Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

staircase that spirals up outside the tower. There are over 400 steps in all, and the climb, while worth it, is not for the faint of heart. Be sure to arrive right at opening or risk long lines. For the aerially challenged, the church itself is also fantastic, with an altar featuring marble columns and life-sized statues. The facade of the massive pipe organ on the back wall is carved in Baroque style, and features a bust of King Christian V. Who else?

       i Admission M-Th DKK 40, students DKK 30, F-Sa DKK 45, students DKK 35; church wheelchair accessible, no wheelchair accessibility in tower

       KRONBORG CASTLE

      Helsingør; 49 21 30 78; www.kongeligeslotte.dk/en; open Jan-Mar T-Su 11am-4pm, open daily Apr-May 11am-4pm, June-Sept 10am-5:30pm, Oct 11am-4pm, Nov-Dec T-Su 11am-4pm

      Kronborg is probably etched somewhere in the back of your mind, even if you’ve never heard the name before. Located north of Copenhagen in the town of Helsingør, this famous Renaissance castle was William Shakespeare’s inspiration for Elsinore, the Danish castle in every high school student’s worst nightmare, Hamlet. The castle was built so the Danish kings could control trade in the Baltic Sea (read: tax the absolute shit out of just about everyone). Kronborg incorporates Hamlet differently each year, from offering guided tours from the prince himself (that must be depressing) to using a full cast to act out scenes. If you don’t want scarring flashbacks to English class, explore the casemates, an underground network of tunnels with a statue of the local legend Holger Danske.

       i Admission June-Aug DKK 140, students DKK 130; off-season DKK 90, students DKK 80; tours June-Aug daily noon, 1pm, 3pm, and 4pm; last entry 30min. before closing time; limited wheelchair accessibility

      MUSEUMS

       LOUISIANA MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

      Gammel Strandvej 13; 49 19 07 19; www.en.louisiana.dk; open Tu-F 11am-10pm, Sa-Su 11am-6pm

      Despite the name, you won’t find any creole or crawfish at Louisiana (so-named by the original owner of the estate, who married three different women, all named Louise). What you will find is Denmark’s most-visited art museum, breathtaking panoramic views of the Øresund, and some of the strangest galleries you’ve ever seen. Past exhibitions have involved live, naked models, hallways filled with speakers projecting the sound of machine guns, and shoes made of rocks. It’s all very confusing, but luckily there are also more traditional galleries featuring well-known artists like Andy Warhol and Picasso. Overlooking the Øresund is a beautifully landscaped sculpture garden, with works by Alexander Calder and other prominent sculptors. Humlebæk is near Helsingør, so consider pairing Louisiana with a visit to Kronborg or the Maritime Museum.

       i Admission DKK 125, students DKK 110; wheelchair accessible

       DESIGN MUSEUM

      Bredgade 68; 33 18 56 56; www.designmuseum.dk/en; open Tu 10am-6pm, W 10am-9pm, Th-Su 10am-6pm

      The Danes are a famously beautiful people and Danish design is no different. The world of design is underappreciated, essential to daily life, and often completely ridiculous to normal people, and the Design Museum displays every aspect of Danish design, from the practical to the absurd. Consider, for instance, the Danish chair. Here, you can walk through a tunnel of 110 different chairs and watch the evolution of simple wooden stools into steel recliners and behemoths of oak and leather. Other exhibits showcase modern Danish designs with a focus on sustainability, with objects like bamboo bikes and Wi-Fi routers so good-looking you’d want to hang them on your wall.

       i Admission DKK 100, students under 26 free; guided tours Su 2pm; last entry 30min. before closing; wheelchair accessible

       NATIONAL MUSEUM OF DENMARK

      Ny Vestergade 10; 33 13 44 11; www.en.natmus.dk; open daily 10am-5pm

      This is Denmark’s premier museum of cultural history, and damn does it cover a lot. It’s definitely a history museum, but there’s some pretty cool stuff in here. You’ll find golden hunting horns for bougie Vikings, a room dedicated entirely to the “art” of cosplay, and one of the world’s largest collections of rune stones (they actually exist). On the second floor, there’s an exhibit called Ethnographical Treasures, which contains an incredible collection of artifacts from all over the world, including a case full of fur anoraks and entire suits of samurai armor. If that’s all a bit too cultured for you, there’s also an entire exhibit dedicated to toys, which might be more up your alley.

       i Admission DKK 75; tours July-Sept daily at 11am and 1pm; wheelchair accessible

       THE CISTERNS

      Søndermarken; 30 73 80 32; www.cisternerne.dk; open May Tu-Su 11am-7pm, June-July Tu-Su 11am-8pm, Aug Tu-Su 11am-7pm, Sept Tu-Su 11am-6pm, Oct Tu-Su 11am-5pm

      The Cisterns are dank (in the literal sense—grow up). This massive, manmade cavern underneath Søndermarken, a park in Frederiksberg, used to hold fresh drinking water for the city, but thanks to modern technology it has been repurposed into a contemporary art exhibition. The Cisterns are dark, cool, and damp, and the exhibitions are similar, often focusing on themes of light, darkness, and water. Be prepared to walk over boardwalks and through clouds of mist, all in near-darkness. The exhibitions can be quite confusing, but at least it’s nice and cool down there!

       i Admission DKK 60, students DKK 50; no wheelchair accessibility

      OUTDOORS

       CANAL BOAT TOUR

      Nyhavn or Gammel Strand; 32 96 30 00; www.stromma.dk/en

      Copenhagen is a city on the water, but a lot of that water is man-made. The canals that make up Nyhavn and Christianshavn were constructed by King Christian IV, who was trying to design the city to look more like Amsterdam to attract wealthy Dutch merchants. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. The Dutch aren’t stupid and have no interest in Danish taxes, but the canals remain. That said, a canal boat tour is a great way to explore the city. Multiple tours leave daily from a few spots, including Nyhavn, and pass by multiple sights, including the opera house, the famous Little Mermaid statue, and Paper Island. Just remember to duck going under the low bridges, or risk the wrath of the captain and a nasty knock on the head.

       i Most tours DKK 80; tours at least every 30-45min., starting at 9:30am, last tour varies, but as late as 9pm in the summer high season; no wheelchair accessibility

       FOOD

       GRØD ($)

      Jægersborggade 50; 50 58 55 79; www.groed.com/en; open M-F 7:30am-9pm, Sa-Su 9am-9pm

      Grød’s claim to fame is that it’s the world’s first porridge restaurant. Now, that may not sound exciting unless you’re a bear or a curly-haired blonde girl lacking common sense, but Grød is a big deal. The morning menu (served until 5pm) mainly consists of the oatmeal-type breakfasts with toppings like homemade caramel sauce, fresh fruit, or skyr (everyone’s favorite Icelandic