Wide boulevards, long pedestrian zones, large wherever you go... People, tall, beau- tiful, blonde, dressed totally normally in the midst of the most expensive brands on every corner. And, of course, every- one’s on a bicycle! As wealthy as you like, but they haven’t bought four fancy cars per family? Instead of emitting exhaust fumes and piling on cholesterol while sit- ting behind the wheel, Danes push ped- als! The rain drives as though from a hose pipe (definitely the only negative impres- sion I’ll take away from here) and I tensed under that umbrella and grumbled and grudged, while the locals... they quite simply don’t even notice the rain. They don some raincoat and roll their wheels through puddles like they would on a sun- ny day. And babies in wheelchairs tucked under canopies, drenched joggers, dogs being taken for walks... And everyone smiling, relaxed, ready to help me, lost in that normal life. Here you don’t need to queue for either a train or the metro, because when you arrive at the station, within an average of five min- utes, precisely to the minute, transport ar- rives and you can take aboard both bikes and pets; there are no crowds anywhere and everything is relaxed. And although Copenhagen is objectively beautiful, with its neoclassic architecture, spared from demolition for centuries, with museums and parks wherever you turn, that light- ness, peace, a kind of irresistible pleasant- ness and familiarity – these are the main reasons why the city so quickly grows in the heart. We don’t have enough column inch- es to present all of Copenhagen’s muse- ums to you, given that the entire city is one large museum. You should certain- ly choose one for your soul, from classics to modern art, as you won’t have time to tour them all. Set off from the beau- tiful railway station in the centre. Oppo- site is Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe’s big- gest and craziest amusement parks, while there is also a circular tower from which Danes watched the stars for centuries, then begins Strøget, the pedestrian zone from which wide avenues run on all sides. Right towards the sea, Opera House and Freetown Christiania, straight to the par- liament building, the royal life of Amalien- borg Palace and the colourful Nyhavn, then a little to the left, to the wonder- ful botanical garden. Or exit the rear of the train station and lose yourself in the Vesterbro neighbourhood. It’s best not to have a plan at all, except a plan of the city, and to let Copenhagen guide you through its friendly streets and canals, from one beauty to another.
ØRESUND: BLUE PLANET ERESUND: PLAVA PLANETA
Samo nekoliko kilometara od centra Kopenhagena ili tek nekoliko metro stanica udaljen, u Eresundu je najveći akvarijum u severnoj Evropi. Danci su ga nazvali Plava planeta , u njemu je više od 20.000 ri- ba i drugih vodenih životinja unutar 53 akvarijuma, koji sadrže ukupno oko sedam miliona litara vode. Neverovatno je iskustvo kad vam iznad glave pli- vaju raže i ajkule, ribe svih vrsta i boja, a vi bez- bedni kročite kao po morskom dnu. Kad ste već u Eresundu, prošetajte se nepregled- nom peščanom plažom Amager. Da, Danci su se potrudili da iskoriste maksimum od svog leta za kupanje i sunčanje, pa je ovaj deo prilagođen toj vrsti uživanja, sa restoranima i kafićima uz kilome- trima dugačku plažu. Naravno, mi nismo imali sre- će da se brčnemo u hladnom moru, ali ovaj poma-
lo divlji deo na obodima Kopenhagena cele godine gosti one koji vole da šetaju ili trče bilo leto ili zi- ma, a takvih je u ovoj zemlji mnogo. Naravno, oba- vezno skoknite do Malmea, posetite malo komši- je u Švedskoj, to je i brzo i lako, pošto ovde počinje velelepni most, arhitektonsko čudo koje spaja dve zemlje. Eresundski most je jedan od najfascinantni- jih mostova sveta, jer je kombinovani most-tunel (podvodni) i najduži most na svetu koji prelazi dr- žavnu granicu (osam kilometara). U jednom trenut- ku nestaje u moru i iz vazduha izgleda kao da ni- je završen. Naravno, nema mesta brizi, most samo silazi ispod površine mora, gde se pretvara u tunel dugačak četiri kilometra. Još jedno dragoceno isku- stvo koje možete doživeti samo u Danskoj.
Just a few kilometres from the centre of Co- penhagen, or just a few metro stations away, Øresund houses the largest aquarium in Northern Europe. The Danes called it The Blue Planet (Den Blå Planet) and it contains over 20,000 fish and other aquatic animals in 53 aquariums that are filled with about seven million litres of water. It’s an incredi- ble experience when you see swimming above your head rays and sharks, fish of all kinds and colours, while you walk safely as though along the seabed. While you are already in Øresund, take a stroll along the seemingly endless sands of Amager Beach. Yes, Danes have tried to make maximum use of their summer for swimming and sunbath- ing, so this part is adapted to that type of enjoy- ment, with restaurants and cafés along a beach that stretches for kilometres. Of course, we wer- en’t lucky enough to be able to paddle in the cold sea, but this somewhat wild part on the periph-
ery of Copenhagen welcomes guests throughout the year, those who like to walk or jog whether it’s summer or winter, and there are many like that in this country. And, of course, be sure to make the “leap” to Malmö, to visit this little neighbour in Sweden, which is quick and easy because a mag- nificent bridge sets off from here and represents an architectural wonder that brings together the two countries. Øresund Bridge is one of the world’s most fascinating bridges, because it is a combined bridge-tunnel that goes underwater and is the longest bridge in the world to cross a state bor- der (at eight kilometres). It disappears into the sea at one point and from the air appears unfinished. Of course, there is no reason to worry – the bridge simply descends below the surface of the sea to become a four-kilometre-long tunnel. This is just yet another priceless experience that you can only enjoy in Denmark.
| 51
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator