Christmas Day
After a relaxing family day celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve, it was time to have some breakfast and then spend Christmas Day exploring Copenhagen. The rain had moved away, and clear skies were thankfully apparent. We walked to the metro station and took the metro into the centre where we headed to Nyhavn. Nyhavn is a popular and well-known 17th century waterfront, canal, and entertainment area in the centre of Copenhagen. It is probably best known, and frequently photographed, due to its brightly coloured 17th and 18th century townhouses, cafes, and restaurants that line the beautifully boat fringed waterways. The area was constructed by King Christian V from 1670 to 1675. The area used to be a busy commercial port where ships docked from all over the world.
We walked up and down the banks of the waterways and into the harbour area where good views of the Opera House and an old battleship could be seen. The whole area was quite busy and had a great Christmas vibe. There were many little huts selling Christmas gifts, food, and drink, including crispy churrus with a choice of toppings, and Glogg, the Danish version of mulled wine – all simply delicious! We had also booked a boat trip online before venturing out, which was good value at £15 per person and lasted for an hour. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go down all the canals because the water level was too high for the boat to get under the bridges, so we were taken out into the harbour instead. This was still enjoyable, and we saw a number of landmarks, including Amalienborg, the Opera House, and the famous Little Mermaid that sits comfortably on a rock at Langelinie Pier. The bronze sculpture is 1.25 metres tall and was installed in 1913 by sculptor Edvard Eriksen. The sculpture is based on a character from a ballet performance that was shown at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen. Sadly, the Mermaid has been vandalised on several occasions and has had to be repaired.
There was a tour guide on the boat who was entertaining and talked us through all the points of interest along the way. The boat did have a small outside area for anyone who wished to sit outside, but the majority of it was covered in glass and the windows could be opened if desired – this was great for taking clearer photos on the way round. We found the trip enjoyable, and the hour went fast!
After a busy time in Nyhavn, we wandered back into the centre and found a really quaint little café that was busy. We fortunately managed to get a table as someone was just leaving. It is worth noting that Copenhagen is very cashless, so there is no real need to take any cash with you or draw any out while you are there – Apple pay is also widely accepted. Although entry fees and excursions seemed to be well priced, we found that food and drink was expensive and was on a par with London prices.
