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Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital, where the sights are many and the distances small. Copenhagen is also the largest city in Scandinavia and the center of the Øresund region, which has developed rapidly in Denmark and Sweden since the opening of the Øresund Bridge in 2000.
Copenhagen’s medieval profile with the many beautiful towers is unforgettable, and a stroll or sailing through the city is very evocative and a must during a visit. Also, walk through the small streets and alleys that often provide surprising views of the famous and new sights.
Tivoli, Nyhavn and The Little Mermaid will be at most tourists’ level, but here are also many other things such as the political Christiansborg Castle, the Royal Amalienborg Castle and beautiful churches with the Marble Church, Copenhagen Cathedral and Holy Spirit Church as some of the best known.
Gastronomically, culturally and in terms of shopping, Copenhagen offers a number of good experiences. Visit, for example, the State Museum of Art, Rosenborg and the Glyptoteket and enjoy a relaxing hike with cafes and shopping on Strøget.
Rosenborg Castle is a pleasure castle that King Christian IV built 1606-1634 on this site, which at the time was outside the city ramparts and thus almost in the countryside, despite the proximity to the Danish capital.
The castle was built in the Dutch Renaissance and is one of Copenhagen’s finest buildings. Christian IV greatly appreciated being at Rosenborg, which he often used as a residence when he was in Copenhagen. It was also here that Christian IV died in 1648. After his death, the castle passed to King Frederik III and Queen Sophie Amalie. Rosenborg then remained a royal residence until the beginning of the 18th century, and Frederik IV was the last king to use the castle as a residence.
In the 18th century, a number of royal effects were collected at the castle, and with the fire in 1794 at Christiansborg, this use was reinforced, and gradually the idea of turning the castle into a museum emerged. Since 1838, the castle has been a museum, where you could see the interior and royal history. Rosenborg Castle is also home to the unique Rosenborg collections, which, in addition to paintings and porcelain, contain Denmark’s crown jewels and crown regalia.
You can experience the fine collections all around the castle, and in the basement is the Treasury, which opened in 1975. Here, among many effects, you can see King Christian III’s imperial sword, Christian IV’s Order of the Garter and his crown from 1596, the King’s Law, the despotic crown and the Danish crown jewels .
On the other floors, you can see many of Rosenborg Castle’s fine furnishings and furnishings. A place of particular interest is the Knight’s Hall on the 2nd floor. It was completed in 1624 as the castle’s last furnished room, and here you can see, for example, King Christian V’s twelve tapestries from the 1690s showing the king’s victories during the Scanian War in the years 1675-1679 and thrones; among others the one in which the absolute kings were anointed.
The National Museum is the state of Denmark’s main museum of history and culture, and its beginnings were the Royal Art Gallery, which was founded by King Frederik III in the middle of the 17th century.
The museum’s collections are so fine and rich that you can, for example, select individual subjects during a visit; it can be Denmark’s ancient times or eras from the rest of the country’s history. Here you can find antiques, ethnographic collections, coins and much more, in fact pretty much everything the heart could desire from museum objects, and there are also collections from abroad.
Among the museum’s highlights are the copies of the Golden Horns from the 4th century Germanic Iron Age, the Sun Chariot from around 1350 BC. and thereby the Bronze Age, the Gundestrup vessel from the Roman Iron Age around the birth of Jesus and the Bronze Age girl Egtvedpigen, who was placed in a burial mound around 3,300 years ago.
A number of effects are thematically arranged in the main building, the Prince’s Palace, and in other buildings around Copenhagen. This applies, for example, to the interesting klunk home from around 1900 on Frederiksholms Kanal, the Frilandsmuseet in Sorgenfri and the Frihedsmuseet at Kastellet.
The Prince’s Palace was built in 1743-1744 as a residence for Crown Prince Frederik, the later King Frederik V. The State took over the building in 1849, and since 1892 the National Museum has been located here. The Prince’s Palace is an elegant rococo building in the French style.
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, commonly known as the Glyptoteket, is one of Copenhagen’s leading museums. It was built in 1897-1906 by Carlsberg’s brewer Jacobsen to house his private art collection.
The Glyptotek contains an ancient collection of mummies, sarcophagi, sculptures, Greek and Roman portraits, as well as the largest collection of Etruscan art outside Italy. The newer collection contains paintings from the Danish Golden Age and works by, for example, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin and Claude Monet.
The museum building itself is also very interesting. The central, subtropical conservatory is a beautiful oasis with many sculptures, and Hack Kampmann’s Greek-style ballroom is an impressive experience. In the basement floor is the mummy department, which was built as a trip to the pyramids and burial chambers of ancient Egypt.
From the outside, the main facade is inspired by the Venetian Renaissance with a triumphal arch portal, while the back of the building is built with similarities from the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Børsen or Copenhagen’s stock exchange building was built by King Christian IV in 1619-1640 as a large market hall. The building was lavishly decorated in Renaissance style with the breathtaking dragon spire centrally located on the roof. The dragon spire, which reaches 56 meters in height and consists of four twisted dragons, was completed in 1625, while the eastern gable was completed as the last part of the building in 1640.
The stock exchange measures 128 meters in length and 21 meters in width, and according to its function as a market, it has laid floors for several different things. In 1857, the building was acquired by the Grosserer-Societetet for 70,000 reichsdaler. In the deed it was stated that the society was to ensure the appearance of the building under the State’s supervision, and thereby the Stock Exchange effectively became the first listed building in the country. Later, Børsen came to house the Copenhagen Stock Exchange until 1974.
One detail is that Børsen flies a split flag, which is not normal for privately owned buildings. This is due to Børsen’s history; The Grosserer-Societetet bought the house directly from the king, and they took over the right for split flagging.
The stock exchange was ravaged by a large fire on 16 April 2024, where the famous dragon spire perished after a short fire. Therefore, the magnificent building cannot be seen in its splendor until a reconstruction has taken place.
