One day trip suggestion #2: Helsingør and Helsingborg

This trip, like the one to Aarhus, is also one of my favorites: Going to Helsingør (Elsinore) and take the ferry to Helsingborg in Sweden (I've seen it described as the Miami of Sweden, make of it what you want or go and see for yourself).

How to get to Helsingør:

This is super easy. You go and buy a 24-hour ticket in 7/11 or at the Central Station. Then you take the Coast Line (Kystbanen) to the end station, which happens to be Helsingør. Lucky! The 24-hour ticket is app. 130 kroner and is valid both ways within... well... 24 hours. Also buy a bike ticket in the ticket machine at the stations, if you bring your bike on the train (it's 10 kroner).

What to see in Helsingør:

Kronborg - The Hamlet castle

You've all been impressed or bored-to-death with the iconic Shakespeare story about Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. This is where it's supposed to have happened in the story. It's a beautiful rennaisance castle with all what you could desire from one such with royal rooms, canons outside and creepy cassemates (the dark dungeons under the castle where Holger Danske, a statue who is supposed to come alive, should Denmark ever be in war and need to be defended, sits and watches time and tourists go by). I say go!

The relation to the story of Hamlet also means that occasionally, they set up the play in the castle. One time, Jude Law came and played the role of Hamlet. Just saying that sometimes you can meet famous and handsome men from showbizz in the sweet nightlife of the Helsingorian pubs and what's-worse.


A very handsome man, I must say! I envy my friend who got to play pool with him one night in one of the most greasy pubs in Helsingør! Sigh...


I hope you have more fun at Kronborg than this guy to the right!

Opening hours from 11-16, closed on mondays. Tickets from 50-95 kroner (if you're more than 10 people, you can get a group discount on the full tour!). 
http://www.kronborgcastle.com/






Kronborg in summer, from above and in snow!

HAM

Just outside Kronborg is the male version of the Little Mermaid. Just saying. He's very shiny and then you can say you visited them both..


Shiny muscles! Tiny guy!

Brostræde

The only cute street in Helsingør! But it's very cute! They serve legendary icecream (Brostræde Is) and the best sushi place on Zealand is located right to the opposite site (Sushi Ichi Ban, tell the guy with dark hair and glasses that Nanna the Ninja sent you! Maybe he'll be extra nice and give you a soda or something. Most likely, he'll wonder why all the international costumers tell that... or he'll just laugh! He is my karate-sensei!). Go there to really feel the vibe of being in Helsingør. It's full of these old cute houses!


Is it Instagram or is it old? You decide!

Licquor shops and drunk Swedes

When I speak of the "vibe" of being in Helsingør, I think of all the licquor and wine shops. I tried on Google Maps, but it did not include at least five of those I remember (which should then be added to the ones shown). Seriously, I've never been in a city with SO MANY BOOZE SHOPS!!!

The reason they're there is that it's cheaper for the Swedes to go to Helsingør to buy their alcohol. And because Helsingør is an old, very central and important harbour city of Denmark! You know how these get with all the thirsty sailors...

How many booze shops can you find when you go there? And who gets the best offer?


I can count 10 booze shops from Google Maps (when searched for "Helsingør vin" which is only the "wine"shops).. There are at least 5 more!

In Helsingør, these trolleys are dubbed "svenskervogne" - "Swedish wagons"! They are a very common sight!


Drunk Swedes are everywhere in Helsingør after dark - this is a drunk moose in an apple tree in Gothenburg in Sweden, but sometimes it ends very similar with the Swedes when they go out in Helsingør! And we say it entirely out of love. <3

But I wanna stayyyy!

If you liked Helsingør so much that you didn't want to go to Helsingborg the same day, bring your bike and ride it back to Copenhagen. Or both ways. It's a beautiful trip along the shore and the houses are impressive in some of the areas the Strandvej will take you through! The trip is about 40 km (maximum) each way! You can also just ride your bike a couple of kilometers north of Helsingør to some beautiful small towns (almost villages) along the beaches. I grew up there, and I mean it when I say it is almost the most beautiful when fall is beginning!


This is the best!

How to get to Helsingborg:

By crazy luck, the ferry terminal (Scandlines) is connected to the station building in Helsingør. Go to the 1st floor, buy a ticket (a return ticket is app. 50 kroner). There is a ferry every 30 minutes and it takes about 25 minutes, then you're in Helsingborg!


A sight of downtown Helsingborg!

What to see in Helsingborg:

Kärnan

Kärnan is my favorite place in Helsingborg! My mom always told me when I was little how the young people would run on the stairs on Graduation day. The park around the tower on top of the fort is pretty ok and the view over Helsingborg and Helsingør is awesome!






Kärnan of Sweden! Go there and feel like a knight while you run up and down all the steps! The view is worth it!

Dunkers 

Dunkers is the Culture House of Helsingborg. They often host free exhibitions and sometimes they are very interresting. Go there to check out current culture of Skåne and Sweden or just enjoy a nice cup of coffee alongside the harbor! If it's not a free exhibition, admission is 35 swedish kroner. http://www.dunkerskulturhus.se/besok-dunkers-kulturhus/ (yes, I know it's in Swedish, it was the best I could find!).


The weird house with the weird name! Dunkers...

Sofiero

The garden and palace of Sofiero is sooo idyllic and beautiful! There are also flowers at this time of the year. The garden is open from 10-18 every day, unfortunately the palace is closed outside of April and September. Sofiero was voted Europes' Best Park in 2010! The park is located 5 km north of Helsingborg, and you can bring your bike on the ferry if you buy a ticket for that!










A pretty castle with a pretty park full of pretty flowers!

I went home early, I don't know what to do for the rest of the day!!!

Well, you can - on the way out or the way back - stop at the Coastal Line Station Humlebæk and visit Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. If you ride your bike one of the ways, you will pass it on your way! I know the entrance is 90 kroner for a student with student card, but if you're in to modern art, go there! It's awesome. At this moment they have an exhibition with self-portraits! Read more on their website: http://www.louisiana.dk/dk/Service+Menu+Right/English

Opening hours are 11-22 (except weekends when they close at 18 and mondays when they are closed).

 
Some of the exhibitions showing right now at Louisiana

Just note, that you'll be too busy to enjoy all the things, if you decide to to it all on the same day!

Lots of facebookhearts,
Nanna