Castle day in Copenhagen

For my second last day in Copenhagen, we ventured out of Copenhagen to visit the Kronborg and Frederiskborg Castles. It was a mostly enjoyable experience and upheld the trend of beautiful Scandinavian architecture and nature that had been a prominent theme throughout Helsinki and Stockholm.


Kronborg Castle

First up was the Kronborg Castle in the Danish town of Helsingor. Known as the critical setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Kronborg is an important Renaissance monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle features the royal apartments, a series of rooms describing the history of Copenhagen, detailing its one-time occupation by Sweden and subsequent independence. Paintings, sculptures and artwork relate to notable figures in Danish history. There is a ballroom, a hallway and of course, a room dedicated to the history of Hamlet and its various iterations around the world. Better still, some of the rooms are interactive, with a virtual video providing a nice overview of Danish history for those wanting a cliffnotes history lesson and nothing more.


The ballroom within Kronborg Castle

There is even an additional section where you can go underground called the Casemates (‘Kasematter’) and wander the actual areas where Danish soldiers remained during long sieges or bombardments in times of war. Despite it being the middle of the day, it was quite dark and at times unnerving to be walking around in this section of the castle. I even had to use a flashlight app on my phone on occasion to avoid being completely blind at times! There was signs warning that the area was very slippery and it is filled with cobblestones, so good footwear is a must.

Other than the castle, there was a small garden area that had some nice views of the castle and a collection of museums and cafes that were unfortunately closed, it being outside of the summer season.

Attraction details

Name: Kronborg Castle

Directions: From the Central Railway Station, buy an all day regional train pass (it was 108 DKK when I bought mine). This provides unlimited travel to regional Denmark and back again so you can have piece of mind and is cheaper than buying two one-way tickets.

Admission fee: 70 DKK for entry. From the Central Railway, the station you need is Helsingor. The castle is in plain view from Holinberg and takes around 10-15 minutes walk to get to. To get into the Royal Apartments, you need to store your bags in the lockers with a 10 Danish Kroner coin (you can borrow a coin from the shop if you don't have one on you).

Traveler’s tip: Bring a flashlight (either physical or an app on your smartphone) to provide lighting in the casemates, and wear suitable footwear for easy movement. If you’re a museum person, be sure to check out the free Maritime Museum next to the library. We stepped in for a quick browse and were immediately given a free tour of the small museum by the friendly staff member. The library next door to the Maritime Museum is another good place to keep in mind as it offers free Wi-Fi.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Having completed all there was to do at Kronborg Castle, we decided to deviate from our original plan of returning home by taking a few train stops to Hillerød to Frederiksborg Castle.

Frederiksborg proved to be much better (in my opinion) than Kroborg. Not only was there a beautiful castle to look at (we didn’t go inside as we had paid the 70 DKK for Kronborg and didn’t want to get slugged again by another pricey monument), the castle was adjacent to a magnificent garden space, lake, running track and a park containing many trees which were extremely pleasant and shady to walk through.

In hindsight, we both agreed that it would have been better value to have paid the entry fee for Frederiksborg instead of Kronborg in light of the adjacent garden, trees and impressive natural scenery. Oh well, there’s always next time!


The beautiful baroque gardens at Frederiksborg Castle


Frederiksborg Castle


A front view of Frederiksborg Castle and the surrounding gardens

Name: Frederiksborg Castle

Directions: A few train stops away from Helsingor and the Kronborg Castle, take the local train from Helsingor to Hilerod or get the Line E train from Copenhagen central to Hilerod. The journey from Helsingor takes around 30-40 minutes. There is clear signage near the station directing you to Frederiksborg near the station.

Admission fee: 75 DKK for adults. See the website for more information.

Traveler’s tip: Pack plenty of water and your energy to walk around the castle and the surrounding areas. Leave around half a day to see Frederiksborg Castle.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

In summary: If you need a break from Copenhagen city and enjoy nature and history, take a visit to (preferably) Frederiksborg or Kronborg Castle.

Do you have a favourite castle in Europe? What are your thoughts on Kronborg/Frederiksborg Castle?

Hotel review: The Savoy Hotel, Copenhagen

In my second hotel review, I take aim at The Savoy Hotel in Copenhagen, ideally positioned on the main city street of Vesterbrogade.