Bishop Absalon founded Copenhagen with his castle on the exact spot where Christiansborg Castle is located today. The castle was gradually expanded, and it became Copenhagen Castle, which for centuries was the king’s residence and the forerunner of Christiansborg Castle.
Christian VI decided to demolish Copenhagen Castle and build a new one to be called Christiansborg. Copenhagen Castle was demolished in 1731, and two years later the king laid the foundation stone for the new castle. In 1794 the castle burned, and then the second Christiansborg was built, it was in the same style as the current castle church. The second castle also burned, that was in 1884.
The current, impressive castle was built in 1907-1928 according to Thorvald Jørgensen’s drawings. The tower is a central element and reaches a height of 103 meters high, making it Copenhagen’s tallest tower. In the tower, one of the capital’s most well-located restaurants is open for visitors with a classy view.
Behind the castle you can see the old riding tracks and Nicolai Eigtved’s pavilions towards the Marmorbroen, which was built by Eigtved in 1733-1745 and thus from the first Christiansborg.
In front of the castle stands Bissen’s equestrian statue of King Frederik VIII, and in the Palace Garden a statue of King Christian IX. Under the castle you can see remains of Bishop Absalon’s first castle, and in the riding track facilities you can see the Hofteatret from 1766, which is now the Theater Museum, and the Royal Stables and Carriages with, among other things, vehicles from 1770.
Christiansborg Castle was originally built as a royal residence, but today the castle houses the Danish Parliament, the Folketing, ministerial functions and royal representation rooms. There is access to a large part of Christiansborg, including the Folketing, where you can follow the political discussions.
Thorvaldsen’s Museum was built in 1839-1848 according to Thorvald Bindesbøll’s drawings; the style is Danish classicism. The museum contains the works of the world-famous sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and a collection of antiquities, among other things, which he donated to Copenhagen in 1838. His own works are, to a large extent, the original plaster models, which formed the basis for later castings.
The frieze on the museum’s facade depicts Thorvaldsen’s return from Rome in 1838; it was a place he had worked for 40 years. Thorvaldsen’s coffin stands in the museum’s courtyard.
The Rundetårn and Trinity Church buildings were built under King Christian IV. The construction of the complex started in 1637, and the tower was completed in 1642, while the church could only be consecrated in 1656. The round tower was built as an observatory, and its official name was Regium Stellæburgum Hafniense.
The distinctive tower is one of Copenhagen’s landmarks and is particularly known for the 209-metre-long spiral walkway that leads from street level to the viewing platform at the top at a height of 35 metres. The tower’s functions were partly as an observatory and partly as access to the university library, which was arranged on the top floor of Trinitatis Church. In 1716, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great visited Copenhagen, and during his visit he rode to the top of the Round Tower. His wife Katarina drove in the carriage.
The 60 meter high and 83 meter long Church of Our Lady is the cathedral of the Diocese of Copenhagen and thus the main church in the Danish capital.
The current church was built in classicist style by Christian Frederik Hansen in the period 1817-1829, but as early as 1185 there was mention of a church on this site. At that time the building was in the name of the Virgin Mary, but the consecration did not take place until around the year 1200. Formally, the church was a collegiate church for Roskilde Cathedral.
Although the city seems flat, this place was the highest in Copenhagen at the time. Here the first church was enthroned until such a devastating fire in 1314 that a new church had to be built. The second church burned was destroyed during the Copenhagen fire in 1728, when the church’s spire fell and contributed to major damage. A third church with a 120 meter high copper spire could be inaugurated in 1738.
However, this version of Our Lady’s Church had a short life. The church burned again in 1807, when the English attacked and terror-bombed neutral Copenhagen and shot at the church’s spire, which was the city’s tallest. After a full hit, the spire caught fire and fell over the church building itself.
The new building and thus the current church was built with partial use of masonry and the tower from the previous church. The style was the modern classicism of the time with clear inspiration from Greco-Roman buildings, and King Frederik VI laid the foundation stone. The Church of Our Lady received the status of cathedral for the kingdom’s capital in 1924.
Inside, the church is very stylish and with Bertel Thorvaldsen’s figures as the dominant decoration. The artist’s famous figure of Christ is an altar statue, and the twelve apostles stand along the walls of the nave. The baptismal font is also the work of Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Among the historic royal events that have taken place in the church are Queen Margrethe I’s wedding to the Norwegian King Håkon in 1363, the coronation of Christian IV in 1596 and the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Australian Mary Donaldson in 2004. Funerals include H.C. Andersen’s and Søren Kirkegaard’s, which happened from Our Lady’s Church. Both are buried at Assistens Kirkegård in Copenhagen.
The street with the canal Nyhavn’s cozy atmosphere is very famous and always attracts many Copenhageners and tourists. It is a must during a visit to the city and stands as a well-known landmark from many photographs of the Danish capital.
Nyhavn was laid out under King Christian V from 1670 and inaugurated under the name Nyhavnskanalen. A similar canal was intended to be dug parallel to Sankt Annæ Plads, but this plan was not realised, and thus Nyhavn stands as a unique part of the centre.
Many of the townhouses along the canal were built in Nyhavn’s youth, and several of them show the year of construction. The oldest house has number 9 and is from 1661; thereby it is older than the canal itself.
Nyhavn was for many years a harbor environment with pubs, sailors’ atmosphere and happy girls, but now the atmosphere is cozy and with access for everyone. In Nyhavn, bars and restaurants are lined up, and beautiful old wooden ships lie along the canal.
Adventure writer H.C. Andersen liked the atmosphere of the street a lot, and he lived here several times, it was in the stairs with numbers 18, 20 and 67.
As part of the Oldenborgs’ 300-year anniversary on the throne, a monumental church was to be built in the new Frederiksstaden district. It had to be at the end of the primary transverse axis.
