To make an air sightseeing over Copenhagen was the most magic way I ever seen the Danish capital. Not only did I see al the famous tourist spots from an unusual angel. I also did get the experience of flying with an seaplane. It was just a wow experience.
The plane
Nordic Sea Planes is the only commercial seaplane company in Europe, flying Copenhagen – Aarhus on a daily basis. How ever is also have some more touristic flights like the Copenhagen Air Sightseeing. Its a 20 min flights 500 meters above Copenhagen in a DHC-6-300 Twin Otters. The plane fits as most 16 passenger in a 1-2 configuration. So be sure to not be the last person to board. To get a aisle seat will take away a lot of the fun. The seatings are simple and ain’t made for longer flights. However I did like that I could see in to the cockpit from my seat.
Landmarks during your air sightseeing
When you fly at 500 meter height you will se al over Copenhagen and al the way to Sweden. Its a great way to explore the city and faster than any other ways. Even if you don’t get a guide who tells you what you see, air sightseeing is with no doubt the best and most uniq way to see the city.
Amalienborg and Marmor Church
Amalienborg is the home of the Danish Queen Margrethe built between 1748 -1760. The castle is actually four different palace built for some noble families. But have been the home of the royal family since 1794 when the Christiansborgs palace burnt down. Just a little west of Amalienborg is the Marmorkirke or Fredriks church which is its formal name. The Marmorkirke took mainly because of bad finances 150 year to complete. From the beginning the idea was that is should be a part of the celebration of the Oldenburgs 300 year of the Danish crown. But yea, it took a little to long time to build for that. One thing that surprised me was how close the air sightseeing was allowed to fly.
Christiansborgs palace
Christiansborgs Palace was the home of the royal family until 1794 when the moved to. Amalienborg after a fire. But Christiansborg can trace it’s roots as far back as 1167 and have been royal since 1417. Today Christiansborg is home to the Danish Parliament and national court as well as representation rooms for the danish royal family. What you see from the air sightseeing today is actually the fifth palace built on the same place in central Copenhagen.
Copenhagen Opera house
Copenhagen Opera house is a stunning building independent from what angel you see it from. The opera house was a donation from A.P. Møller and Chastine McKinney Møller Foundation to the Danish people in August 2000. It’s one of the most modern and expensive opera houses in the world. It costed 2,5 billion DKK to built and can seat 1492 people. The opera house was designed by architect Henning Larsen whio after it was built called it a “mausoleum” for Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller.
Copenhill
Even if you cant get as high as the air sightseeing takes you, Copenhill is a good try. Its one of the coolest power plants I ever seen. Instead of looking it in as an industrial area, Copenhill is an al year artificial ski slope and climbing wall. This is not bad for a country without mountains. It was opened for the public in 2019.
Nyhavn
Nyhavn is a little tricky to see from the air sightseeing, but if you know what to look for you will find it. It’s one of the most iconic places of Copenhagen and the most popular place to sink a beer. Even if it have a history of a hard nightlife it’s totally different today. The area is renovated and most people there are tourists trying to find out where H C Andersen lived or just want to rest and get something to eat. Its also a greta place to walk to after your air sightseeing. Its just to follow the harbor.
Some advise
The boarding to the air sightseeing starts 20 minutes before departures. But I would be there earlier making sure I can get a window seat onboard. The flight can be a little bumpy at the start and landing, so if you are sensitive… Maybe this is not the right activity for you. If you are looking for a well located apartment I would look for something around the Meat district i Vesterbro. Or if you have an early departure the next day look for an airport hotel. Finally Copenhagen is a simple city to get around in. However, as a visitor its always good to have a travel adviser in your pocket.