The Savoy Hotel, Copenhagen. Source: http://copenhagencitybreaks.com

The good:

• Location right in the city centre: The hotel is located on, the busy street in Copenhagen. It is surrounded by restaurants and shops, and is a short walk from both the central railway station and the shopping district in Copenhagen. This made it incredibly easy to find from the station and simplified our trips in and out of Copenhagen.

• The buffet breakfast was tasty: There was slightly less variety in the buffet breakfast in The Savoy compared to the Best Western, but the food was tasty and fresh. There was a good selection of breads cheeses, meats, juices, tea, coffee and fruit available, and I enjoyed more than a few Danish pastries to sweeten the deal.


• Staff were friendly: Staff made the effort to smile and greet us every time we entered and left the building, which was a nice touch.


• Luggage rooms were locked: Compared to the Best Western which used an unlocked baggage room opened by a switch at reception, The Savoy's room was opened with a key. This made me feel much safer when leaving my luggage there after checking out. Check out is at 11am.  

The not so good

• Rooms were quite small: The rooms were significantly smaller than the rooms at The Best Western. Between me and my friend, there was little room to walk around and the bathroom door, when opened, touched the side of my bed. This is apparently quite the norm in Copenhagen due to the limited space, but it isn't a good feeling for a guest to have.


• Interiors quite drab: The rooms were quite monochrome and dull in colour, which can turn some people off. For me, it wasn't a big deal as I just wanted somewhere to sleep but I did notice it. Copenhagen as a city is quite bland looking apart from the Nyhavn harbour and some areas of the city so I guess it is consistent to say the least.

Other comments:

• Patrons are of an older demographic: The hotel had an older demographic compared to The Best Western, which catered to a broad range of people. I felt close to the youngest person there in a place full of middle-aged and older tourists. I wasn't uncomfortable or anything, but it does have an impact on the atmosphere. I didn't mind as I barely spent anytime in the hotel or mingling with guests.

Overall:

The Savoy Hotel
Vesterbrogade 34, Copenhagen
00 45 33 26 75 00

Location: 5/5
Facilities/Security: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Check in/check out: 5/5
Price: 3.5/5
Overall: 4.25/5

In summary: For an ideally located hotel with good, secure service and friendly staff, you might want to try The Savoy Hotel. Just be aware that the space in the rooms isn't the biggest and the rooms won't set your visual taste buds alight.

Tumultuous times in Tivoli Gardens

When you're stepping off a flight, you're often feeling jetlagged or sluggish. You just want to get off the plane and straight to your hotel to relax and unwind. The day I arrived in Copenhagen I felt much the same. Luckily, I didn't stay in the Savoy Hotel too long as my friend reminded me that it was the last day for the summer season at Tivoli Gardens - a garden/amusement park/shopping district hybrid.

Tivoli is quite something! Compared to amusement parks in Australia, Tivoli seemed gigantic, with its numerous rides, food outlets, shopping outlets (selling silver, jewellery, souvenirs, etc) and restaurants. There is a distinct Asian feeling to this place, with its Asian gardens and architecture. You could easily spend a whole day exploring the place, but for me and my friend, the main appeal was the rides. Note that the place really comes alive during the night, with the central concert stage often being used (a tug-of-war match was underway when we went there) and the gardens aglow in the evening making for some incredibly nice photo opportunities.


A strong Asian feeling pervades Tivoli Gardens

It costs 99 DKK to enter the Gardens, with additional fees of 1-3 tickets (costing around 25 DKK each) to go on the rides. There are also multi-ride tickets you can purchase for unlimited rides for 199 DKK. My friend and I purchased these as we worked out if you go on 3 or more rides, you are better off paying for the multi-ride ticket. And it ultimately proved to be insanely worth it!

The three rides I tried were one of the rollercoasters, Vertigo (a giant swing and spinning ride) and The Golden Tower, which drops you from a tall height. The most intense of these (for me anyway) was actually The Golden Tower due to the lurch you feel when dropped, comparable to a really sudden drop in an aircraft. The rollercoaster had its moments but was nothing unmanageable. Interestingly, Vertigo wasn't anywhere near as stomach-churching as I thought it would be - I found it very pleasant in fact. And the views of Copenhagen from atop these rides is simply unrivalled anywhere else that I went. For a video of Vertigo, click here.  It is exhilarating, thrilling and undeniably impressive. Here's a video from YouTuber showing what I experienced.

