I had the pleasure of being invited to stay a weekend in Hamburg together with the company Come To Hamburg. On this page I will give my personal recommendation of the Heikotel Hotel Am Stadtpark which I stayed at during my time in Hamburg. I have not been paid any money to make this review and everything is my honest and personal opinion.

My background

Before I begin with my review of the hotel, I think that it is important to know that due to my professional job I travel quite a lot. In the past years, I have stayed at a large number of different hotels and probably more that many people do in a lifetime. I have stayed at hotels ranging from 30-300 euros a night. I have seen it all. The worst and the best.

Read also: My Personal Travel guide to Hamburg

Parking at Heikotel Hotel Am Stadtpark

When I arrived at the hotel, I literally parked my car directly in front of the hotel entrance. Parking on the street is free of charge if you can find a spot. If you cannot find one directly in front of the hotel, there are many streets in the vicinity that you can use.

Being able to park my car close to the hotel and free of charge is a very big plus in my book. I did rather stay a bit outside the downtown city if I can easily bring my car.

Heikotel receives top score on this point.

The reception and check in

The reception is easy to find and the hotel staff greeted me with a welcoming smile. The check in process was painless and very smooth. Everything was already prepared in advance of my arrival. I got the key card and was guided directly to the elevator.

The reception is a 24-hours reception, which means that you can arrive, as you like. There are always someone ready to help you. When I travel around the world this is always something that I appreciate. Again, Heikotel receives top-score on this point.

Review of the room at Heikotel Hotel Am Stadtpark

The room that I stayed at had all the necessary features that I normally always value when I travel. There was a great bed, a mini bar / fridge, and a small lounge area with two chairs and a table. The bathroom had a great size with a large showing area and of course large and soft towels, shampoo and so on.

Overall the room was very nice and great to stay in. I have no problem recommending this hotel based on the quality room.

The area around the Hotel

The hotel is located in the northern part of the city on a nice and quiet street. The surrounding area is also nice and very close to the large Stadtpark where you can enjoy a walk, go for a run or maybe, if the weather allows it, go for a picnic.

The hotel is located only a few minutes’ walk from the Saarlandstraße train station, which can take you into downtown Hamburg in only 20 minutes. It simply does not get any easier than that.

Also next to the train station, you can find an Edeka supermarket where you can find all kind of groceries. I find this very convenient.

The breakfast buffet

I love Germany and I love the way the German hotels prepare there breakfast buffets. Almost every time I go to German, the breakfast buffet is always super nice. The buffet at the Heikotel is no difference.

The breakfast buffet had a large range of the mandatory selections like cornflakes, oats, yogurt, scrambled eggs, bread and so on - Nothing unusual on this part. What makes this breakfast buffet very special is the large selections of different meat, tomato and mozzarella salad, fantastic and freshly baked bread and pastry, salmon, several jams, fruit salad, fruit basket and so on.

This is for sure one of the better breakfast buffets I have tried on my many travels.

The German people for sure knows how to make a fantastic breakfast buffet.

The post Review of Heikotel Hotel Am Stadtpark, Hamburg appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.

On this page, you will find my personal mini travel guide of Hamburg. A beautiful and sunny weekend in February I was invited by Come To Hamburg to come and visit the city on own.

I have to admit that even though that I live in Denmark which is only a relatively short car ride from Hamburg I have actually never thought about visiting the city as a tourist. That is why I am so happy that I got invited and the opportunity to visit the city because Hamburg has so much to offer - a fantastic place to spend a weekend.

Read also: My mini travel guide to Berlin

I was invited by Come To Hamburg who suggested several places that I could visit. The reviews and thoughts on this page I my my own and I have not been paid to make them. I hope that you will enjoy reading about my trip and my experiences in this fantastic city.

Jump to: What to see in Hamburg
Jump to: Where to stay in Hamburg
Jump to: What to Eat in Hamburg

Few facts about Hamburg

Hamburg is the second biggest city in Germany and located in the northern part of the country about one and a half hour car ride from the Danish-German border. The population is about 1.8 million people and is actually within the top 10 biggest cities in Europe.

Hamburg has the second largest harbor in Europe, which is a very important part of the economy in the city. Further down on this page I have a short section about the harbor and how to visit it and see the enormous container ships.

Where to stay in Hamburg

Hamburg is a very large city and spread across a big area. However, it is absolutely no problem getting around in Hamburg. A very developed and extended public transportation system can easily take you around in the city in no time.

Downtown Hamburg is located around the city hall (rathaus), the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and the harbor area called Hafencity. Downtown Hamburg is a very nice place to stay but also of cause in the more expensive end.

