Copenhagen

From Copenhagen via the Øresund Bridge to Malmö & Lund (Sweden)

Many people have asked me, 'Claire...how did you combine the two countries and cities in one trip?' and I'm happy to share everything about it :)

I started my journey just before 2 am at night since this trip was a bus journey. What I appreciated about this was that you get to drive a good distance through Denmark before arriving in Copenhagen, and we even had a stop in Kolding (Denmark), seeing some parts of the country along the way. The only downside: the trip takes about 12 hours, but it's somehow manageable.

By around 2 pm on Monday, I was in Copenhagen and thankfully didn’t have to walk more than 10 minutes to my accommodation (SponsoredNext House Copenhagen), as it is relatively central in the city and more or less directly at the (bus) station. So it's perfect for saving transfer or taxi costs. Additionally, the accommodation offers events, such as the Halloween party during the week I was there (starting from 26.10.), and there is an internal gym, an indoor football field, billiard tables, and you can also get tattoos.

On the first day, I used the time to explore a bit and just walked into the city center without any maps or anything. At first, Copenhagen reminded me a lot of Amsterdam, and I was a bit worried I wouldn't like it as much, but that changed by the next day. The only goal I had on my first day was the Tivoli. For those who don't know what it is, Tivoli is an amusement park in the city center – right next to the main train station. It's a mix of a fair, garden, and roller coasters, so it was recommended to me before the trip. What ultimately prevented me from checking it out from the inside were the ticket prices. To enter and enjoy the rides, you pay around 415 Kronen, which is about 50€ in Euros.

The next day, I had a full day in Copenhagen and had actually planned a few things for the day.

1. Nyhavn !!
2.  Amalienborg Palace
3. Tårnet Christiansborg

However, that day I wasn't exploring alone anymore, as I met someone at the hostel who happened to be on the same bus as me, and we decided to spend the day together :). We headed to Nyhavn pretty early in the morning, which we could reach in 20 minutes on foot. Not for nothing I highlighted this place above; it was our favorite spot in Copenhagen!! But it’s also a kind of landmark of Copenhagen, and other travel bloggers had recommended it to me, which I can also recommend. Those colorful houses are really beautiful, and there are also many cute cafes or restaurants where we later grabbed waffles with ice cream, and they were really good. Apart from that, you can't really get enough of Smørrebrød and fish 😂

Amalienborg Palace (the King's Palace) is only a 5-minute walk from Nyhavn, making it a great combination. Every day at 12 o'clock, a changing of the guard takes place(A picture of this can be found above), which you can easily watch, so you don't have to pay for entry or anything. We also found out quite spontaneously and went to see it; it's definitely interesting to see.

I was also recommended Tårnet (Christiansborg). Here you'll find an observation tower that you can go up to for free. However, only a limited number of people are allowed up at once, and you must go through a security check at the bottom, like at the airport. But going up is definitely worth it, as you can see Copenhagen from 360° above and, ideally, you should go at sunset.

Later that evening, after we spontaneously checked out some spots, like the Frederik's Church, I went back to Nyhavn alone to see the colorful houses and everything lit up; it was somehow even nicer 🥺

And then, Copenhagen was somehow already more or less over. The next day, I was heading to Sweden via the Øresund Bridge. I booked it through https://www.getyourguide.de, which regularly offers crossings to Sweden from Copenhagen's train station ☺️

So we took the bus in the morning, and I think it only took about 45 minutes until we reached the bridge. When I learned about the Øresund Bridge in school, I always thought to myself that I would like to drive over it, so here we go. It was as cool as I had imagined. First, when driving from Denmark to Sweden, you go through a long part of a tunnel (which is why I was a bit confused at first 😂) and then come out on the bridge. Since there was some sunrise and you drive for miles over water, it was really a dream 🥺 when we got to Sweden, the bus also made a stop at a viewpoint where we could see the bridge from 'outside' again and take pictures.

Our first stop was in Lund, and we had an hour and a half of free time. I found Lund to be small and cozy overall. After that, we drove to Malmö, and I have to admit that I was not impressed by the city at all. I had no big expectations, but unfortunately, I didn’t find it particularly beautiful. They say that the cities in the south of Sweden are the 'ugliest' in the country, and I think that is true. So, I will definitely visit the forests in northern Sweden someday. I think it's much more beautiful there :)

So I certainly had another whole day in Sweden, and it was worth it just for the Øresund Bridge!