One evening in Copenhagen, my most vivid memories were of the Round Tower in the old town and the Little Mermaid by the sea. As dusk approached, we stumbled upon the Round Tower by chance. Nestled between two small buildings, it seemed rather unassuming at first glance. It wasn’t until we consulted a map that we realized it was a famous landmark. This led me to utter a phrase that had become commonplace during my travels over the past six months: “Since we’re here, let’s go.”

After purchasing tickets, we entered the Round Tower and were greeted by a spiraling staircase leading upwards. It’s said that the tower was built to serve as a combined astronomical observatory, student church, and university library in its time. After reading about it online, I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the ramp inside the tower stretches for 209 meters, which posed a challenge for us after a long day of walking. However, we were determined to ascend to the top and explore.

Each floor of the Round Tower features two arched window openings. As the sunlight of the setting sun filtered through, it cast golden contours on the walls, creating a masterpiece of art. Slowly but steadily, we made our way upwards, and with each step, the view outside became increasingly expansive. Yet, the staircase grew narrower, until we could only ascend in a single file.

Finally, we reached the top level, where a circular platform had been built around the tower’s pinnacle. From here, we truly had a panoramic view of Copenhagen’s old town. We stood, feeling the breeze against our faces, leaning against the railing as we admired the sunset casting its golden filter over the city. In that moment, we felt ourselves becoming part of this golden oil painting that was Copenhagen.