Read also: My travel guide to Rome

Personally, I stayed in the quiet and very nice area of Winterhude, which is located about 10 kilometers outside the city. With the very convenient train system is was absolutely no problem getting into downtown Hamburg.
I have made a separate post about the hotel I stayed at. You can find it here on my blog.

What to see in Hamburg

As mentioned above Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany so naturally the city has countless of things to see and do. In the following section, I will go thought some of my personal favorite.

Dialog In Silence
Miniature Wonderland
Elbphilharmonie
Mönckebergstraße (main shopping street)
Harbour Boat Trip
Hop On Hop Off bus tour

The Dialog House

The Dialog House is one of my favorite experience when I visit the city. It is located in the eastern part of the harbor area and is within walking distance from public transportation.
The Dialog House driven by deaf and blind people who are taking you through three exhibitions called Dialog In Silence, Dialog In Dark and Dialog In Time.

I had the opportunity to try the Dialog In Silence which was a guided tour of one hour where I was, together with a group, taking through a number of different activities.

Of cause everything in complete silence and only guided by body language.

I can highly recommend this place and this specific tour to anyone, especially kids, who would like to experience how it is to be deaf for one hour. It is very interesting and a big eye opener.

Miniature Wonderland

If you are a kid, adult, man or woman it does not matter the Miniature Wonderland is a very interesting experience and diffently worth a visit. The Miniature Wonderland is the world largest model railway in the world with more than 260.000 figures, 1000 trains, 15 kilometers of tracks (9 miles), 4100 buildings, 130.000 trees and 40 air planes.

Yes, you read it right! This model railway actually has an operating airport with arriving and departing planes.

Read More: My personal mini travel guide to London

You can literally spend many hours walking the large exhibition and looking at the thousands of details. Everything from a couple making love in the middle of a field to large outdoor concerts to big bridges - this model has it all. The Miniature Wonderland is located in the western part of the Hamburg harbor area and within walking distance from public train stations.

Elbphilharmonie

Only a few minutes’ walk from the Miniature Wonderland, described in the section above, you can find the very beautiful and famous Elbphilharmonie, which is a newly built concert hall.
The Elbphilharmonie is the tallest building in Hamburg and has become one of the most known landmarks of Hamburg - and that is with good reason.

If you are in the area, I will recommend you to drop by this place and have a look at this beautiful building and a look at the harbor front.

Mönckebergstraße (main Shopping street)

If you are into shopping, Hamburg has it all. If you go into downtown Hamburg, you will find countless of shopping opportunities. Everything from the H&M clothing to Calvin Klein to expensive designer jewelry to watches, Hamburg has it all. And when you are getting hungry after all the shopping you can find all kinds of delicious food in the many restaurants in the area.

Harbor Boat Trip

I have a background in mechanical engineering so naturally being able to go on a boat trip in the second largest container ships harbor in Europe was very high on my list. Getting to see the gigantic container ships so close that you could almost reach out and touch then was rare and very interesting experience.

The number of boats that can take you on a trip around the Hamburg harbor is very large and the price for a ticket is around 20 euros. The harbor boats mainly departs from the pier one to ten (Brücke 1-10). The tours are mainly guided in German; however, it is possible to rent smartphones with English spoken guide.

I can highly recommend taking a guided boat trip in the harbor.

Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

As previously mentioned, Hamburg is a large city and you can easily spend several days exploring the city. If you want to get a quick and guided tour around the city, I can highly recommend the Hop on Hop off busses.
If you are not as already familiar with the concept, they work exactly as the name indicates.

The busses keep circulating in the same pattern around the city and you can join and leave the busses as you like. This means that if you want to get off the bus and exploring an area, more than just driving through it, you can just do that. When you are done, you can jump on the next bus and continue the guided tour where you left.

I did the entire tour around the city and especially the trip around large Außenalster lake was very beautiful.

What to eat in Hamburg

If you are interested in dining and food, in general Hamburg is the place to go. The food scene in hamburg is simply fantastic - Hamburg has it all. In the following section, I will describe some of the places that I visited. Spoiler alert - I love them all.

Better Burger Company
Flamm'Hus
Hobenköök

Better Burger Company

Even though I am a food blogger and love to experimenting and cooking delicious food in my kitchen, I have to admit that one of my most favorite food is a simple, delicious and juicy hamburger - in Hamburg that is exactly what I got.

My first night in Hamburg I when into downtown to take a quick stroll around the city and what is better than ending a nice evening with a great burger? The Better Burger Company in downtown Hamburg served me a fantastic double cheese burger with a bunch of crisp fries. It was for sure a super burger. I would differently come back if I come back to Hamburg again.

Flamm'Hus

During my visit to Hamburg, I tried some food that had never tried or heard about before so of course I was a little excited about it. However, based on the very positive reviews that I could find different places on the internet I also had high expectations. Flamm'Hus did absolutely deliver!

