We started the day with some Danish pastries and coffee before meeting up with a group for a walking tour of the city. The tour began at the town hall and preceded through the "Old Town" that has been rebuilt repeatedly over the last several centuries due to massive fires that have destroyed the city (Sam didn't appreciate when the guide made a comment about the "first great fire" being more damaging because the firefighters were too drunk to be much of a help during the start of the fire). Our guide also mentioned throughout her tour that the Danish are known as the happiest people in the world. We don't doubt that after watching them ride their bikes around the city and experiencing their warm hospitality ourselves.
While walking through the small curvy streets with colorful buildings we gained a snapshot into the history of churches, palaces, towers, castles, statues, and other vital structures of Copenhagen.
After a lunch break we continued the tour through the Nyhavn (New Harbor) area where tourists swarmed the walkways along a small canal. We then walked toward the more modern area of the city where the Royal Palace is located and ended our tour near the harbor with a view of the newly built Copenhagen Opera House. We enjoyed the tour and our friendly guide, but we were excited to head back to the Nyhavn area for an ice cream to cool us off on this beautiful sunny day.
We felt refreshed after our sweet treat and continued walking on to the Christianshavn area of town where we hiked up the stairs of Our Savior's Church. This Baroque style church dates back to the 17th century and is a popular tourist attraction due to the phenomenal views that can be appreciated from the top of the church. The trek to the top is unique because you climb the spiral spire on an outdoor staircase that winds up to the top. We were a bit out of breath by the time we got to the top and needed a breather, but Jennifer was feeling a bit anxious on top so we headed back down after a few minutes of looking out over the city
The last stop of the day was to Christiana where a "free city" of idealists and hippies live by their own set of rules. This community was established in 1971 when a few "free spirits" established squatters rights in abandoned military barracks. This area is now the second most visited tourist attraction in Copenhagen and definitely feels like a whole different world.
We enjoyed our long walk around Copenhagen and found a nice restaurant situated centrally along the main paseo to have our last Danish meal.
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