in a row. Forming a border for the centre of Copenhagen, the lakes are one the oldest elements in Copenhagen’s topography. The first lake was built to provide drinking water to its residents. Eventually two more lakes were added, creating a moat like defence system to protect the city against attacks. Today the lakes and the areas around them have a single purpose—they serve as the city’s recreational hotspots. Finding the lakes (or søerne as the Danes call them) has meant that my summer break is off to a promising start. After all, what better way to spend the summer than by the water? I head off to the oldest, Peblinge Sø, which was built way back in the 1500s. As I walk around the lake, I take in the sight in front of me. People reading books, friends having brunch, mothers taking a walk with babies in prams, children feeding ducks and swans, fitness enthusiasts jogging away—it’s all happening at the lakes. There is even a group of boys playing water polo and a couple canoeing expertly in the lake. I try to imagine what the lake would look like in winter. I can see it transformed into a giant ice rink inviting people to skate, bicycle or just slide with abandon like children. 1. Historical boats from the National Museum’s collection at the picturesque quay-side at Nyhavn, once home to Hans Christian Andersen 2. The Rosenberg Castle 3. Cycling is the best way to discover the city—Denmark wants Copenhagen to become the world’s ‘cycling capital’ by 2015 4. Enjoy the best of modern world cuisine 5. You can take a canal tour of the city
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EXPLORE I return again the next day to Peblinge Lake. But this time, instead of walking around, I decide GREEN DAYS to join the Copenhageners DKK 1873 (217,500 approx) per room sunbathing or simply relaxing with per day at friends at Kafe Salonen’s outdoor Radisson Blu café, bang on Peblinge Lake. Copenhagen. Lazing on the deck with my family, Includes two I gaze at the shimmering lake tickets to Tivoli around me and enjoy the pleasantly Garden, breakfast warm sunshine on my face. As and free internet. I tuck into a delicious Danish pastry Tel: +45 3342 6000 I picked up on the way here, I’m beginning to understand what the Danes mean when they say something is hyggeligt. Roughly translated, hyggelig means ‘cosy’ in English, though it doesn’t quite do justice to it. It essentially means having a good time with friends or family over good food and drinks, in a warm, snug atmosphere. You can apply the word to almost anything—you could be in a hyggelig café, living in a hyggelig apartment or visiting a hyggelig city. Having got a taste of life at the lakes, I’m hungry for more. We head over to Sankt Jørgens Lake. As we reach the southern end of the lake, we find ourselves in front of the Tycho Brahe Planetarium, which has been designed to look like an oblique cylinder. I’m tempted to try my hand at being an astronaut here. My three-year old however, prefers bird watching to star gazing, so we head over to 1. Spend long days under the mild summer sun outdoors— walking, cycling or simply chilling at an outdoorsy cafe, there are plenty of options 2. Expect a lot of meat and potatoes in the local cuisine 3. The stunning Blue Planet aquarium
5 Things to do
Sortedams Lake which hosts a bird sanctuary at its two artificial islands—Fiskeøen (the fish island) and Fugleøen (the bird island). My daughter watches in rapturous glee as the birds swoop in to catch the pieces of bread she throws, mid-air. Having got a glimpse of Danish design in architecture, I head over to Bregade for my fix of Danish design in products. As I drool over the clean lines and the quirky touch, I’m sorely tempted to pick up some lamps by Poul Henningsen and chairs by Arne Jacobsen.
a visit Continue the water trail with st late rk’s ma to The Blue Planet, Den the as landmark. Swirling water serves m, inspiration behind this aquariu 540 Its . ool irlp wh shaped like a giant es litr lion mil en species contained in sev the h of water, will enchant you wit story of life under water. s of ● Get a peek into the live visit to the a h Denmark’s royals wit Walk queen’s home in Amalienborg. into Christian VII’s Palace to hand. experience the grandeur first with an ● Delight the child in you old dame of nd gra outing to Tivoli, the amusement parks. Start with ● Sample Danish cuisine. follow the Danish pastry, Wienerbrød, ørrebrød. it up with the traditional sm a shopper’s ● Walk through Strøget, d mix paradise. This street has a goo . nds bra of Danish and international
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fter my visit to the lakes, I decide to visit a famous lady who has made the water her home—the Little Mermaid at Langeline. My first sight of her is a bit of an anti-climax. Having heard so much about this statue, I find her a bit underwhelming. Around me, people are going crazy taking pictures of themselves with the statue in the background. I linger, observing her more closely and notice a certain pathos and melancholy as she gazes forlornly out into the sea. I learn later that a ballet, based on her sad story, inspired Carl Jacobsen to commission the statue. On my way back, I see another lady with a connection to water—Norse goddess Gefion. But this statue is anything but sad. She’s a powerful figure, driving a group of oxen, in this water fountain. According to legend, a Swedish king promises Gefion land she could plough in a night. Using her magical powers, Gefion turns her four sons into oxen, and ploughs a large plot of land which is thrown into the sea and becomes the island of Zealand on which Copenhagen is located. The chasm that was created is transformed into a lake. I’m amazed to find that modern maps show that Zealand and the lake in Sweden resemble each other in size and shape. We continue the water trail with a walk through Nyhavn,
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a short Kongens Nytorv Metro. 17th-century h t jaunt j t from f K N t M t A 17th t waterfront, Nyhvan welcomes us with its old world charm of docked boats and curious mix of colourful buildings and cafes. The place is packed with people and we hear music as we walk into an open air jazz concert. With minds satiated with food for the soul, we hop into a boat for a quick canal tour of the famous sights—Opera House, the Black Diamond, Amalienborg Palace, and Christianshavn. With this summer break in Copenhagen, I get a taste of happiness, Copenhagen style. I know I’ll be back for more.
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At a Glance GETTING THERE Fly to Copenhagen from Delhi or Mumbai via Zurich, Amsterdam or Dubai on Swiss Air, KLM or Emirates. Cost: 245,000 approx WHEN TO GO June-August
STAY
Try the luxuriant 250-year old Hotel D’angleterre, located in the city centre. http://www.dangleterre.dk/ Or the Radisson Blu Royal
designed by famed Danish architect Arne Jacobsen across Tivoli Gardens. http://www.radissonblu.com/ royalhotel-copenhagen
SHOP Lego for the kids and for adults, the best in interiors by Danish designers at Illums Bolighus. www.illumsbolighus.dk
EAT
The Danish pastry and the traditional smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches)
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