Flamm'Hus is specialized in cooking the French inspired pizza. The pizzas are made out of a square, thin and super crisp dough. Instead of using tomato sauce these pizzas are made with a thin layer of sour cream. Yes, it sounds special with sour cream on a pizza but trust me it is very delicious. I really like this change, it brings a new prospective to the pizza.

As topping you can choose between from a variety of different and delicious ingredients like pesto, tomatoes, chicken, ham, mushrooms and so on. And of course everything is looks very fresh and delicious.

As desert, you can choose between different options. However, I can highly recommend the Flamm'kuchen pizza with thin apples slices and cinnamon. Simply nothing but fantastic.

Hobenköök

If you are looking for some very great dining I can highly recommend making a visit to the Hobenköök. The combined restaurant and gourmet food shop is located in the rustic and old warehouse-like building. I personally think that the area and especially the design and atmosphere in the restaurant is fantastic. There is just something special about sitting in an old and very cozy building and eating some delicious food.

As just mentioned, the restaurant is combined with a small food shop where you can find a large variety of different gourmet food and ingredients. The shop contains everything from gourmet chocolate spreading for bread to fresh pesto to candy and of course my personal favorite, a large selection of special brews. I could easily spend an hour looking through the many delicious products. The prices are absolute in the fair end when you consider the quality of the products.

For dinner, I had the beefsteak served with a variety of fresh and grilled vegetables and on the side a delicious sauce. The steak and vegetables was cook to perfection and the sauce had a very rich and great taste. I have absolutely nothing to complain about the food, it was simply a fantastic dinner. The prices are very fair and ranges from about 20 to 35 euro.

I can highly recommend the Hobenköök - both the restaurant and the food shop in the back.

The post Mini travel guide to Hamburg, Germany appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.

How to Get to Berlin

There are several ways of getting to Berlin. Berlin has to bigger airports, Tegel airport and Schönefeld Airport. Tegel is properly the most known airport which the bigger airline companies use. Tegel is located north-east from the center of Berlin. Schónefeld is a more low-budget airport where cheaper airlines arrives and departs from. The price for a plane ticket to and from Berlin depends on many things. However, I have seen prices as low as 40-50 euro for a one-way ticket to Copenhagen. Besides the airports Berlin also offers many buses with drives to many of the other big cities in Europe. A bus ride form Copenhagen to Berlin takes about 8 hours, so it is not that slower when you also consider the waiting time in the airports and so on.
Getting from the two airports into downtown Berlin is pretty simple. Both from Schönefeld and Tegel you can take the trains directly into Berlin. Otherwise, there are of cause plenty of taxis at both airports. A ticket from the airport to Berlin cost about 5 euro, so this is absolutely affordable.

Where to Stay in Berlin

The question about which is the best and most central place to stay in Berlin can be a little difficult to answer. You can say that Berlin is sort of divided into two interesting areas. There is the part around the Tiergarten and then the part around Alexanderplatz. During my visit I stayed just east of the Tiergarten at the area around Kreutzberg. I think this was a very nice and central place. However, whatever you decide it is pretty easy to get around in the city. See the next section where I describe the different transportation opportunities. I paid around 80 euro for a pretty nice hotel which I think was a fair price.
The best thing is of cause to decide which things you want to see and then book a hotel which is central around these points.

How to Get Around in Berlin

As many other big cities, Berlin has plenty of transportation opportunities. You can take the buses, Metro or the S-train. You can buy tickets which lasts for one day and then you can travel as much as you like. This full-day ticket costs about 7-8 euro. You can also buy a single ticket for about 2.5-3 euro, so if you travel more than a couple of times the full-day ticket is the best for you. However, as I have written in some of my other Travel Guide, I like to walk. I personally prefer to walk around cities. This way I think you get the most out of it, instead of just seeing the underground tunnels all the time.

Reichstag

The Reichstag building is real historical building constructed back in 1894 to house the government up until 1933 where it was damaged by a severe fire during the attacks on the city. After the damage the building was rebuilt up until 1990 where is had a reconstruction which was complete around 1999. Today this building is a very touristy place, especially because you can go to the top where there is spectacular view of the city. There was not fee to get to the top. However, you have to reserve some ticket online before you go place. The security around the building is pretty serious and it is mandatory that you bring some identification with your picture on. You can read more about the Reichstag and book your ticket on this webpage. This experience was one of my favorite when visiting Berlin.

Boat Trip on The Spree

The river call the Spree is running through Berlin and of cause like many other cities it is possible to go on a boat ride on the river. I will recommend taking one of these rides because you get to see things in Berlin you would not have seen. A normal ride takes about 1 hour and has a price of about 10 euro depending on which boat company you uses. Make sure not to just take the first available boat. Search the area and seen the price for the different companies. I think the best location for getting a cheap and good boat ride, is if you go to Berlin Cathedral Church. This place has many trips where you are also able to get English speaking guides.

