00:00I'm Lily Douse and this is Grand Voyager.
00:04In this episode, I travel the world to discover incredible places filled with culture, luxury
00:11and adventure.
00:13Along the way, I meet the people, taste the flavors and experience the moments that make
00:19each destination unforgettable.
00:26Along Denmark's waterfront, Copenhagen is a city of colorful harbor houses and elegant
00:32architecture.
00:34Hi, and welcome to Copenhagen.
00:37I'm here in the heart of Denmark's capital, where the historic streets meet modern Scandinavian
00:43design.
00:45To discover the city's charm, I'm joining a local guide to walk around some of the key
00:50sites.
00:52So, we're actually right in front of the palace up here, so we're going to go and
00:55visit that in a minute.
00:57Well, I'm ready to become royalty for the day.
01:00Let's go.
01:01From the canal front, we make our way to Emelienburg Palace, which consists of four elegant Rococo-style
01:08buildings.
01:09They started building it in 1749.
01:13It took quite a while to finish it, but today this is the main residence here.
01:17And it's all open for people to come and walk through.
01:20It is, yeah.
01:20So, it's a big part of Scandinavian culture.
01:22Denmark's royal lifeguard was established by King Frederick III in 1658 and still adds to
01:29the charm of the palace today.
01:32Together, we leave the royal quarter and navigate our way through colorful neighborhoods, reaching
01:38the incredible groomed garden of the castle.
01:50We have the Rosenborg Castle right here.
01:54It used to be the king's summer house back in the day, so it's from the Renaissance.
01:58It's from the 1600s, built in like a Dutch Renaissance style.
02:05Our final stop is the town's bustling central market, filled with local produce, color,
02:11and atmosphere.
02:12So, this market is called Tohelene in Danish.
02:15It translates to something like the square market.
02:18We have a lot of good quality fresh produce all around it, good bakeries, good food.
02:24All this walking around and staring at delicious food has made me absolutely starving.
02:30It's time to put Denmark's local delicacies to the test.
02:35So, this is something I've been waiting for to try.
02:38It's called a...
02:39Smeralpel.
02:40And why is this so important in Scandinavian culture?
02:44Well, so, this is a very, very Danish thing.
02:47This version of it from the 1800s, but the bread itself is something that dates back to
02:51the Viking Age.
02:52It's colorful, bursting of flavor, and honestly, hard to only eat one.
02:57Mm-hmm.
02:58Now that I'm all fueled up, it's time to explore Copenhagen's creative side.
03:07So, welcome to the National Gallery of Denmark.
03:10This is part of our temporary current exhibition.
03:14And then we have our entire collections as well, with an emphasis on Danish Nordic art.
03:19Walking through the gallery's incredible halls, I'm surrounded by breathtaking works of art at every turn.
03:27Each artist has their own unique style, offering a glimpse into the aspects of their lives that inspire and fascinate
03:35them.
03:35In here we have an artist called El Ehring.
03:38He actually took his name from the small town that he was from.
03:42And when you walk through this room, you kind of notice how he's fascinated by the changing seasons.
03:49Each room has its own distinct theme, with the exhibitions taking you on a journey through different stories, ideas and
03:57perspectives.
03:58This museum kind of brings together the artwork, but also gives it this grand stage.
04:04Yeah. The theme in here is actually the body, because it's been represented in so many ways.
04:09The final room celebrates an important chapter in Danish art.
04:15So, in here we have these beautiful landscapes by Danish artists.
04:19The collections actually started out as the private collections of the kings.
04:23And this is in Denmark?
04:25This is in Denmark. This is outside of Roskilde, where we have a prominent cathedral.
04:31I can't leave the gallery without getting creative myself.
04:36So, it's time to roll up my sleeves and try an art workshop.
04:40So, I placed out a small still life for us.
04:44And the idea is for us to not be Lundström, but ourselves.
04:49Choose a detail, a colour, a shape and draw it up.
04:55Okay.
04:56After witnessing so much incredible artwork, it's time to let my artistic side shine.
05:08It's really nice to get to be creative.
05:10And I think if someone said to me, what's happiness?
05:12I think it's my artwork.
05:14Yeah, for sure.
05:16Leaving the galleries behind, I'm heading outdoors to explore the city
05:20on one of Copenhagen's most popular modes of transport.
05:23Some cities are made for cycling and Copenhagen is definitely one of them.
05:29To dive deeper into this culture, I'm joining Mike, the founder of the Happiness Museum.
05:35So, everyone is cycling here in Copenhagen. Why are bikes so important here?
05:41Because they make us happier. That's the short answer.
05:44So, it's the efficient way to get around Copenhagen.
05:47It's the fun way. It's the way that keeps you healthy.
05:50It's the way that doesn't take money out of your pocket.
05:54We cycle together along the canals and pass historic monuments throughout the city.
06:00Denmark, along with the other Nordic countries, they always dwell in the World Happiness Report
06:06or different liveability records.