The foundation stone for Frederik’s Church, which is often simply called the Marble Church, was laid by King Frederik V in 1749, but a long time had to pass before the church could be inaugurated. The church was built from 1749, and it was Nicolai Eigtved who was the architect until his death in 1754. Frenchman Nicolas-Henri Jardin joined the project in 1756, and his revised plans were a magnificent building that would be significantly larger than the later completed church. A few years after the death of Frederik V in 1766, however, construction was stopped.
For over a hundred years, the Marble Church stood as a never-completed ruin with pillar fragments and a varying building height. The evocative, but also sad status stopped when the financier C.F. Tietgen bought the church and the surrounding grounds in 1874. From 1849 it had been the property of the state and not the king. As a condition for the purchase, Tietgen had to complete the church.
In 1877, construction began again, and the church was consecrated in 1894. It was the architect Ferdinand Meldahl who was responsible for the majority of the construction, which he adjusted in relation to Jardin’s design. This meant that the side towers were looped, the height was reduced and the pillared entrances were made smaller or completely omitted.
The style of the church is Italian Baroque, and the impressive dome, with its span of 31 metres, is Europe’s third largest. Around the church are a number of statues representing ecclesiastical Danish personalities. Among them is Ansgar, who is also called the Apostle of the North, the poet-priest N.F.S. Grundtvig and Kirkegaard.
Inside the church you can experience a large and beautiful church room, the ceiling of which is divided into twelve fields, each adorned with a painting of one of Jesus’ disciples. You can also take the trip up into the dome, which partly gives an exciting look at many of the church’s details and partly offers a nice view over Copenhagen’s rooftops.
The Statens Museum for Art is Denmark’s national gallery, and it contains Danish and international art from the 14th century to the present day. Here you can experience a distinguished collection from the Danish Golden Age, and in the older collection you can see, among other things, works by Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Rubens, and in the modern one by Picasso, Edvard Munch and Matisse.
The museum’s collections go back to the Royal Art Gallery, which was established in the middle of the 17th century by King Frederik III. The Kunstkammer was dissolved in 1825, with its effects divided among several new museums; one of them was the newly established Statens Museum for Kunst.
The painting collection hung at Christiansborg Castle, and it was saved by the castle fire in 1884. The fire left the collection homeless, so a new museum had to be built. The Statens Museum for Art’s pompous museum building was then built in the years 1889-1896 according to the drawings of the architect Vilhelm Dahlerup. The inspiration is Italian Renaissance. Behind the museum, a modern extension was built in 1998.
The museum is located in the Østre Anlæg park, which is one of the remains from Copenhagen’s historic ramparts with bastions and moats. The site of the museum was formerly Peuckler’s Bastion. In Østre Anlæg you can also see the Denmark Monument, which originally stood in front of the Statens Museum for Art. The monument was erected in 1892 to commemorate the golden wedding of King Christian IX and Queen Louise, and it symbolically shows Mother Denmark with a shield and golden horn.
The world-famous Little Mermaid is a sculpture made by Edvard Eriksen in 1913. It was produced as an illustration by H.C. Andersen’s fairy tale, The Little Mermaid, and the mermaid sits on a stone at the water’s edge at the entrance to Copenhagen Harbour.
The sculpture was given as a gift to Copenhagen by brewer Carl Jacobsen, and since its inauguration it has been one of the city’s best-known and most popular tourist attractions. In 2010, the mermaid was brought to the World Expo in Shanghai, China, where it spent half a year.
Kastellet is an exceptionally well-preserved fortification, founded in 1624 by King Christian IV as Sankt Annæ Rampart. It was built as part of Copenhagen’s ramparts that surrounded the city centre. King Frederik III completed the facility, which was officially named Citadel Frederikshavn.
The castle was built as a citadel with five bastions and a moat, all of which can still be seen. Today, the castle is still the barracks, but the entire facility is open to the public, and it is a true oasis in the center of Copenhagen. Many Copenhageners go for walks here or go for a run on the bastions.
There are several beautiful buildings within the Kastellet’s bastions. Already from a distance you can see Kastelsmøllen, the only remaining of Kastellet’s mills; there was a transition one on each bastion. The mill was built as a grain mill in 1847, and it was in operation until 1903.
Of other buildings, you can see the beautiful entrance gates, staff buildings and the Kastel church, which was built in 1703-1704. The church was built as a garrison church, and in 1902 it also became an ordinary parish church. On the outside, the Kastel church is in simple baroque, and inside you can experience a strict and quite unadorned church space.
Opposite the Kastel church you can see the Kommandantgården, which was the official residence of the Kastel’s commander. The house was built in Baroque style in 1725, and it is today the official residence of the Danish Chief of Defense.
Amalienborg Castle is the residence of the Danish royal family and has been since Christiansborg’s fire in 1794.
However, the building history of the place stretches back to the 17th century, when Queen Sophie Amalie acquired a lot of land here in 1660, where she had the pleasure castle Sophie Amalienborg built in the years 1667-1673. The castle was built in Baroque style as a large Italian villa with gardens. Sophie Amalie died in the castle in 1685, and the place burned down in 1689. It happened in connection with an opera performance in a temporary building at the castle, and here an oil lamp started the fire.
The fire had left the castle’s church and garden intact, and King Christian V wanted to start the construction of a larger residence castle to replace the old Copenhagen Castle. However, the plans for a three-winged castle were not started and shelved after the king’s death in 1699.
It would take until the middle of the 18th century before anything happened again at Sophie Amalie’s old gardens. With the construction of Frederiksstaden, Frederiks Kirke and mansions around a square on the axis of the church were to form central elements. The four beautiful mansions, which together form one of Europe’s finest Rococo structures, were thus built centrally in Frederiksstaden according to Nicolai Eigtved’s plan from 1749. Four noble families received the plots of land in exchange for building the mansions according to Eigtved’s plan, and thereby the beautiful complex was realized.