Tiergarten

The Tiergarten is the biggest garden or small forest in Berlin. Tiergarten can be translated directly into English as The Animal Garden. Even though, it is called the Animal Garden is has not exotic animals like tigers or anything. The garden is nicely maintained and it is an absolutely fantastic place for a getaway from the busy city. If the weather allows it I think you should go to the garden and just spend some time lying in grass and enjoy the sound from the birds and trees. And don’t get scared if you see a naked man or woman sunbathing – the German people can be a little more open-minded when it comes to nudity.

Sightseeing with Bus 100

Taking Bus 100 is well-known and cheap tip if you want to go on a bus sightseeing in Berlin. Bus 100 departs from the ZOO-station located in the western part of Berlin and arrives at Alexanderplatz in the eastern part of Berlin. The bus is originally not a sightseeing bus – it is just an regular bus. However, this bus ride takes you through most of Berlin where you get to see many of the big attractions. The bus ride takes about 30 minutes and is a very good alternative to the more expensive real sightseeing buses. Of cause this bus does not provide any information along its way. The price for a ride is about 3 euro. A good tip is to make sure to be one of the first inside the bus so that you can get to the top and front of the double decker bus. The bus departs approximately every 5 minutes, so if there are many people just wait for the next.

Topographie Des Terrors

Topographie Des Terrors is an outdoor and indoor museum at a very historical place. The museum is located at the Niederkirchnerstrasse and is the old site where the Gestapo and SS had their headquarters. Today this place is converted into a museum where you can read many very touching stories and facts about the long a devastating second world war. The outdoor museum is built like a long timeline describing the time from before Hitler came to the power and then until the war was over. I will absolutely recommend visiting this place. And after this place many sure to visit Check-point Carlie which is located only a few blocks away.

Berliner Unterwelten

This is another of my top recommendation for things you must see in Berlin. Berliner Unterwelten is an underground bomb shelter which was used by the citizens of Berlin during the endless bomb raids during the Second World War. The shelter it selves is located in the middle of a Metro station so it is pretty easy to get to this location. The visit to this place can only be done as a guided tour. However, this only makes the experience better. The guides are really good to explain how it was like to stay in these shelters during the terrifying bomb raids. One tour takes about 1.5 hours
A guided tour costs about 11-13 euro and there are different tours you can choose from. You can book the tickets for the tour at the small ticket office located right next to the entrance of the Metro Station. The office has big signs saying Berliner Unterwelten – you can’t miss it.
After the tour I will recommend to spend some time in the park just across the street from the Metro station. The park has a giant bunker which is now almost covers in dirt.
Also, when you are in the area you can go by the Berlin Wall Memorial which is memorial about the people how died trying to cross the wall during the time when the city was divided into two parts – east and west Berlin.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews

This is a very special and kind of beautiful memorial. The memorial is located just next to Brandenburger Tor and is also worth a visit when you are in this part of the city. The site is covered with about 2700 concrete blocks which are arranged in a beautiful pattern on a sloped hill. This way you can walk around the blocks and get the feeling of how massive the blocks are. Next to the concrete blocks there are an underground museum also dedicated to the murdered Jews during the war.

Bergmannstrasse, Restaurant Street

I sort of discovered this street by an accident. The street is called Bergmannstrasse and is located a little offside the downtown Berlin and has many really delicious restaurants, with small lamps and old buildings. If you are looking for a little cozy atmosphere you should take a walk on this street in the evening and later grab some to eat at one of the many places.

Bunte Schokowelt (Ritter Sport Shop)

If you like chocolate like I do, you should definitely visit the Bunte Schokowelt which is an entire store dedicated to the world famous Ritter Sport Chocolate. At this place you can make your own personally Ritter Sport chocolate bar where you decide what kind of filling and topping should go on the chocolate. It costs about 4 euro to make you own Ritter sport bar, which is a bit expensive. However, if you think this could be fun you should try it out. After you have created your Rittersport you must wait for about 30 minutes for it to dry. In this time you could always check out the rest of the store or go for a walk in the area.

Food in Berlin

There are so many restaurants in Berlin - they are simply everywhere. You almost can’t walk on any street without there is something to eat. The price for food in Berlin is not that expensive. Of cause that depends on you reference from your home country. I have listed a couple of my food experiences below, make sure to check them out.

Markt Halle Neun

The Markt Halle Neun is a large food marked with many different food stands where you can buy all kinds of different delicious food. The marked is open daily but make sure to check out the opening times before you go. The place is really popular and can therefore be really crowded. If you like street food you should swing by this great marked and grab some food.

