attractions
Carlsberg & Christiania
Welcome back fellow Copenhagen lovers (or soon to be)!
As Copenhagen is the expansive capital city of Denmark, there are a few attractions that are worth mentioning that I haven’t yet. Firstly, I would like to talk about the Carlsberg Brewery. For those who don’t know, Carlsberg is a pilsner and the Carlsberg group has a multitude of different brands in that they brew. These brands include Tuborg (a personal favourite), Somersby ciders and Kronenbourg (my go-to beer). I find that they brew some pretty fantastic beers and I would definitely recommend them to others.
From Central Square, this is about a 40 minute walk. The brewery is not too large, but it is definitely something to see! As most breweries do, they have a walk through museum of the history the beer and different brands. What I found particularly interesting was there was a room that was dedicated to each beer they have made and the different bottles used. While walking through, you get two beers and there is a food place at the end of the museum to drink more. Overall, 7.8 out of 10 for the brewery!
Last but not least, there is the Freetown Christania. The internet describes it as a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood. I describe it as a country-like neighbourhood that is in a capital city and very liberal when it comes to marijuana. Christania is lined up and down the area with shacks and rustic homes/stores. It is within Copenhagen that is segregated and the residents are extremely artistic/expressive. It is somewhere that is great for relaxing and is a complete different atmosphere from places I have been too before. It kind of feels like Amsterdam minus the erotica.
Unfortunately in Christania, there are no camera or photos allowed. This is to maintain the privacy of the residents and the area. As I do not have any photos, this is definitely something you will have to see on your own! The residents are very welcoming and nice. My suggestion while there is to try the fruit juices. There is a place with organic fruits and it tastes delicious. It is worth your money to try and you know it is not going to a big corporation which is always a bonus!
Anyways, thanks for reading! Don’t forget to catch up my last post of Crazy for Copenhagen and my upcoming posts on Iceland!
Until Next Time,
Matt C
Historcial Hamburg
Let’s take a journey back to July 2015 when I was in Hamburg and on my second backpacking trip. This was the first destination that I ever went to by myself (refer to Tough Travelling: Going Solo). This will give you insight on how I felt and my experiences while travelling alone. Now, onto the actual destination itself and my experience while in Hamburg, Germany!
Hamburg was quite the experience. Not only because I was travelling alone for the first time, but the people of Hamburg and the city itself. There were fireworks going on throughout the city the first night I was there. It was cool to see especially since I did not have to leave my hostel room! Another interesting thing was that everyone was dressed in 70s get-up. Apparently there is a music festival that happens every July held in the St Pauli district of Hamburg called Schlagermove. It is the festival of love and everyone comes in their psychedelic wear to celebrate. It was very interesting and needless to say, there was a lot of drunk people. I didn’t know it at the time about the festival but they seemed to have a good time and would have been awesome if I joined!
I went on a free walking tour the first day by New Europe. It was a great way to combat my loneliness (at least that what my travel journal says). It started outside of Hamburg Rathaus which is the beautiful renaissance City Hall that is the port. Near in front of it is there is a market where you can get delicious food and drinks! One of the stops on the tour was St Michael’s Church. You can go up to the top of the church and get a panorama view of the Hamburg. It was so windy, but it was probably one of the best views that I have ever seen!
Another sight that I saw was Miniatur Wunderland. This is a railway attraction that has multiple figurines cities and landscapes. The cities include Hamburg, the Alps in Austria, Switzerland, and 6 other sections. They were pretty cool to see. Mind you, there were lot of children and I almost tripped over 3 dozens of them. Regardless, it was impressive to see that they built all these expansive exhibits in small rooms. One of the other things that I enjoyed doing was doing shopping in the downtown district. The shopping was behind Hamburg Rathaus and had a few major stores for those who need retail therapy. Sometimes it helps to get your mind off of travelling solo.
Next up is: Copenhagen, Denmark! The city of my dreams! Keep yourself posted!
Until Next Time,
Matt C
The Endless Attractions of Berlin
Oh my, it has been over a month since I have blogged. As my life has been the last year, it has continued to be hectic! I have recently got a job within the travel industry and have been trying to get myself into a regular routine. Now I am back and here to highlight some of the best attractions of Berlin!
As you may know, Berlin is a city with endless attractions. There is one on every corner to turn! The first major attractions that you need to see is the Berlin Wall! There are multiple fragments of the Berlin Wall around the city. The first one that can be seen is an Open Air Museum of the Berlin Wall. Here you can see the preserved wall and learn about all the different dynamics of WWII and the Cold War through the outdoor museum. The second one I saw was the fragment in the Alternative district. Artists came from all around the war and paint on a section within this fragment of the Berlin Wall. This was definitely the highlight of this city for me!