High court marshal Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, Privy Councilor Count Christian Frederik von Levetzau, Baron Joachim von Brockdorff and Privy Councilor Baron Severin Leopoldus Løvenskiold were the ones who each initiated the construction of a mansion. Moltke’s mansion was the first to be completed in 1754. Today, the four mansions are called Christian IX’s Palace (to the southeast), Christian VII’s Palace (to the southwest), Christian VIII’s Palace (to the northwest) and Frederik VII’s Palace (to the northeast).
When the residence castle Christiansborg burned in 1794, the architect Caspar Frederik Harsdorf was appointed to rebuild Amalienborg and connect the king’s and crown prince’s mansions with the colonnade that has since spanned Amaliegade to the southwest on Amalienborg Slotsplads. During this rebuilding, the intermediate buildings of the mansions were also raised.
Queen Margrethe II’s residence palace is Christian IX’s Palace, while Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary live in Frederik VIII’s Palace. Christian VII’s Palace is a guest and representation palace, while Christian VIII’s Palace houses the Amalienborg Museum, which covers the royal family in the years 1863-1972. The museum is part of the Chronological Collection of the Danish Kings, the rest of which can be found at Rosenborg Castle. The museum is a good and, by the way, the only opportunity to see one of the beautiful mansions inside.
On Amalienborg Slotsplads stands Jacques-François-Joseph Saly’s equestrian statue from 1771 of Frederik V, who founded Frederiksstaden. The statue is considered among the world’s finest equestrian statues. Originally, the plan was for a large baroque monument crowned by an equestrian statue, but this only managed to be produced as a model.
When King Christian IV founded the new city of Christianshavn, it was intended as an independent market town, which was to have both a church and a town hall. The church was already planned in 1617, when it figured in Johan Semps’ sketch for a plan for the new town. A foundation was laid in 1620, and a temporary church was erected 1639-1641.
The current Church of Our Savior was built in the period 1682-1696 in the Dutch Baroque style. The church is particularly known for its external spiral staircase on the 86 meter high tower and spire, which was erected 1749-1752. Of the tower’s 400 steps, the last approximately 150 are on the outside of the tower in the open air. If you venture all the way to the top, you can enjoy perhaps the city’s most beautiful view. At the very top of the spire is a three-metre high, gilded figure of Christ.
However, the interior of the church is also quite interesting. Inside the Church of Our Saviour, you can see the large and impressive organ, which is original from the installation in 1698.
Rådhuspladsen is Copenhagen’s central square and modern centre. The history of the square goes back to the time of Copenhagen’s ramparts, when the place was the city’s straw square. Back then, it was immediately outside the Vesterport city gate and thus the actual city. On the site was part of Vestervold and two bastions: Schack’s and Gyldenløve’s Bastion.
The first major building came together with the Nordic art and industrial exhibitions that were held here in 1872 and 1889. In the years 1870-1872, the Industrial Association built the Industrial Building for the purpose. The building was inspired by the Italian Renaissance and was located where the current House of Industry is located (corner of Rådhuspladsen and Vesterbrogade).
For the exhibition in 1888, a large wooden exhibition hall was built at Martin Nyrop. This was crowned by a dome and stood in distinguished national romanticism. By the end of 1888, the hall had been demolished, and already at the beginning of 1889 the same Nyrop came up with a design proposal for a new town hall on the square. Nyrop later won a final competition for the town hall, and in 1892 excavation began for the building that is still home to the city government.
Copenhagen’s imposing town hall is built in Martin Nyrop’s national romantic style inspired by the Italian Renaissance in the period 1892-1905. The town hall is richly decorated inside and out. The Town Hall is magnificent, and you can also take the trip up the 105 meter high Town Hall Tower, which is only surpassed in height by the one at Christiansborg Castle. From the balconies in the Town Hall Tower there is a beautiful view over the whole of Copenhagen.
Incidentally, it is at Copenhagen’s Town Hall that prominent guests in the city are invited by the city’s mayor to eat town hall pancakes, and it is from the small balcony facing Town Hall Square that several sports stars have been honored over time. This applies, among other things, to the footballers who won European Championship gold for Denmark in 1992 after a 2-0 victory over Germany.
In addition to Copenhagen’s town hall, there are a number of other well-known buildings around Town Hall Square. The tower-adorned Palace Hotel (Rådhuspladsen 57) was built in beautiful Art Nouveau style in 1909-1910, while Politikens Hus (Rådhuspladsen 37), which also has a tower, was built and extended in the years 1904-1907.
On the Vesterbrogade side is the corner building Richshuset (Rådhuspladsen 16), which was built in 1936. Richshuset is one of Denmark’s best examples from the Art Deco era, and its name comes from the coffee substitute company C.F. Rich & Sønner, who had their seat here until 1969. The house is known for the Weather Maidens, who, together with a neon thermometer in the tower, form a characteristic corner decoration.
Opposite Richshuset is the House of Industry, built 1977-1979 and thoroughly remodeled 2011-2013. Next to this building is Tivoli and the Tivoli Castle, built in 1892-1893 by brewer Carl Jacobsen as a Museum of Art and Industry.
There are also a number of monuments on Rådhuspladsen. Next to the town hall building towards H.C. Andersens Boulevard you can see the popular statue of H.C. Andersen, which was inaugurated in 1965. Towards Vesterbrogade you can see the Dragon Fountain, the first modeling of which took place in 1889. The fountain was originally intended for a place on Amagertorv/Højbro Plads, but came to adorn Town Hall Square. From here it is not far to the Lurblæserne from 1911-1914 and the Land soldier with the Little Hornbæsler, which is from 1899 and commemorates the Schleswig Wars in the 19th century.