Vapiano

Vapiano is a Itaian food chain located in Berlin. The concept is that you can get super fresh food like a salat, pasta, risotto and pizza. All the food is prepared on different smaller kitchens inside the restaurant. On simply go up the desk and order your food directly to the chef. The amount of food you have ordered is then stored on a small chip which you give to the check-out counter when you leave the restaurant. I really like this concept because you can really see the freshness of the food and how it is prepared for you. There are not hidden elements. The restaurant is located several places in Berlin so there should be good opportunities of finding one.

The post Guide to Berlin appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.

Travel to Rome

Rome is a city located in middle-west part of Italy and can easily be accessed by planes or cars. There are several ways of traveling to Rome. There are two bigger airports close to Rome; Ciampino and Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport. Form both airport you can easily get into downtown Rome by taking buses or trains. I personally took the bus from Ciampino. The bus took me directly into in center of Rome next to the big Train Station. You can book tickets for the busses online if you want to skip the lines at the airports.

Where to Stay in Rome

Rome is a big city with many very nice places and experiences. However, location wise I will recommend to stay in the area around The Vertican, Piazza Navona or Trastavere. During my visit I personally stayed just across the bridge at the Sant Angelo Castle – This was a nice and central place with good transportation options and good opportunities to take some nice walks. Price-wise there is a lot of difference between the hotels in Rome. However, if you search the most commend hotel-sites you will also be able to find room or hotel which is more like Bed and Breakfast like. I would absolutely recommend spending the money and stay at a good location and then take a smaller or less fancy hotel.

What to Eat in Rome

There are literally hundreds of restaurants and cafes in and around Rome. Some of them are just small and narrow shops/restaurants which will only fit few people which just make the experience even cozier. As many people know; Italy is known for pizza and pasta, so this is of cause what you are going to eat. Many of the places you sit in the restaurant but you can see into the kitchen and see how the food is prepared. The quality and price of the food and typically related a lot. The more expensive - the better. However, you can easily find some good pasta dishes for around 10 euro or less. I will recommend the area around Trastevere where there are so many smaller cozy streets with many delicious restaurants. Beside the traditional Itaian food you can of cause also find delicious burgers, deep fried fries and so on - there is some for everybody.

Gelato Ice Cream Shops

Besides the many pasta and pizza restaurants located in Rome there are also many ice cream shops or Gelato as they are called. You can find these ice cream shops all over Rome and you should definitely visit one or two of these places. This fresh ice cream is just so delicious.

Lindt Chocolate Store

If you like chocolate you cannot miss the Lindt Chocolate Shops which is located at the right center of Rome. In this store you can buy all kinds of Lindt chocolate products which are typically known to be of a really high quality. The chocolate is just so good. Besides chocolate the store also has a small café where you can buy super delicious chocolate filled Croissants, hot chocolate, coffee, cold beverages and so on. I will absolutely recommend you to try the filled croissant – it is typical croissant where they are pumping warm and liquid chocolate inside - it is just so delicious.

Le Domus Romane, di Palazzo Valentini

Rome is a very old and historical city where there have been discovered so many artifacts on the city. In resent time the remains of an old and beautiful building was discovered. This building is now turned into a fantastic museum where you are guided underground through tunnels. The tunnels are made so that you walk on top of glass floor where you can see down into the old building. Using projectors and sound the trip explains in good English about the findings. The experience is really good and definitely worth a visit.

The entry fee is about 12-14 Euros and the museum is closed on Tuesdays. You can buy the tickets online or go directly to the ticket stand at the museum. It is not allowed to take pictures inside the museum which is why I don’t have anby pictures of it here. If you want to read more about this you can visit their webpage where they also show some pictures from the inside.

St. Peter's Basilica and The Vatican

St. Peter's Basilica is the biggest church in Rome – in fact it is one of the biggest churches in the world. It is the home of the pope and it is located in the Vatican City. This place is an absolutely must see when you are in Rome. The architecture is so amazing and sometimes it is hard to believe this was all designed and built many ago when they did not have cranes and excavators – try to give this a though when you visit the place.

Another great thing about this place is that you can go to the top of the Peter’s Basilica dome. To access the top dome you have to pay a fee of about 6-10 EUR depending if you are walking all the 300 steps or you decide to take the elevator. If you are fit for it I will recommend taking the stairs – this way you get to see more of the fantastic building. Sometimes the stairs can be a bit narrow so you should not be afraid of small places. When you reach the top you have to most amazing view of the entire Rome. The church opens open around 7:30 in the morning – it is good idea to come early to avoid the crowd.

