[Copenhagen, Denmark -> Malmö, Sweden -> Lund, Sweden -> Helsingborg, Sweden -> Helsingor, Denmark -> Copenhagen, Denmark, Jun 10, 2024]

I booked my flights before researching Copenhagen, and I just assumed that if I allotted 3 days to Amsterdam, 2 days in Copenhagen should be more than enough. Boy, was I wrong!

In addition to the many sites in the city itself, there was plenty to see in the vicinity, too. Kronborg Castle, about 30 minutes north of Copenhagen, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was featured in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Frederksborg castle is beautifully situated on three small islets in the Castle Lake in Hillerød, and a boat trip around it was included with my Copenhagen card (and so was Kronborg). On top of that, I wanted to take the train over to Malmö, Sweden, because who can resist the chance to check out another country when it’s 30 minutes away? Finally, in a Copenhagen Facebook group I joined before the trip, I learned that Lund, Sweden is also worth a stop for its beautiful cathedral, and it was less than 15 minutes from Malmö by train.

What is a weary traveler to do? In a true Nadya fashion, I tried to figure out if I can combine these locations in one giant loop. Turns out, you can, and it was fairly easy to do! Counter-clockwise, you head to Malmö and Lund first, then head north to Helsingborg, where you take a ferry over to Helsingor/Kronborg castle. Then you go back to Copenhagen and voila! A very ambitious traveler could add Frederiksborg after Kronborg – it’s just 20 minutes away by train. But the forecast for my 2 days in Copenhagen showed rain for the second day, so I figured I’d just go back to Copenhagen to try and do some of the stuff on my list that would be much more fun when the weather is nice.

The trip was made easier by the fact that both admission to Kronborg and the train ride from there back to Copenhagen were already included in my Copenhagen card. For the rest of the trains, I wanted an option that did not have me fumbling with machines on the spot but also gave me the option to take whatever train was next, so I wouldn’t have to stick to a schedule. After a little bit of digging, I learned that all trains to Sweden from Copenhagen are managed by Skanetrafiken, the regional public transit district for southern Sweden. I downloaded the Skanetrafiken app ahead of time and bought myself a 24-hour ticket for Malmö, Lun and Helsingborg, which I could activate on the day of my trip. The only potentially tricky part is that the app requires a phone number and sends an SMS for verification. If you’re already in Europe and on a data-only eSIM, which is what a lot of people do these days, that would not work. But I did it while I was in Bulgaria on my Bulgarian SIM card, so it was all good.

One final decision was needed… which way to do the loop? I decided to leave Kronborg for last because I wanted to start early and the castle didn’t open until 10 am. Done!

So just before 8 am, I set out from my hotel to Norreport Station, which was less than 15 minutes away on foot. I didn’t realize that there are 2 entrances here, one for S-trains (hybrid urban-suburban trains) and one for actual trains. I went into the S-trains entrance first, and was very confused for a minute. Then I looked at my Google Maps and it showed me just a smidge away from where I was supposed to be. I went back up to the street and sure enough, saw the other entrance. Whew!

The train to Malmö goes over the Oresund bridge. It is the second longest bridge in Europe with both roadway and railway combined in a single structure. It runs nearly 5 miles (8 km) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The bridge then goes into a 2.5-mile (4-km) tunnel to the Danish side. Although the tunnel made the crossing more expensive, it was necessary to avoid interfering with air traffic from the nearby Copenhagen Airport, to provide a clear channel for ships, and to prevent ice floes from blocking the strait. Construction began in 1995, with the bridge opening to traffic on 1 July 2000.

I got to Malmö around 9 am. Here, another little bit of confusion ensued because the bus stop I needed was actually around the corner from where Google Maps said it was. After a little bit of haphazard walking around the Malmö Central station, I finally found it and headed for the Turning Torso.

Turning Torso is a twisted residential skyscraper built in 2005. It was the tallest building in the Nordic region until September 2022, when it was surpassed by Karlatornet in Gothenburg. It was designed by Spanish architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava. It is 620 ft (190 m) high with 54 stories. It is based on a white marble sculpture of the same name by Calatrava. In 1999, HSB Malmö’s former managing director, Johnny Örbäck, saw the sculpture in a brochure presenting Calatrava’s contribution to the Öresund Bridge. Shortly after, he met Calatrava and asked him to design a residential building based on the idea of a structure of twisting cubes. You don’t have to travel to Europe to see Calatrava’s creations. He also designed the Oculus – the new Transportation hub at the rebuilt World Trace Center in New York City, which I saw in 2018.

The building had its own stop on the bus route, but the best views (without going too far) are just a little bit of ways away among the other modern buildings in the neighborhood. I had seen pics of the building with water nearby, so I just searched for it and happened upon this little canal.

My next stop was exactly half way between the Turning Torso and the Malmö Central Station. I took the bus again for a couple of stops, then walked less than 15 minutes to Malmö castle. It was built between 1526 and 1539 and is the oldest preserved Renaissance castle in the Nordic region. It was built in order to strengthen the king’s control of the Øresund sound and his ability to collect tolls from any ships passing through the strait, known as Sound Dues. Today, it is home to the Malmö Art Museum. Since I was there on a Monday, it was closed, but I had fun taking pictures from the outside and the walk to it gave me a chance to experience a little bit more of Malmö. It is not the prettiest castle, that much was evident.