A well-known attraction to see is the Holocaust Memorial. The memorial is filled with 2,711 concrete rectangular blocks that are all the same size but are put at different levels in the ground. These concrete blocks are used to represent the 2,711 communities that were directly affecting by the Holocaust. These blocks are arranged in a grid formation of 54 north-south and 87 east-west. The memorial has a bit of an eerie feeling to it because of the symbolism behind it. The one thing that I cannot stress enough is being respectful in memorials. When we went, people are climbing on the blocks, playing hide n’ seek, and screaming. It is extremely disrespectful to those who were affected and had their lives end because of what happened. Walk through and observe quietly and peacefully.
Near the Holocaust Memorial is the Underground Holocaust Museum. A timeline is given of the events of WWII as well as stories and lives of families that were affected. Families from all around Europe lives are talked about what happened before, during, and after WWII. The stories come from multiple places such as Berlin, Rome, Vienna and so many more. It is very interesting and saddening to see and hear about the hardships these people had to go through. But, it does give you more of an insight of WWII and how we can make sure those actions do not happen again.
One of my favourite things about Berlin is there are so many different kinds of walking tours. Most of the walking tours are free and if you miss one, there is always another one by a different company later in the day. Also what makes these tours great is the variety. We only did the history and WWII tours, but there are so many more. There are the Alternative Tours, Urban tours, Cold War Tours, and more that give you an insight of the diversity of Berlin!
Thanks for reading and keep an eye open for the next blog on Hamburg, Germany!
Until Next Time,
Matt C
Beer, Books, and Beauty
Hey All!
Welcome back to hear more about Ireland! Since I stayed in Dublin, a lot of the attractions were within the city. My favourite attraction in the Dublin was actually a tie between the Guinness Storehouse and the Trinity College Library. As being a beer fanatic, the Guinness Storehouse is right down my alley. I loved that I could find out the process of how it’s made, the marketing of it, and the proper way of tasting it. At the end of the tour, you have the option of doing a taste test. They bring you into a pure white room that has four smokestacks that allows you to smell the aroma of the ingredients. The room reminds me of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (with Johnny Depp) and the squirrel room. No idea why, it just does. Afterwards, they take you into another room with a shot of Guinness and tell you the proper way to drink it. You need to breathe in, take a sip, and breathe out. Very interesting as it is different from other tours I have done. Mind you, I don’t do it justice so you will have to go and try yourself!
Trinity College was another one of my favourite attractions. I am an avid reader so this really hit my little book nerd. I was in awe the whole time. When you walk into the actually library, all you can see is rows of books that line the walls. It has that old time library feel and even the smell. It gives you the sense that you may be in the wizarding world for Harry Potter. Loved it, definitely would do a tour of that again. Another thing with the library that I enjoyed was you can watch employees do book restorations. As all of my books are in mint conditions, this really made me happy to see people repairing worn out books.
One of my favourites outside of Dublin is the Cliffs of Moher. It was such a beautiful day to go. There was no rain, which is very uncommon for Ireland. It was sunny, warm, and a great adventure. The Cliffs are natural and are like nothing I have ever seen before! It was beautiful! Another amazing place to see is the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland. It is located close to Belfast. It is a rock formation of varying heights that look almost like stepping stools. Very unique and definitely a sight to see! Unfortunately with the Giant’s Causeway, it was pouring rain like no tomorrow. By the end of the tour, my kobo and my friend’s phone did not work. To seeing these two places, there is only one downside. That downside is the amount of other tourists and travelers. We all want to see the same thing and all the tour operators bring them to those attractions. Great to see, but crowded as always.
Some other places worth a mention that I saw:
- Dublinia
- Grafton Street
- St Stephen’s Green
- Temple Bar Area
- Carrick A Rede Rope Bridge
- Dublin’s Wax Museum
- National Lepruachen Museum
- Merrion Square
- Dublin Castle
- St Patrick’s Cathedral
- Christchurch Cathedral
- The Old Prison
- Town of Galway
- Titanic Museum in Belfast
- National Gallery of Ireland
- National History Museum
- National Library of Ireland
- National Museum of Ireland
- St Stephen’s Green Shopping Center
- Dublin Ghost Bus Tour
I hope this gave you more of an insight of the different things you can see in Dublin and around the Island of Ireland! Unfortunately, I will not be having a blog out for a couple weeks. I will be backpacking around Europe. I will be hitting up Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Iceland and possibly Sweden! Tune in for late July/early August and read about the different destinations!
Until Next Time,
Matt C
Trekking & Travels 