Right, so people always ask, “What about day trips from Copenhagen?” Like it’s some big mystery. It’s not, really. You just… go. I figured I’d share what I actually ended up doing, because, well, why not.
First up: Malmö, Sweden
So, first thing I did was hop over to Malmö. It’s like, right there. You get on a train, go over that big impressive bridge – the Øresund, yeah? – and bam, you’re in Sweden. Felt kinda cool, just crossing a border so easily. I didn’t have a big plan. Honestly, I just wanted to see what it was like.
I wandered around. Stortorget, the main square, that was pretty standard. Lilla Torg, the little square next to it, was nicer, more cafes and old buildings. I just walked, really. Grabbed some fika – that’s their coffee and cake thing. It was… fine. Different vibe to Copenhagen, a bit quieter maybe? Or maybe I just went on a slow day. The Turning Torso building, that twisty one, you can see it from pretty far. I walked towards it, took a look. It’s a building. Modern. Yeah.
Overall, Malmö was an easy trip. Good for a few hours if you just want a change of scenery without much fuss. Didn’t blow my mind, but it was a decent way to spend an afternoon.
Next, I hit Roskilde
Then there was Roskilde. Everyone talks about the Viking ships, so I thought, “Alright, let’s go see some old boats.” Getting there was simple enough, another train ride. Not as dramatic as the Sweden trip, no giant bridge this time.
The Viking Ship Museum was the main draw. And you know what? It was actually pretty impressive. Seeing those massive wooden ships, the ones they pulled from the fjord, it makes you think. How they built them, sailed them… it’s proper history staring you in the face. They had five of them, all different. Some were warships, some for cargo. I spent a fair bit of time there, just looking.
After that, I went up to Roskilde Cathedral. Big. Lots of dead kings and queens buried there. It’s one of those places, you know? Important, historic, all that. Impressive architecture, for sure. I’m not hugely into cathedrals, but you gotta see it if you’re in Roskilde. It’s kind of the other main thing to do.
Roskilde felt like a proper “day out” thing. More focused, I guess, with the museum and the cathedral.
And then Helsingør for Hamlet’s Castle
Okay, so Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. That’s “Hamlet’s Castle,” Elsinore. I had to do that one. I mean, Shakespeare and all that. Again, train. Easy peasy. Danish trains are pretty reliable, gotta give them that. Though sometimes packed, you know how it is.
The castle itself is massive. Right on the coast, looking out at Sweden – you can actually see Helsingborg across the water, super close. I walked around the ramparts, explored the casemates (the underground bits, pretty dark and spooky). They really play up the Hamlet thing, obviously. You can imagine the scenes unfolding there.
Was it just a tourist trap? A bit, maybe. But the castle itself is genuinely imposing. The history, even without Shakespeare, is pretty heavy. All those Swedish wars. It felt solid, like it had seen a lot. I spent a good chunk of the day there. It’s big enough that you can wander and not feel too crowded, even if there are other people around.
So yeah, those were my main jaunts. I didn’t plan them meticulously. Just sort of decided, “Okay, let’s go here today.” It’s not rocket science. Copenhagen is a great base, and getting out for a day is pretty straightforward. Sometimes you just need to escape the city buzz for a bit, see something different. And these places? They did the trick for me.