Finally, one can also find one of Copenhagen’s four so-called zero point stones, which stand at the city’s four historic city gates; Vesterport, Østerport, Nørreport and Amagerport. These stones indicate the distance to cities around the capital. On the Town Hall Square stands Vesterport’s stone with the distance to Kalundborg and Roskilde, among others.
Today, Christiansborg Palace Church stands in classicism from the 19th century, but the ecclesiastical history of Christiansborg and Copenhagen Castle stretches back to Bishop Absalon’s castle from the 12th century. Even then, there is believed to have been a chapel in connection with the castle. Services were also held at Copenhagen Castle, which succeeded Absalon’s castle.
With the construction of the first Christiansborg under King Christian VI, the castle also had to have a church, and the choice fell on an independent building connected by a corridor. The architect Nicolai Eigtved was behind the design, which was inspired by the palace church in France’s Versailles, and the church was built in the years 1738-1742. The dedication was held on 27 November 1740, which was the day after the royal family had moved into Christiansborg.
In the first church several events managed to take place. In 1746, Christian VI was laid on the castrum doloris before his burial, and the same happened to Frederik V in 1766. The following year, the anointing of Christian VII took place in the castle church; it was the only one of these autocratic anointings of the time that was not carried out in Frederiksborg Palace Church. In 1794, the church, along with the rest of Christiansborg, met its end in the fire that hit the buildings.
With the plans for the second Christiansborg, it was thought again to integrate the church into the castle, but the choice fell on reusing the still standing outer walls and room divisions, and in the period 1813-1826 the current church was built on the ruins of the burned down church. The consecration took place on 14 May 1826, and it was part of the celebration of the thousandth anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark.
The style of the castle church is classicism, and it was built by C.F. Hansen. Especially inside, the building is very beautiful with the elegant dome construction. The current church, like its predecessor, has provided space for many large events; the later king Christian X was both baptized and confirmed here, and Christian IX, Frederik VIII, Christian X and Frederik IX were all laid to rest on the castrum doloris here. In recent years, Prince Christian, second in the Danish line of succession, was baptized in the castle church in 2006.
The opera is the name of the Royal Theatre’s opera house on Holmen. The opera was built by and donated to the Danish state by shipowner Mærsk McKinney-Møller from A.P. Møller-Mærsk, whose corporate domicile is in the white office buildings on the opposite side of the harbor as seen from the Opera. The opera building itself acts as the end of the Amalienborg axis, which at the opposite end starts at Frederiks Kirke (Marble Church).
The opera building was designed by Henning Larsen, and it was inaugurated in 2005. There are a total of 14 floors, of which 5 are underground. There are two stages in the building, with the Store Stage holding 1,500-1,700 spectators depending on the extent of the orchestra pit in the individual setup. The Takkelloft can house 180 spectators.
Inside, a number of well-known artists have created works that can be enjoyed in the beautiful rooms. Here you can see, among other things, four bronze reliefs by Danish Per Kirkeby and three chandeliers by Danish-Icelandic Olafur Eliasson. Per Arnoldi has been responsible for the color scheme in the opera building, which is imbued with distinguished material choices and excellent craftsmanship.
Strøget is Copenhagen’s famous business street, which, with a length of more than a kilometer, is considered the world’s longest pedestrian street. Until 1962, the five streets that together form Strøget were completely ordinary streets with both car, bus and tram traffic. In 1962, Strøget was made Denmark’s first pedestrian street as an experiment. Two years later, the experiment was made permanent, and since then locals and tourists have been able to enjoy the street’s many shops, restaurants and attractions.
When you take a walk along Strøget, you can enjoy the atmosphere together with both locals and tourists. There are also a number of buildings worth seeing along the way, starting with Rådhuspladsen at one end and Kongens Nytorv at the other. You can see, for example, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the House of the Holy Spirit, whose history goes back to the 13th century.
The history of the Church of the Holy Spirit goes back to the end of the 13th century, when Bishop Johannes Krag founded the House of the Holy Spirit as a secular hospital for the poor, sick or lonely elderly citizens. Helligåndshuset still stands at Helligåndskirken and, with its construction in 1296, it is one of Copenhagen’s oldest houses.
In 1469, King Christian I turned the House of the Holy Spirit into a monastery. The house formed the western wing of a four-winged monastery complex, while the Church of the Holy Spirit was the southern one. With the Reformation, the monastery was closed around 1530, and the House of the Holy Spirit became secular again. With the Reformation, the church was made into an ordinary parish church.
The origin of the Church of the Holy Spirit is not known with certainty, but a church is believed to have been on the site as early as the 14th century. In connection with the establishment of the monastery in 1469, the church had a high central nave, two low side naves and a short choir. After the monastery was founded, the choir was built longer, and in the 16th century the church tower was added.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Christian IV set up a form of work and education institution in the monastery buildings, but the successor on the throne, Frederik III, closed down the place and sold the buildings. The Church of the Holy Spirit took over the House of Holy Spirit, but the rest of the monastery was demolished. From the 1650s, Helligåndshuset functioned as a burial chapel, which was the case until 1858, when burials within Copenhagen’s ramparts were prohibited.
The medieval church was pretty much destroyed in 1728 during the Copenhagen fire. The tower collapsed, the vaults fell and the church burned down. It was rebuilt in the years 1730-1732, but as only parts of the outer walls could be reused, it was practically a new church that was built. In terms of style, the church also came to stand in contemporary architecture; however with some historical details such as vaults in the church room. However, a beautiful baroque portal from 1620 was saved and stands as part of the new church; it is the portal by the armory.
The biggest later rebuilding took place at the end of the 1870s, when a number of details were changed. The church tower was, for example, returned to that of the former church; it was done using a drawing by van Wijk from 1611.