A major downside of this ride was that it made me feel nauseous for a good 30 minutes after getting off. This complicated things as I didn't feel like getting on another ride while I was feeling ill, and I had no motivation to keep moving. Instead, I had to sit down and breathe deeply for around 30 minutes until I felt better. I ultimately lived to fight another day, albeit with a giant grin on my face whenever I recall those fateful moments. Me and my friend still discuss it every now and then, and have a good laugh about my 'illness'.

Despite getting slightly sick, I highly recommend Tivoli for its one-of-a-kind rides, beautiful atmosphere and sheer abundance of leisure options for the casual traveler. I would stay away from the restaurants at Tivoli unless you want to pay the higher prices in this popular tourist site.


The Taj Mahal lookalike building at the front of Tivoli

Attraction details:

Name: Tivoli Gardens
Address: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 København, Denmark
Directions: Tivoli Gardens is located on Vesterbrogade, which is the main city street in Copenhagen. You can't miss it, but if you do, it's near the fast food outlets (McDonalds, etc).
Rating:5/5. With so much on offer in terms of food, rides and entertainment, Tivoli is a must-see for anyone coming to Copenhagen, even if the rides can make you nauseous!

Hotel reviews: Best Western Hotel, Stockholm

Kicking off my irregular series of accommodation reviews, this debut piece is dedicated to the hotel I stayed at in Stockholm, a chain of hotels called the Best Western Hotel. Hopefully they prove to be of some help when you next stay abroad.

The good

• Spacious rooms – the rooms I stayed in are quite large by European standards. The hotel is divided into two buildings, one building in the same place as reception and another adjacent. We were in the adjacent building. The rooms are accessed via a pass card, which also activates the lifts.

• The buffet breakfast was tasty and offered excellent variety – As I arrived on a Friday, the buffet breakfast for Saturday and Sunday operated from 7:30 – 11am, which allowed plenty of time to get a good feed before going on my travels. The buffet breakfast had a very generous variety of meats, cheeses, vegetables, breads, juices, coffees, teas, eggs and more. I particularly liked the local touch of having two varieties of herring available for sampling. I worried about the cost of purchasing the included buffet, but it proved to be incredibly convenient and economical. It made things so much easier to not have to worry about breakfast each day, especially when we could eat as much as we wanted.


• Staff exceptionally friendly – A hotel is meant to have excellent customer service, but there is good and then there is excellent. I broke a glass during the buffet breakfast and the staff member quickly cleaned it up, no questions asked. Staff were cheerful and friendly, and always willing to help.


• Mineral water included – The room came with complementary mineral water, which I gladly took advantage of. Surprisingly tasty and refreshing!

The not so good

• Late check in time – Check in is only offered from 3pm onwards, however we arrived into Stockholm at 11am. This meant that we had to drop our bags into the luggage room and then explore the city for around 4 hours before coming back to the hotel. This wouldn’t normally be a bad thing, except for the unlocked luggage room we were forced to use (see below). Check out is at 12pm.

• Unlocked luggage rooms – The luggage room to store our bags is unlocked by a switch at reception. However, during the day time it was unlocked so anyone could really enter the room and rummage through people’s luggage. This was disconcerting to say the least, but there wasn’t really anything I could do about it in the situation.

• The location – The hotel is slightly far from the city centre, around a 15 minute walk from the central railway station. For domestic flights this would be okay, but for an international flight, I did start to feel the pinch lugging around my 20kg worth of suitcase luggage and carry on backpack.

• The room safe malfunctioned slightly – I chose to use the in-room safe to keep my passport and laptop safe. Unfortunately, there was a malfunction with the coding system so the safe wouldn’t open on one occasion. This required me having to call reception and have them open the safe. Staff took around 5 minutes to come to my room, and a further 20-30 minutes to open the safe. Worryingly, the safe was opened by a key belonging to a different room’s safe, which does not seem too promising from a security point of view

Overall:

Best Western Hotel, Stockholm
Döbelnsgatan 17
Stockholm, Sweden

Location: 4/5
Facilities/Security: 3/5
Service: 4/5
Food: 4.5/5
Check in/check out: 3.5/5
Price: 4/5Overall: 3.83/5

In summary: If you’re looking for a relatively affordable hotel with great service and an included buffet breakfast, you can’t go wrong with Best Western. However, be warned that your luggage isn’t necessarily secure if you arrive a few hours prior to check in and that the room safe may in fact be 'too safe'.