I you live relatively close to the Vatican I’ll also recommend to visit the place during the evening when it is dark. This way you get to see the building in a complete different way – very beautiful. This visit to the Vatican and the Peter’s Basilica was absolutely one of the best experiences I had when I visited Rome.

Colosseum

The Colosseum is another of the must-see places in Rome. Like the Vatican and the Peter’s Basilica, you cannot go to Rome without visiting the Colosseum. The Colosseum was in the old Rome used as a gladiator arena where the different fighters who fight each other as an entertainment to the spectators. It is estimated that the arena could hold around 50.000 to 80.000 spectators. Besides gladiatorial contests the arena was also used to other purposes like animal hunts, executions etc. It can easily be said that this place was a real horror place.

Today the Colosseum is used as a big museum where you can get a feeling of which horror that has taken place there. There is an entrance fee of about 12 euro and for an extra fee you can get an audio guided tour. However, the place has plenty of sign explaining the history of this fantastic structure.

Trevi Fountain

The Trevi Fountain is absolutely the most famous Fountain in Rome and it is properly also of the most famous in the world. The Fountain which is located in the Trevi district of Rome was designed by the Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. The Fountain has a height of about 26 meters (86 ft). It is a big tradition that the visitors throw a coin or two into the fountain. It is estimated that a total of 3000 Euro are donated in the fountain each day. This makes a total of over 1.000.000 euro each year. This money are then donated to good purposes.

Campo De Fiori Market

Campo De Fiori is a smaller local market where you can find all kinds of products like vegetables, fruit, and flowers and so on. However, you can also find many real Italian specialties like dried pasta, different pesto, tomato sauce and so on. If you have time and are in the area I think you should swing by this small market.

Market at Porta Portese

This big shopping market is located at the Porta Portese area. The market is packed with all kinds of different products. However, very few is directly related to Rome or Italy. It is more like clothes, accessories, shoes and so on – where thing at a very low price. However, I think the quality is not the best. The market is only open at Sundays and I’ll not call this a must see. If you have time and energy to walk this giant market you should go. Otherwise, spent you time on something else.

Eataly

Eataly is a large food based shopping center located a bit outside downtown Rome. The center offers hundreds of different Italian specialties, kitchen tools and appliances. The center also has many small restaurants where you can grab some real Italian food. I took the long walk to the center. However, it is also possible to take busses or of cause taxies. If you have some extra time and want to escape the big touristy attraction in Rome this place is definitely worth a visit.

The post Mini Guide to Rome, Italy appeared first on Nordic Food & Living.

Travel to London

There are several ways of traveling to London and many airline companies have direct lines to the airports. There are a total of 3 airports located around London, Heathrow, Luton and Gatwick. Heathrow is definitely the biggest and most known airport. The airport has annually around 65 mill passengers so there are absolutely many different ways of getting to this airport. The two other airports, Luton and Gatwick are smaller and cheaper airports. Especially, Luton has many low-budget airlines. If you are lucky you can sometimes get tickets as low as 80 Euro for a round-trip within Europe.

All the airports offers excellent opportunities for getting to and from the airports. From Heathrow you can take the Subway or buses. From Luton I would recommend to take the Greenline Bus which should be the cheapest way of getting to the city. A bus ticket from Luton costs about £15 for a return ticket and it takes about 1½ hours to get there.

Getting Around in London

Getting around in London is very easy; there are many different ways of transportation. Personally I prefer to walk. I believe by walking you get the best experience of the city. You simply see stuff you would not see by traveling underground using the Subway. When I travel to a new city I can easily walk 10-13 km (6-8 miles) each day exploring the city. However, I you don’t like to walk that long you can always take the Subway, buses or taxis. It is also possible to rent bicycles all over the city for a small fee.

Subway and Buses

When you get to London the first thing you should do is to purchase an Oyster Card. An Oyster Card is a universal payment card which can be used to pay for your Subway or bus rides. The card has a deposit of about £5 and you must also inset a minimum of £5 which can be used to travel for. You can only travel one person per card, so each person must have a card.
Traveling with the Subway cost about £2.3 a ride. However, if you stay within the city of London you can maximum pay about £6.4 a day no matter how must you travel. If you use the buses each ride cost you about £1.5 with a maximum of £4.5 a day for unlimited rides.

Hyde Park

Hyde Park is definitely one of the locates you should visit if you are looking for a nice place to go and relax, enjoy a lunch or maybe to get a little sun tan if the weather allows it. Hyde park is absolutely one of the largest parks in London and it is divided in two be the small lakes, Serpentine and The Long Water. You should also visit Speakers Corner which is located in the northeast corner of the park. Speakers Corner is an area where all public speaking, discussion and debate are allowed. At this place you will see several people standing on small podiums and talking about issues that matter the most to them. This is a really nice and free experience.