Inside there are several things worth seeing. The church itself is bright and spacious, and if you look at the art, the altarpiece is from the 18th century. Of the church’s two baptismal fonts, one is made of marble, and it was prepared by Bertel Thorvaldsen around 1820 as a copy of the one he had made for Brahetrolleborg Church. The baptismal font first came to Helligåndskirken in 1939, where it was bought in England, where Thorvaldsen had delivered it.
Today, Helligåndskirken still functions as a church under the Danish National Church, while Helligåndshuset is set up as an event venue, where various activities take place on an ongoing basis. The complex looks beautiful from Strøget, where throughout the 16th and 18th centuries there were stalls which provided income for the church; it was in 1528 that so-called Lærredsboder was established.
Large parts of the area between Nyhavn and Børsen were formerly an island called Bremerholm. King Christian III built a naval shipyard on Bremerholm, which was then simply called Holmen. This name took over the fleet with the area on the Christianhavner side of Copenhagen Harbor when the naval shipyard later moved there.
In 1562-1563, King Frederik II built an anchor forge for King Christian III’s shipyard. Despite the industrial purpose, the building was built very nicely and richly detailed, as it was located immediately next to the king’s castle, and therefore it had to be a nice and representative sight for the eye.
In 1619, King Christian IV arranged a marine church in the old anchorage. It was rebuilt in the typical Renaissance style in which many of Christian IV’s buildings are built; eg Rosenborg Castle and Frederiksborg Castle. The first marine church had quickly become too small, and the current cross church was built in the 1640s.
Over time, there have been certain alterations and additions to the marine church; among other things by the long building along the water, the so-called Great Chapel from the beginning of the 18th century. A number of crypts and chapels have been arranged in the 59 meter long building.
Holmens Church’s altarpiece dates from 1661, the baptismal font from 1662, and both were carved by Abel Schrøder. Among the other interesting interiors of the church and chapel are the beautiful stucco ceilings and the sarcophagi of naval heroes Peter Tordenskjold and Niels Juel.
Among recent major events in the church was Crown Princess Margrethe’s baptism in 1940. The later Queen Margrethe II was also married here; it happened on 10 June 1967, when she married French Henri, who on that occasion became Prince Henrik.
The Royal Theater is Denmark’s most famous theater stage. Vilhelm Dahlerup’s theater building was built in 1872-1874 as a replacement for the previous theater from 1748. The style of the building is inspired by the Renaissance.
In front of the theater there are two statues of Ludvig Holberg and Adam Oehlenschläger, respectively, whose works have been performed at the theater many times. The Royal Theater is magnificently furnished, and the large, oldest hall can accommodate approximately 1,500 spectators.
In 1931, the theater was expanded with Den Nye Scene, popularly called Stærekassen, and mainly plays are performed here. The starling box itself is finely decorated. You will find the building in Tordenskjoldsgade, which is located in the side street east of Den Gamle Scene. The Stærekassen was closed as a stage with the opening of the Skuespilhuset in 2008, and it is used today for many different events.
From the area in the corner of Kongens Nytorv at the start of Nyhavn’s quays, you can take a canal and harbor cruise and experience Copenhagen from the water side. It is a good opportunity to form an overview of the relatively large, interesting area around the harbor and along the canals on Amager and around Slotsholmen.
There are several different operators of canal and harbor tours, and in addition to these guided tours, you can take the city’s harbor buses, which, among other things, dock at the opposite end of Nyhavn at the Skuespilhuset.
The Botanical Garden is located in Copenhagen’s green belt, which formerly formed the city’s ramparts and moats. The garden belongs to the University of Copenhagen and is a lovely recreational area close to the city centre.
The garden is the fourth botanical garden in Copenhagen, and it was laid out in 1871. In addition to thousands of different plants, there are almost 30 greenhouses, the most beautiful and most interesting of which is the 2,400 square meter palm house made of glass, wood and cast iron, which was completed in 1874.
The city’s first botanical garden was established in 1600 in the current Krystalgade by Fiolstræde. The second and third gardens were founded in 1752 and 1778 respectively; their locations were in the area by Amaliegade and by Charlottenborg’s castle garden.
King Christian IV had charming Nyboder built in 1631-1641 as the world’s first townhouse development. The houses were originally built for the people of the navy and their families. Nyboder was located in the so-called New Copenhagen, which almost doubled the area of the Danish capital through an expansion to the east. Nyboder is almost the only remnant of the buildings from New Copenhagen, as most of the other homes were renovated in the 1940s; however, you can see Møntmestergården from 1683 in Den Gamle By in Aarhus.
The houses in Nyboder were originally around 40 m², and they were gradually remodeled and extended. One of the original blocks of houses from 1631 can be seen in Sankt Pauls Gade, where at number 24 you can visit Nyboder’s Memorial Rooms. This block is the only one with one floor, while the others have two floors and were built in the years 1757-1795.
One of the characteristics of Nyboder is the characteristic yellow color of the building. However, the houses were painted in the national red and white colors when they were built. Between all the townhouse blocks you can see a statue of the builder, King Christian IV. It was erected in 1900 and stands on the corner of streets Krokodillegade and Kronprinsessegade.
Copenhagen Central Station was inaugurated in 1911, and the large station halls are the Nordic region’s finest example of the magnificent railway constructions of the time. The architect behind the large building is Heinrich Wenck, who had already drawn up several proposals for a sumptuous railway station building in 1898-1902.
The central station was originally divided into a departure hall facing Vesterbrogade and an arrival hall facing the six platform halls. At Track 1 towards Tivoli there is access to the trains from the royal waiting rooms; just as there were originally waiting rooms for travelers in 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. In terms of track, Copenhagen Central Station was a so-called sack railway station when it opened, but with the establishment of the boulevard line towards Østerport in 1921, the tracks were carried through to the north and thereby towards Hillerød and Helsingør. Future plans include the opening of the Cityringen in the Copenhagen metro; with it, the main station appears on the metro map.