Traveler truths: Helsinki

This is a new series I’m starting focusing on important insights derived from my travels. These are simple, useful tips and observations I’ve obtained on my travels in places where I've stayed a significant period of time (i.e. beyond 3 days and usually at least a week) that helped me, and will hopefully help you too. First up, Helsinki.

1. Helsinki is a haven for nature lovers: The sheer abundance of lakes, forests, paths and parks make Helsinki a treasure trove for those who like the outdoors. No wonder Helsinki is called the ‘land of the thousand lakes’. The air is clean, the surroundings picturesesque and the views amazing. The people are proud of their green surroundings, and regularly venture out of the busy city centre to the neighbouring islands (e.g. Suomelinna, Rajasaari Island, Seurasaari) or take a ferry to nearby Talinn, Stockholm or Norway. The Nuuksio National Park, an hour from Helsinki, was one of the most breathtaking places I’ve visited and full of postcard-perfect views. You should join them, and be prepared to leave the city. It is definitely worth it.

The beautiful nature of Helsinki

2. Helsinki is a walkable city: Although you can buy a public transport pass for the bus, metro, trams or train, Helsinki is easily navigable by walking if you want to keep your costs down. There is only one line on the metro, which suggested to me that public transport wasn’t exactly essential. I walked around Helsinki and to all of the many attractions on foot, and spent a good few hours each day walking. My legs got a workout, and I saved on public transport fares. Helsinki is just large enough so you don’t get bored in a week, and small enough for you to cover it on foot. Just allow plenty of time to reach and return from your destination (resting as needed) and you should be fine.

3. Many of the museums are free: Helsinki has a network of seven large museums that always have free admission. What’s more, the Finnish National Museum is free on Fridays from 4-6pm.

Discoveries from the free City Museum of Helsinki

4. Cyclists are respected and well taken care of: Helsinki is an incredibly liveable city, and very hospitable to cyclists. Walking areas are divided into sections for pedestrians and cyclists, reducing the risk of collisions and providing cyclists an incentive to get on their bike. The fact that Helsinki is quite small as a city makes a bike a very handy and convenient option for getting around. Melbourne could definitely learn a thing or two to cater to its burgeoning cyclist community.


5. The Finnish are a reserved people: In comparison to Melbourne or other areas of Australia where people will openly engage you in conversation without being prompted, in Helsinki people will pretty much leave you to your own devices unless you actively ask them. It's not a bad thing or anything, but if you need something, you really do need to make yourself known.

Andy’s traveler rating – Helsinki

People: 4.5/5
Liveability: 5/5
Attractions & Culture: 4/5
Nature: 5/5
Cost of living: 3/5
Weather: 3.5/5
Public transport: 4/5

Overall: 29/35

Stockholm: Skansen, Djurgården, and Sodermalm

After exploring the Stockholm Gamla Stan Old Town yesterday, I ventured out of the city centre to the Djurgården island for a relaxing day out at the Skansen Open Air Museum.

The first open air museum in the world, Skansen is a tribute to the history of Sweden. A composite attraction filled with old-fashioned buildings, a zoo of some sorts (featuring lynxes, seals, elk, reindeer, wolverines, wolves and general farm animals) and numerous interactive sites to relive the old way of life – a pottery store, a glassmaking workshop and store, a bakery with delicious pastries, a Skansen shop with traditional Manchester, food products and more.

As an added bonus, Skansen also offers some nice views of the Stockholm city centre.


Skansen Open Air Museum - traditional Swedish buildings


Skansen Open Air Museum - traditional Swedish buildings


Lynxes in action

Attraction details

Name: Skansen Open Air Museum

Directions: Skansen is a short walk (20-30 minutes) from the city centre in the south west of Sweden. There are also numerous buses going to this popular tourist attraction.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars. Highly recommended for history buffs or those wanting a fun day out.

Traveller’s tip: Combine your visit to Skansen with a trip to the adjacent Djugardden garden and park areas and the famous Vasa Museum to get the most of your visit. Also try to bring your own food to avoid paying the overpriced fares for food and drink.

With Skansen done and dusted, it was time to find somewhere to eat. Encouraged by positive reviews of the chic Sodermalm area and its popularity amongst the young trendy folk, we decided on Östgötakällaren, a German restaurant highly rated on TripAdvisor in the vicinity.

With its attractive German décor and moody lighting, the place was very cosy. Many patrons could be heard enjoying the restaurants surroundings or indulging themselves in the adjoining bar.

