What better way to see Copenhagen than to hop on a boat & cruise its canals!
The Sullivan family, a fellow NYC family traveling the world for a year with their kiddos, recommended HeyCaptain Canal Cruises. We opted for the 2-hour “Hidden Gems” tour, which promised to take us off the beaten track. Sold! We love getting off the beaten path.
Our captain was a bubbly young man named Sebastian (aka Sea Bass). Funny enough, Sebastian grew up in the States (in Seattle). We might have been bummed to have an American guide for a tour through Copenhagen, were it not for the fact that Sebastian’s father was full Danish, and he’d been living in Copenhagen for the past few years, fully fluent in Dutch. So it still felt like we were getting a tour from a proper local in the end :) Joining us on the boat was a young English man currently living in Milan, and a fellow American family (with two girls just a smidge older than ours) currently living in Zurich.
Seeing the city from water treated us to a really neat vantage point, especially as so much of Danish life revolves around the water. Highlights:
Amalienborg, the Danish royal family's residence in Copenhagen. We learned that if the flag is flying, they’re home (they weren’t).
The famous Little Mermaid bronze statue (amidst a sea of picture-taking crowds)
Copenhagen’s alternative mermaid, the “Genetically Modified Little Mermaid”, which apparently is the queen’s preferred version. It’s part of a larger sculpture group called the Genetically Modified Paradise. We also kind of liked this one better.
Trekroner Fort, an historic sea fort created to defend the entrance to Copenhagen’s harbor. It’s only reachable by boat, and we had the place all to ourselves. Eerie to explore the old bunkers, mess halls, etc.
The girls got to captain the boat! They were thrilled.
Saunas practically everywhere you look!
The weather took a turn for the worse while we were out; the skies went dark and the rain came down. Thankfully there was a shield we could put up on the boat, and within 15 minutes we were back to sunny skies!
We all agreed it was a unique, entertaining way to learn more about Copenhagen and see it from a different perspective. Thanks for a great tour, Sea Bass!
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