“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” — Booker T. Washington

Some travelers have a chance to discover the place they visit on a deeper level, by spending several days or longer, while others stay only shortly and see the most popular and well-known sites. In Copenhagen, some walk through the King’s Garden to visit the Renaissance Rosenborg Castle, built in 1624 by King Christian IV, and to see the Danish crown jewels. On the way, they may run across the beautiful recreated baroque garden, planted with trellised fruit trees and antique rose varieties, on their way to the castle entrance. But they are less likely to discover the magical and colorful perennial garden that changes blooms and foliage with the seasons. It lies tucked away behind the high brick wall that spans the entire length of one side of the garden, and it is well worth peak around to the other side for a closer examination, or for a rest on one of the benches placed between the small garden “rooms”.

Nearby in the old city center, countless narrow streets lead to numerous small and large squares, all with their own history and ambiance.  Mostly by chance, some visitors wander into the Gray Friar’s Square, so named after the cloister built here in 1238 by Franciscan monks. They remained until 1530 shortly after the reformation came to Denmark and put them out of work. A century later, King Christian IV granted the land to his most trusted counselor and financial advisor, Corfitz Ulfeldt, who built a mansion on the spot. Though after he was beheaded in effigy for treason, the mansion was demolished, making way for the townhouses that now surround the square, which was ironically named for Ulfeldt for several centuries. Today, the square, renamed for the monks, is populated by cozy cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating serving Danish and international cuisine. There’s also s a huge, more than a century-old plane tree shading the benches that encircle it, which are well-used during the warmer months.

Some travelers venture outside of the city center and find Copenhagen’s covered market halls, called “Torvehallerne” for a refreshment, a snack, or a lunch of traditional Danish open-faced sandwiched. They might wander through the rows of stalls offering delicacies to take along, but they often fail to walk the two blocks further from the city core to experience the Copenhagen Lakes. These lakes were the outer-most of three layers of the original defenses of medieval Copenhagen, natural in form and fed through streams running out of other lakes west and northeast of the city. Today, they are dammed in and serve as a much-loved recreational breathing space for many residents, who walk, jog, or sit on a bench along the paths framing their banks in all seasons and every type of weather.

Don’t miss:

A leisurely stroll through The King’s Garden to investigate the perennial garden and rest on a bench.

Lunch Tip:

Sporvejen (The Tramway) on Gray Friar’s Square, decorated like a historic Copenhagen tram car, for excellent burgers.

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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D3100 or iPhone 8.*