Copenhagen’s current main railway station is the city’s third. The first railway station was opened in 1847, when the line between Copenhagen and Roskilde was inaugurated as the first in what is now Denmark. The railway station was called Copenhagen Station and was located perpendicular to today’s railway station. The tracks led west and along Halmtorvet and Sønder Boulevard. The station was outside Copenhagen’s ramparts, and therefore it was built of wood for military reasons. The building was demolished in 1865.
The second railway station was built in 1863-1864, and it was located around Axelborg and Palads close to Vesterport Station. At the time, the surroundings were so rural that, in addition to the station, a director’s villa was also built, and later the station area was expanded considerably. However, the space quickly became too narrow, and all traffic continued to be routed over Lake Sankt Jørgens Sø.
Christianshavns Kanal is a canal that was dug and built at the same time as the Christianshavn district; that is, during the time of King Chistian IV in the 17th century. The canal made it possible from the start that goods could be sailed all the way into the new district.
Today, the canal is firmly on the program on canal cruises, and it’s easy to understand. There are always quite a few different kinds of boats here, which with the many old buildings as backdrops create a very beautiful atmosphere with a calmness that is not found in many places in the middle of a big city.
If you follow the canal in a south-westerly direction, you come to the modern apartment blocks, which are a contrast to the older buildings in the streets between Torvegade and Bådsmandsstræde.
Tivoli is Copenhagen’s lovely amusement park from 1843 and an absolute must when visiting the Danish capital. The park is built on Copenhagen’s old moat area, and the Tivoli Lakes are also part of the city’s historic moat.
The garden is Denmark’s most visited attraction, with more than four million visitors a year, and this is easily understood by the fairy-tale atmosphere with the colored lamps, flowers, benches and fountains.
Countless rides entertain children of all ages, and among the popular activities is the roller coaster, built in 1914, making it one of the world’s oldest. The slide gives the illusion of an alpine landscape and is built as a wooden skeleton with fiberglass surfaces. As something special, there is a brakeman on the trains.
Christmas time is also special in Tivoli, where there is a wonderful Christmas market in true Tivoli style.
Frederiksberg Castle was built as a summer castle in the period 1699-1703 by King Frederik IV, who got inspiration for the construction especially in Italy. As crown prince, the king had been on an educational trip to Italy, and with inspiration from the trip, he himself drew the first sketches for what became Frederiksberg Castle a few years later.
After the castle was completed, it was first expanded in the years 1708-1709. A floor was built here, where there was, among other things, a new dance hall. Two side wings and the castle’s church were also built here. The castle was expanded again in 1732-1738 under King Christian VI, when Lauritz de Thurah built the rounded building as an extension of the side wings.
Among the kings who lived in and maintained Frederiksberg Castle were Frederik IV, Christian VII and Frederik VI, and famous guests over time include, for example, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, who visited Frederik IV in 1716. The last royal resident was King Frederik VI’s widow, Queen Marie, who died in 1852.
After having been uninhabited since 1852, the castle passed to the army, which in 1869 set up the Army Officers School at Frederiksberg Castle. It still has that function, but on special occasions you can still go on tours, where not least the castle church is beautifully decorated. Here you can also see the famous bathroom where historical episodes took place.
It was at Frederiksberg Castle that the drama surrounding Queen Caroline Mathilde’s relationship with King Christian VII’s physician, Struensee, unfolded. The couple had a child, and Struensee effectively took over more and more of the king’s political considerations. After a masquerade ball in 1772, the relationship was broken with Struensee’s execution on wheels and steeples and the queen’s imprisonment and later deportation to Celle in Germany.
Grundtvig’s Church is located on top of Bispebjerg in Copenhagen’s northwest quarter. The church is named after the priest and poet Niels Frederik Severin Grundtvig, who is one of Denmark’s greatest church personalities; among other things, he founded the folk high schools.
The foundation stone for Grundtvig’s Church was laid in 1919, and the church was consecrated in Kåre Klint’s design in 1940. The church is a modern version of Gothic, European cathedrals. There are 22 meters to the vault inside the 76 meter long church. The tower is 49 meters high and crowns this Copenhagen’s largest church building.
Frederiksborg Castle is one of the most beautiful sights in Northern Europe and belongs among the world’s prettiest and most architecturally harmonious castles.
King Frederik II bought the Hillerødsholm manor in 1560 and renamed it Frederiksborg. He had buildings erected in places outside Frederiksborg proper, including the entrance complex with the two round corner towers (from 1562) and the stable buildings (from the 1570s), which are some of the oldest preserved.
King Christian IV was born at Frederiksborg in 1577, and his association with it meant that he had the current particularly beautiful Renaissance castle built, which is unique in its size and splendor.
Frederiksborg Castle burned down in 1859, but the sumptuous castle church from 1606 has been preserved. The other parts were rebuilt as the original construction, and the castle was then inaugurated as a national history museum.
Of the many rooms, the great Knights’ Hall, the Knights’ Room and the Audience Hall are among the many highlights. In the castle church you can see the wooden organ from 1610, it was built by Esaias Compenius in Braunschweig. The pulpit and altarpiece were made by Jacob More from Hamburg and erected in 1615.
In the outer castle courtyard you can see the beautiful Neptune fountain from 1621, built under King Christian IV. The fountain’s theme and design pay tribute to the king as ruler of the Baltic Sea.
The baroque garden north of the castle was laid out under Frederik IV, who around 1700 traveled in Italy and France, where he found inspiration. The garden was then laid out in the 1720s by Johan Cornelius Kriger, and after having been abandoned for many years, it was recreated in the 1990s.
