A mermaid, a ghost and eight trolls
On the morning of November 23, before the sun could rise, I was already on my way with just a backpack. I rattled on the first train towards Ferihegy to catch my flight to Copenhagen, thus beginning this spontaneous adventure. The idea of the trip emerged during a sleepless night in October, but by the next day, I was so enamored with the thought that I booked accommodation and bought a flight ticket online. I spent the tight month before the journey planning, trying to discover what was worth seeing and doing in the Danish capital. However, I didn’t work out a detailed program, instead, I embarked on the journey with mere ideas in my pocket about what I wanted to see.
Upon arrival, I didn’t waste any time and took a rather winding route to the hostel to see as much of the city center as possible. Thus, on Thursday, I found myself in Nyhavn harbor, which, even in the slightly rainy weather, resisted the gloom with its vibrant buildings. But it wasn’t just the harbor that dismissed the dreariness, the entire city center was already in Christmas decorations, making the streets and squares cozy and intimate. Especially in the evening, with a cup of hot mulled wine, or gløgg, in hand.
The real excitement started on Friday, however. On the 24th morning, as a big Andersen fan, I headed to The Little Mermaid statue. En route, I came across Kastellet, a star-shaped fortress built in the 17th century, still active militarily, but open to the public as a park and historical site. I walked around there, observing the place and the surroundings from every bastion. I then continued towards my original destination. At the statue, as expected, there was a huge crowd, so I only stayed for a few clicks of my camera.
My swift departure was also because I wanted to reach Amalienborg Palace before half-past eleven to witness the daily noon guard change. I arrived even earlier than planned, which gave me ample time to explore the square and the complex of four identical palaces. When the time came, I joined the gathering crowd and followed the guard change, a tremendous experience. After the ceremony, I entered the palace, which serves as the winter home of the Danish royal family, of course, only to the museum part.
After visiting the exhibition, I moved on to Rosenborg Castle. I accidentally wandered into the castle park the day before, so I felt it right to tour the castle itself. Among other things, I had the chance to see the Danish Kingdom’s coronation jewels.
After the palaces and castles, I climbed the Rundetårn, the round tower, and using the last rays of sunlight, viewed the city from above. I ended Friday with a visit to a museum exhibition built around Andersen and his fairy tales.
Since all visitable castles and museums, as well as other attractions, close early in the evening or are hindered by darkness, I usually spent my evenings at the hostel. Either getting to know one of my nine ever-changing roommates, chatting, or mingling in lively conversation in the hostel’s bar, often giving each other tips on what’s worth seeing or not. These conversations always dragged on late, but after a whole day of sightseeing, I never needed much to succumb to sleep.
And although I received many ideas in the evenings, as mentioned, I did some scouting before the trip. During this, I stumbled upon a Danish sculptor named Thomas Dambo, a big advocate of recycling. His art installations are created in this spirit, making him a genuine recycling artist and activist. Among his most famous works are the troll sculptures. So, during my trip to Copenhagen, I definitely wanted to find some of these trolls.
So, on Saturday morning, the troll hunt began. The first troll I found was Green George, who lives in Christiania and is made from local wood waste, adding excitement to an already colorful and intriguing part of the city. Since I was close by, before looking for the next troll, I climbed the four hundred steps of the Church of Our Savior (Vor Frelsers Kirke) and viewed Copenhagen in the morning sun and wind. Then I continued the hunt and found the next troll, Stuttetrolden Sanka, who lives in the middle of a playground because he likes to eat pacifiers.
After finding the two trolls, I paused my hunt until the next day. As a theater enthusiast, I wanted to make a trip to Helsingør to explore Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” This Renaissance castle, now part of the World Heritage, is fascinating even without an in-depth knowledge of the drama. However, for me, touring the castle was particularly exciting because I could walk through the corridors and rooms where Prince Hamlet, albeit fictionally, might have walked, and I almost imagined seeing the ghost of old Hamlet instructing his son to seek revenge. So, my train journey back to Copenhagen at the end of the day was filled with thoughts of Shakespeare and the play.
On Sunday, I set out from the hostel with the sole purpose of continuing my troll hunt and finding the Six Forgotten Giants, which, contrary to their name, are not so forgotten. They all reside in hidden locations around the outskirts of Copenhagen. The hunt for the trolls is like a treasure hunt, aiming to take adventurers out into nature, which was a welcome change after the hustle and bustle of the city. Throughout the day, I was fortunate to meet all six: Sleeping Louis, Thomas on the Mountain, Little Tilde, Teddy Friendly, Oscar Under the Bridge, and Hill Top Trine. However, this was an all-day endeavor as it involved a lot of bus and train travel and walking, given the trolls’ locations were quite distant from each other.
After a short rest, I visited Tivoli Gardens, located in the heart of the city, to conclude my day and the entire trip. First opened in the 19th century, the amusement park welcomes visitors almost every day. Walking through the park was an immense experience, as it was like stepping into a real winter and Christmas wonderland. I wandered for hours, trying to explore every corner of the park without getting lost under the festive lights. Only the approaching closing time forced me to leave and return to the hostel for my last night.
The next morning, Monday, I bid farewell to the city, boarded a plane, and returned home. Thus ended my Danish adventure filled with fairy tales, drama, and, of course, trolls.
Patyi Izabella, Group Sz3, university student