06:08And, of course, the Nordic welfare model is part of the explanation.
06:12In Copenhagen, the bike is considered the king of the street.
06:17Getting around is a breeze.
06:20Plus, there's no need to find a parking spot.
06:23You can just hop off anywhere you please.
06:26This is an incredible little street.
06:28It is a very happy street in a very happy city.
06:31I can feel that happiness.
06:33Want to check out the Happiness Museum?
06:35Yes.
06:36The museum is made up of different exhibits dedicated to different concepts of happiness.
06:41But my favourite room has to be the post-it room.
06:45We've asked people, you know, what is happiness to you?
06:48And they write random acts of kindness, a lot of food, pizza nights, mums, apple crumble.
06:55These are definitely some parts of happiness I can agree on.
06:59We measure people's happiness on a daily basis and all people have good days and bad days.
07:05All people have good years and bad years and that's part of the human experience.
07:09But here in Copenhagen, it's more of a good day than a bad day.
07:16After plenty of laughter and a fresh perspective on what happiness really means,
07:21it's time to discover another thing that brings people together.
07:25What makes the cuisine here so special? It's tying in local ingredients?
07:30It's based with the jazz. Copenhagen was very famous for the jazz in the 90s.
07:34So that's inspired a lot of the kitchen.
07:37With jazz setting the tone of the restaurant and the kitchen providing the soul,
07:42Xavier is showing me how to bring some extra magic to local Danish ingredients.
07:47So for the mackerel dish, we're going to have to clean some mackerel.
07:50I arrived this morning, super fresh.
07:53Together we clean the mackerels and add salt, sugar and rice vinegar.
07:58To cure the meat.
07:59So here we have some pine. It's very acidic.
08:04Mmm. I was not expecting that. It has tons of flavour.
08:08Yeah.
08:09Together we wash and precisely slice the mackerel.
08:12They're all the same size. Perfect.
08:14We finish the dish by plating a green apple puree along with a gel made from the pine and top
08:21off the dish with pickled mackerel.
08:24And with that, the dish is ready and it's time to taste our creation.
08:29So, mackerel dish?
08:31Here is what I made earlier.
08:33The one you do cook?
08:34Locally sourced fish, perfectly paired flavours and a real taste of what Nordic cuisine does best.
08:40Fresh food, fresh ingredients, made by me and it tastes pretty good.
08:51Set in Nordhaven, one of Copenhagen's trendiest up and coming neighbourhoods, Hotel Freehaven is a fresh take on boutique hospitality.
09:00This is such a unique neighbourhood, right?
09:02Yes, it's a neighbourhood that if you go back ten years ago, it didn't exist.
09:08It was an old harbour site and then over the past ten years it has developed a lot.
09:12And it's become very vibrant. There's a lot going on here.
09:15With just 28 rooms, the hotel is designed around the Danish concept of hygge.
09:20That feeling of cosiness, comfort and contentment, which makes you feel at home.
09:27All the element is from Denmark, also when you go into the rooms, like Le Klint lamps, the Eilersen sofas.
09:34So, all the old Danish brands, so people experience something that they wouldn't experience elsewhere.
09:39The hotel is just a short walk from an incredible harbour bath, which is a great swimming spot, as well
09:46as high-end restaurants and cafes.
09:51To finish my time in Copenhagen, I'm embracing my inner child, heading to the iconic Tivoli Gardens.
09:58And this is one of the most historic theme parks in the world, amusement parks.
10:02Yeah, so many got inspired. Walt Disney in 1951.
10:07He said to his wife, Lily, now this is what an amusement park should be.
10:11Tivoli first opened in 1843 and has been delighting visitors ever since with its historic thrill rides.
10:18Here we are, the old roller coaster that was built in 1914.
10:23It's one of those more popular attractions in Tivoli.
10:27It's 626 metres long and you reach the speed of 58 kilometres an hour.
10:33The ride is faster than I expected, twisting and turning along its wonderfully rickety track with plenty of ups and
10:41downs.
10:44There are a lot of rides that bring fairy tales to life, including the Flying Trunk.
10:53Lily, did you like the ride in the Flying Trunk?
10:56I loved it. It took me on a journey.
10:58Ah, wonderful.
10:58The park has so many unique activities, from fun games to an aquarium and dining venues.
11:06Christopher also introduces me to a few new additions which the park has seen in recent years.
11:12And there's two new attractions, one is the Thai food and another one you're going to try is the Hotel
11:19Hikari.
11:21Hotel Hikari has an alluring maze you go through with colour and a different kind of gravity feeling.
11:31So you're going to find the right door to go through and a new world opens up.
11:35And what a wonderful world it is here at Tivoli Gardens.
11:39The perfect reflection of the joy, charm and happiness of Denmark.
11:45Copenhagen is a very unique city.
11:48From the excitement of the rides to the peaceful nature of how people live their lives.
11:53But now, time for my next adventure.