London Eye

London Eye is located at the center of London at the South Bank right next to the river Themsen. London Eye is an enormous Ferris wheel with a diameter of about 120 m (400 ft) and a total height of 135 meters (440 ft). It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe and gives the highest viewing point in London. The Ferris wheel has 32 passenger capsules which takes the passengers on the 30 minutes ride. The ride has a fee.

Big Ben

Big Ben is located on the opposite shore of the London Eye. The tower is absolutely one of the most iconic buildings in London and you cannot have visit the city without seeing this beautiful structure. The tower is officially known as Elizabeth Tower but most people know it as Big Ben. The tower has a height of about 96 meters (315 ft.).

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is the residence and administrative office for the queen of the United Kingdom. The palace is located at the City of Westminister. You can see the beautiful palace from the outside and take a walk in the gardens in front. You should definitely swing by this nice place.

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge is also one of the most famous and iconic structures in London. The bridge is spanning the river and has two massive columns with a very beautiful architecture. If you are lucky you can see the bridge opening up for boat traffic. When you are in the area make sure to grab a cup of coffee and take a stroll along the river.

The city of Musicals

If you like music and theater, you are in the right city. London offers many different musicals with a very high quality. We ordered our tickets online from home and when we got to London we went to the theater to pick up the tickets - this worked really good with no problems. We visits the Novello Theater which is an old and beautiful theater located in downtown London.

Sky Garden

Sky Garden is a large indoor garden located at the 35th floor at a height of 155 meters (500 ft). The building with the sky garden is located at 20 Fenchurch Street which can easily be reached by the Subway. The garden offers a spectacular view across the entire city. The Garden also has a small restaurant where you can buy drinks, coffee and cake so that you can sit and enjoy the view as long as you want. It is completely free to get up to the garden. However, you must book a ticket prior to you visit. This can be done on their webpage their webpage. This is absolutely a must visit when you are in London.

Borough Market

Borough Market is an old and very cozy food market located right at London Bridge Station. The market is one of the oldest wholesale and retail food markets in London. In 2014 is celebrated its 1000th birthday. This is definitely at visit worth if you are interesting in this kind of attractions. The market has a webpage where you can find the exact location of the market and other different information like opening times and so on.

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Total Destruction – Second World War

From a historical point of view Dresden is known to be one of the cites, that was totally leveled by the allied bombers at a very late point in the war. Even tough, the city was practically without any military interest - only a few months before Germany unconditionally surrendered, the city was overflown by bomb planes and was totally destroyed. Because Dresden is located deep inside Germany the city was more or less untouched before this late attach. In many eyes these attacks are considered an act of terror. Despite the massive destruction, the city is today rebuilt and especially the downtown is very beautiful and welcoming - a very nice place to visit.

Food and Restaurants

Dresden is a many ways a very beautiful and clean city which offers many, both large and smaller, restaurants and cafes. Especially, in the downtown of Dresden also known as “Inner Altstadt” or directly translated into English “the inner old city” offer a large number of nice places to eat and to have a good time. The restaurants offer food from all around the world, everything from Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Italian, American to, of course, the German cuisine with Wienerschnitzel with fries. In the summer time almost all the restaurants have outdoor seating which is very nice. In the winter time you can enjoy the inside of the beautiful restaurants.

Frauenkirche

At the center of Altstadt is located the large and very beautiful Frauenkirche. The church was one of the buildings which were hit with the bombs during the late part of the Second World War. However, the church is today rebuilt using many of the original materials. It is possible to see the church from the inside where the wall decorations are very beautiful and fascinating. If the weather allows it, it is also possible to go to the top of the tower which is located in a height of 67 meters (220 ft). From the top there is a 360 degree view over Dresden and the surrounding areas. The fee for going to the top is approximately 8-10 EUR per person. However, this price is absolute worth the money.

Altmarkt Gallerie

Also, in the center of Dresden is located a very large shopping mall which offers all the traditional stores like H&M, Apple Store, Lacoste, Zara, several sports stores and so on. The shopping mall is called Altmarkt Gallerie and is definitely worth a visit if you like to shop.

Hike only 50 km from Dresden

Christmas Market

In the weeks leading up to Christmas there are several Christmas Markets all around Dresden. The markets offer a cozy atmosphere where you can buy all the traditional Christmas food and candies. Christmas Markets are a very popular thing in Germany and the Markets in Dresden lives up to the expectations and is absolutely worth a visit.

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My Personal List Of Ideas What To Do In Copenhagen

This page contains a list of things you can see or do in Copenhagen. You should not see the list as a top-list of the most important things too see - the list contains things that might by fun to see for somebody but might be less for others. Browse through the list and see if you find something that might be interesting for you to see. The list contains things ranging from very touristy things like The Little Mermaid to more simple tings like the office building of the shipping company Maersk. I will continue to develop on the list when I have time.