I settled on the fish and shellfish casserole with a touch of saffron, which was served with an aioli sauce and garlic bread, while my friend chose beef with a red wine sauce and potato mash, washed down with a German wheat beer.

My expectations weren’t that high, given it was rated in the 100s of best restaurants in Stockholm, but I was in for a shock. Upon taking a bite of the casserole, the heady flavours of the soup were so intoxicating so as to cause me to exclaim in surprise. It was a real ‘Ratatouille’ moment for me. Tasting further, the fish and shellfish were so delicate and flavourful I was literally awestruck for a few seconds. I couldn’t believe what I was eating – the food was simply on another level. This also proved true from sampling my friend’s beef – with the meat unbelievably tender and succulent. Combined with the crusty garlic bread and aioli, it was a winning dish.


Fish and shellfish casserole with saffron, aioli and garlic brea

[caption id="attachment_59" align="alignnone" width="660"]
Fish and shellfish casserole with saffron, aioli and garlic bread

Service was brisk and attentive, although I detected a slight annoyance from the waitress when I didn’t choose to order a starter or a drink.

Name: ÖstgötakällarenAddress: Östgötagatan 41, 116 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Price: Mid-range 3/5
Service: Very good 4/5
Decor: 4/5
Food: Excellent 4/5
Rating: Very good 4/5

Sunny sojourns in Stockholm

After rounding out my terrific week in Helsinki, it was off to Stockholm to continue the next phase of my Europe 2014 trip.

The journey to Helsinki Airport was relatively straightforward, with a 5 minute trip via the Helsinki Metro to Sornainen Station and then a 15-20 minute ride on the 615 Bus to Helsinki Airport. Flying Norwegian Air to Stockholm was a very smooth and pleasant experience, as comfortable as one can be on a budget airline. The flight gets bonus points from me for not only leaving before its scheduled departure due to availability in the sky, but also for including free Wi-Fi on board! I had a great time with Norwegian and would gladly fly with them again. Within 45 minutes, I had touched down in Stockholm's Arlanda Airport.

Getting from Arlanda to the city centre was a little more challenging. You can get from Arlanda to the city via the Arlanda Express (a high speed train - around 25 euros one way) or the Airport Bus (cheaper at around 12 euros one way - similar to Australia's SkyBus). The Arlanda Express is a rip off for a one-way trip so the bus is highly recommended. Tickets can be bought from the machines (note: the machines only accept credit card) or can be purchased on board the bus itself. The trip takes around 40 minutes one way into the city.

Arriving early to the Best Western Kom Hotel before the 3pm check-in time, we decided to do a brief walk around the city and Gamla Stan Old Town area, which like its Tallinn counterpart, is filled with colourful architecture, quirky shops and numerous restaurants of traditional Sweden. After a quick sandwich in one of the nearby shops (115 kroner ~ 11.50 euros! - yes Stockholm is expensive), we continued our walk around the Old Town area, passing several of the picturesque Swedish islands dotting the landscape before returning back to the hotel around 3pm.


Gamla Stan Old Town in Stockholm

After taking a valuable rest to rest our aching feet, we were stumped on places to get some dinner that wouldn't break the bank. Researching on TripAdvisor didn't yield anything promising except an American Stakehouse so with nothing else in mind, we simply had a walk around to see what we could fine. We noticed a cheap kebab place offering dinner from 39 kroner which we both teased the idea of momentarily while I searched agonisingly for an ATM. Surprisingly for a major city, whether it be through my own ignorance or obliviousness, it took around 10-15 minutes to find an ATM! With my cash in hand, we set out to visit the kebab place but chickened out when we noticed it was completely empty (not a good vibe).

We were about to call things quits when I noticed a sign for a Thai restaurant - Jai Thai Food - promising free Wi-Fi and discounted dinner from 89 kroner (originally 159 kroner). It was better than anything else we had in mind so we took the plunge - and we weren't disappointed. We both chose the Panang Noodle Curry, and I added in a Rekorderling Strawberry Lime Cider for added effect, with my friend opting for a Swedish beer accompaniment.

The restaurant had a really cosy, peaceful vibe complete with faux palm trees, LED Christmas lights and a Thai atmosphere that made you feel right at home and want to linger for conversations. The food was delicious and incredibly good value in Stockholm, exceeding all of my expectations.