Copenhagen, Denmark, seemingly has numerous distinct images, each accurately capturing a facet of the city. Copenhagen is an old merchants' town overlooking the entrance to the Baltic Sea; a progressive city tolerant of a wide range of social behavior; a metropolis that manages to run efficiently yet feel relaxed; and a city with so many architectural treasures that it's known as the "City of Beautiful Spires." Put together, these images, which enhance Copenhagen tourism, make a truly memorable picture for Copenhagen visitors. And given the Danes' highly tuned environmental awareness, Copenhagen sightseeing can be enjoyed on foot or on a bicycle.
Location
Cruise ships dock at Langelinie Pier, which is located near the
Little Mermaid statue just north of the old town, and at the Free Port Cruise Terminal, which is north of Langelinie Pier.
Langelinie Pier is within walking distance of Amalienborg Palace, Kongens Nytorv and Town Hall Square. It has several gift shops, cafes and a Cruise Information Center, where cruise passengers can get free tourist information and buy phone cards, souvenirs and more with the help of English-speaking staff. There is also a Global Refund center, where travelers can present documentation and receive VAT refunds on purchases made in Denmark (where applicable) before they board their ships. Cruise passengers can also reach the city center by taxi; on the No. 26 bus, which stops at the pier; or on trains from Osterport station, a 15-minute walk from the pier.
The Free Port Cruise Terminal, which handles fewer ships than Langelinie, has restrooms, a kiosk that sells souvenirs and snacks, and a waiting lounge with Internet access. The Free Port Cruise Terminal is not really within walking distance of the city center. Cruise passengers can reach the city center by taxi; on the No. 26 bus, which stops at the terminal; or on trains from Nordhavn station, a 15-minute walk from the terminal.
In the city center, cruise passengers can show their cabin cards or passenger IDs for access to the Cruise Copenhagen courtesy lounge on the third floor of the Magasin department store on Kongens Nytorv, where they can have a cup of coffee and pick up information about the city. The Magasin lounge is open May-September, Monday-Thursday 10 am-7 pm, Friday 10 am-8 pm, Saturday 10 am-5 pm, and the first Sunday of the month 11 am-5 pm.
Shore Excursions
Cruise lines offer a mixture of bus, walking and, in some cases, bicycle tours of Copenhagen. Most tours offer a quick introduction to Copenhagen's highlights, including Tivoli Gardens, Rosenborg Palace and Amalienborg Palace. The central location of Langelinie Pier also makes it easy for cruise passengers to tour Copenhagen on their own by foot, bus and boat. Bus 26 goes from Langelinie Pier to Kongens Nytorv, the Central Railroad Station and Town Hall Square. Canal tours make a stop by the
Little Mermaid and make it easy to get to Nyhavn.
Theme tours may include a castle tour of North Sealand that takes in Kronborg (Hamlet's Castle) and Frederiksborg Castle; an architectural tour of Copenhagen that covers both the old (landmark structures built during the reign of Christian IV, the "Builder King") and the new (modernist designs of Arne Jacobsen and Henning Larsen); or longer excursions to Odense, the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen, or Rungsted, the home of Baroness Karen Blixen (also known as Isak Dinesen, author of Out of Africa).