1. The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue)

The Little Mermaid is properly one of the most famous tourist attraction in Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid or Den Lille Havfrue as it is called in Danish is a bronze and granite sculpture which is based on the fairy tale from 1830 by the Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The Little Mermaid is also known from the Disney movie by the same name. The sculpture is located at Langelinie promenade which is about 1.7 km (1 mile) from downtown Copenhagen. If you walk the distance make sure to check out the Amalienborg Royal Palace, Kastellet (old star fortresses) and Mærsk Headquarter which is located in the same area.

Danish Name: Den Lille Havfrue
Location: Click here for map

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If you like the nature, looking to get some fresh air or maybe just want some quiet time away from the busy city The Deer Park is a very good option. The Deer Park is a nice and very beautiful park located only around 13 km (8 miles) north from downtown Copenhagen. In Danish this park is called Dyrehaven which simply means The Deer Park. Sometimes the park is also known as Jægersborg Dyrehave or Jægersborgs Hegn.

The Deer Park (Dyrehaven)

The history of The Deer Park goes all the way back to 1669, where the Danish King decided to fence some part of the forest and let deer live freely. His intention was to use the park for hurting purposes. Today, the park is covering approximately 1000 hectares which is about 11 square kilometers (4.2 sq. miles). The park is mostly cultivated woodland and grassland, and is by far the most visited nature reserve in Denmark. Annually, the park has about 7.5 million visitors.

The biggest attraction is the large amount of wild deer living in the park. More than 2000 deer are living freely within the park and can be seen all over the park. 1600 of the 2000 deer are Fallow deer, 300 are the larger Red deer and about 100 of them are Sika deer. Because of all the deer the entire park is fenced. The wild deer are habituated to people, so it is possible see them at a very short distance, which gives a very unique opportunity to take great photos and in general get a nice experience. Besides the deer the forest is home for a large number of different bird species. So it can easily be said that the park offers a super wildlife experience.

The park is very popular among the many people living around it. The park is located about 5 km (3 miles) from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), which is the largest Technical University in Denmark where about 9000 students are studying to become engineers. Many of people living close to the park uses it for runs, walks, bike trips, pick-nicks and horseback riding just to name a few.

Getting to the Park

It is very easy to get to Dyrehaven. From downtown Copenhagen the trains departs from Copenhagen Central Station and stops at Klampenborg Station which is located just east from the park. We can recommend to use Rejseplanen.dk or Google Maps to check departure times, both sites has English language available. The park is completely free to enter.

Annually Activities

In general it is very nice and quiet at Dyrehaven, where it is possible to enjoy the nature at its best. However, Dyrehaven is also the venue to several large events ever year. The two biggest events are differently the E-run and the Hubertusjagt.

The E-run (Eremitage Løbet)

The E-run is a short for the Eremitage-run which is a 13.3 km (8.3 miles) long run where 19.000 people are participating annually. The route is laid out throughout the entire park where the runners are passing by the large Eremitage plain (Eremitagesletten) and the Eremitage palace where there is a wonderful view over Oresund (Eastern sea). The event is taken place in fall and has been held each year since 1969. Over the years more than 600,000 people have completed the run, which is properly one of the most beautiful runs in Denmark. The run is very popular and for many of the participants it is great tradition. It is also a run where many people are showing up just to watch and cheer.

Hubertusjagt (Drag hunting)

Another very popular annually activity at The Deer Park is the Hubertusjagt which is a modern version of the old Drag hunting where a scent was dragged over a course, typically in natural environments like a forest. The Hubertusjagt is a long ride, typically about 15 kilometers (9 miles) which includes about 30 smaller barriers or obstacles. Most of these obstacles are hurdles which the horses must jump. However, the most popular obstacle of the competition is the place where all the contestants has to go through a pond, which is called Magasindammen or The Magasin Pond in English. The pond is about 20-30 cm (8-12 inch) deep and filled with cold water and mud. Usually one or more riders fall of their horses into the water - which is properly what all the spectators are hoping for. The race takes place annually on the first Sunday in November and depending on the weather up to 40,000 people are spectating the race throughout the entire forest and enjoying all the horses and the beautiful, and very colorful, forest.

About 160 riders are participating in the contest, where 130 are adult riders and about 30 are pony riders. The race takes several hours including breaks - so there are good opportunities to move around in the forest and to see different parts of the race. The history of the race goes back to the year of 1900 and has taken place each year since.

Sources:
naturstyrelsen.dk/naturoplevelser/naturguider/dyrehaven/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A6gersborg_Dyrehave
hubertusjagt.dk/default.htm

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