The trains between Malmö and Lund are very frequent, and I was on the way there in no time. Lund is a university town best known for its Romanesque-style cathedral. It is among the oldest cities in Sweden. It was founded in the 10th century and the cathedral also dates from that time. The town was charming and I enjoyed my meander, although I did not have time to visit the university. I was a little sad, as I love college campuses!

It was just about a half hour to Helsingborg, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the ferry terminal was connected to the train station! I felt the need to pop out for a quick photo so that I felt like I actually stepped foot in Helsingborg!

I bought a ferry ticket on the spot, and not even 5 minutes later, a boat pulled in. I assume there are a few boats crossing between here and Denmark on any given day, but the boat that pulled up was aptly named Hamlet!

The boat was really nice, with a sun deck, a restaurant, a bar and a convenience shop all inside. Due to a difference in alcohol sales regulations between Sweden and Denmark, alcohol could only be purchased once we crossed over into Denmark about 10 minutes into the ferry ride. I had heard that passport checks are possible here and on the train, but I didn’t encounter one. I got excited as I saw Kronborg Castle grow bigger as we approached.

The ferry terminal in Helsingor, on the Danish side, was also connected to the train station. This was another fabulous looking building.

From there, it was a 15-minute walk to the castle.

Just like the castle in Malmö, Kronborg was built to help enforce the Sound Dues over the Oresund strait in this stretch, which is only 2.5 miles (4 km) wide. The first fortification was built in the 1420s, but King Frederick II transformed the fortress into a Renaissance-style castle in the 1570s. He threw grand parties at Kronborg, which inspired Shakespeare to make Kronborg (renamed to Elsinore) Hamlet’s home in his most famous drama. Kronborg was added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list in 2000.

The chapel was really something to behold.

Sections of Frederick II’s and his wife Sophie’s coat of arms feature in the top sections of the pews.

The arched superstructure above the royal pew was added by Christian IV. His royal coat of arms features on the richly carved top piece.

The coffered ceiling below the galleries was the same as what was commonly seen in several rooms of the castle prior to a fire in 1629, which left the chapel untouched.

I got excited when I saw that I can climb 143 steps to the top of the cannon tower. I really enjoyed the 360 views from up there. I could see ferries cross the Oresund, people meandering way down below… It was quite windy, but otherwise a wonderfully sunny day to enjoy the views.

The royal apartments occupied the 1st floor of the north wing. The King’s Chamber was quite impressive. The Great Hall was Northern Europe’s biggest when it was built in the late 16th century.

The casemates underneath the castle were fascinating. Part of the castle’s defenses, the casemates provided room for 1,000 soldiers to barricade themselves with enough provisions for 6 weeks, including horses. They were built in 1574-76 as part of the medieval fortress’ transformation into a renaissance castle. A giant statue of Holger the Dane is located there. The Danes believe he is sleeping and will wake up and warn the Danes if Sweden tries to invade.

I spent a couple of hours at Kronborg, and they went by fast! By early afternoon, I was back on the train for the 30-minute ride back to Denmark. I emerged from the tunnels at Norreport Stations in central Copenhagen a little after 3pm, which made me happy because it meant I had some time to finally do some proper sightseeing in town.

The Round Tower was only 5 minutes away on foot, so I headed there. This 17th-century tower was one of the many architectural projects of Christian IV. It was built as an astronomical observatory and its 7.5-turn helical corridor leads to a platform at the top with great views of Copenhagen.

This was my first time seeing the city from above, and I used the signs to get acquainted with the best known buildings in the city.

I could even see the Oresund bridge!

Next, I headed back to Nyhavn to try and hop on a canal tour. I got there just a few minutes before the 4 pm tour, which was perfect because I didn’t have to wait around. We toured the harbor and the Christianshavn canal.

Our vantage point was not ideal to see Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid, so I thought I might have to find time to come back here to see her.

Finally, it was time for dinner! I had not eaten anything since breakfast at my hotel, so I was starving. I started with a glass of wine and lobster soup. For my main dish, I decided on crispy pork – a Danish specialty. I just happened to pick whatever restaurant in Nyhavn I liked and it turned out great!

My plan was just to go back to my hotel, because, as you can imagine, I was super tired already! But the food gave me energy and I decided to see how far the Little Mermaid statue was from my dinner spot. It was about 20 minutes away, and I could also see the Gefion Fountain on the way. Off I went!

The Gefion Fountain features a large-scale group of oxen pulling a plow and being driven by the Norse goddess Gefjon. You can tell I was tired by now because my pictures of this fountain are not very good!

Continuing on the Langelinie promenade, I finally reached the Little Mermaid. Based on the 1837 fairy tale of the same name by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and has been a major tourist attraction since its unveiling in 1913. It symbolizes Copenhagen the way the Statue of Liberty symbolizes NYC, or Christ the Redeemer Rio de Janeiro, or Maneken Pis Brussels.

Finally, it was time to go back to my hotel! It was an 11-hour adventure with a total of 27,000 steps, and as I dragged my tired self back to my hotel, I could feel every single one of them in my body. But I wouldn’t change a thing about this fantastic adventure!