In the large open landscaped garden northwest of Frederiksborg Castle is the Badstueslottet, built in 1580 with a sauna, kitchen and living room. Here the king could hold parties with friends outside the actual castle.
Fredensborg Castle was built in Baroque style in 1719-1724 by King Frederik IV, but it was later expanded. The castle got its name after the peace settlement of the Great Nordic War, which raged in the first decades of the 18th century.
The castle is today the royal family’s summer residence and thus one of Denmark’s actively used royal castles. There is therefore no public access to the buildings, which often house large banquets in connection with e.g. state visits.
You can of course enjoy the castle from the outside, and it is also worth seeing the castle park, which is laid out as a beautiful sculpture park with, among other things, figures and vases from the 18th century. The castle park leads west down to Esrum Sø.
Louisiana is a famous museum of modern art, which opened its doors in 1959. The collections contain both Danish and international art, including works by Picasso and Andy Warhol.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Louisiana is not the art in isolation, but rather the interaction between the art and the museum’s architecture, as well as the location by the water, which forms a unique, beautiful setting for the museum’s exhibitions.
Kronborg Castle is one of Denmark’s national symbols and known throughout the world as Hamlet’s Castle. The location with the water on three sides is very beautiful, and the castle complex is one of Denmark’s most beautiful and impressive. Kronborg is also on UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage.
Kronborg was built and named Krogen by Erik of Pomerania, and the purpose was to collect Øresund customs from passing ships. The smaller Krogen became the current Kronborg under King Frederik II, who in 1574-1585 built the castle in the Dutch Renaissance style. During this time, bastions were also built and a rampart was dug.
Kronborg was at the time the largest castle in Northern Europe, and in the 1590s Shakespeare described it as the castle of the Danish prince Hamlet.
From 1785-1924, Kronborg was the barracks, and subsequently the castle was gradually converted into a museum and opened to the public. The Danish Trade and Maritime Museum is also located here. Among the castle’s interior, you can see the 63×11 meter Ballroom and the King’s Hall with the tapestries from the 1580s. In Kronborg’s casemates you can see the statue of Holger Danske – the Viking who wakes up to death when Denmark is threatened by enemies.
In the town of Roskilde, west of Copenhagen, you can see the impressive Roskilde Cathedral, which rises above the rest of the city with its majestic twin towers. It is one of the country’s largest churches and included in UNESCO’s list of world cultural heritage.
Roskilde Cathedral was built in the 12th-13th century in Gothic style. The church is the burial church of the royal family, and approximately 40 royals are buried here, including the Viking king Svend Tveskæg, who was originally buried in the church building that stood on the site before the current one, and the regent of all of Scandinavia, Queen Margrethe I.
Malmö is a kind of capital of Southern Sweden and it is at the same time a big city and a city, where most sights and activities are within comfortable walking distance of each other. It offers great experiences with a wide variety of opportunities, no matter where the starting point is.
Malmö’s Danish history is expressed, among other things, through distinguished buildings from this long period; these include, for example, Malmøhus Castle, central town houses and the large and atmospheric Saint Petri Church. Some of the town houses from this time form the old Malmö, and you can enjoy some of the places in good mood at restaurants that are decorated in the cellars today.
Reberbanegade
amagercentret.dk
Arne Jacobsens Allé 12
fields.dk
Kalvebod Brygge 59
fisketorvet.dk
Falkoner Allé 21
frederiksberg-centret.dk
Østergade 52
illum.dk
Kongens Nytorv 13
magasin.dk
Lygten 21
noerrebrobycenter.dk
Bomuldsgade 4
spinderiet.dk
Frederiksborggade 21
torvehallernekbh.dk
Tuborg Havnevej 4-8
waterfront-shopping.dk
Strøget, Kompagnistræde, Läderstræde, Østerbrogade, Vesterbrogade, Nørrebrogade, Amagerbrogade, Bredgade, St. Kongensgade
Bakken
Dyrehaven, Klampenborg
bakken.dk
The Blue Planet
Kastrup
denblaaplanet.dk
Experimentarium
Tuborg Havnevej 7
experimentarium.dk
Experimentarium City
Trangravsvej 10-12
experimentarium.dk
Geological Museum
Øster Voldgade 5-7
geologi.snm.ku.dk
Teknisk Museum
Fabriksvej 25, Helsingør
tekniskmuseum.dk
Tivoli
Vesterbrogade/Axeltorv
tivoli.dk
Tycho Brahe Planetarium
Gl. Kongevej 10
planetarium.dk
Zoo
Roskildevej 32
zoo.dk
Zoological Museum
Universitetsparken 15
zoologi.snm.ku.dk
In the Copenhagen area, settlements have existed for more than 6,000 years, and from around the year 700 there was a permanent fishing village in the place that today forms the center of the city. Traces of boat bridges have been found at Gammel Strand, and the remains of a Viking farm have been excavated around Kongens Nytorv.
It is believed that the harbor of the fishing camp was around today’s Vingårdsstræde and that from here they were fished for herring and sailed to Skåne. From the harbor there are roads that ran along what later became the shopping street and the shopping street.
Copenhagen were first mentioned in 1043 with the name Harbor, which was still a rather insignificant village by the sea. As trade in the area increased, not least between Roskilde and the capital Lund in the Danish Skåne, the port gradually grew.
In 1150, King Valdemar the Great granted Bishop Absalon power over the Port, and in 1167 he founded the new castle and with the city of the merchants, Copenhagen. The castle acted both as a residence and as a fort to keep pirates away from the ever-larger city.
Copenhagen’s growing prosperity made the city a new competitor in the Baltic Sea region, and northern German Lübeck attacked the city twice in the 13th century. Both times, Copenhagen was quickly rebuilt. These were also the years when Bishop Erlandsen granted Copenhagen city rights; it happened in 1254.
By 1334, the population had reached 5,000 people, and Gammeltorv was now an important meeting place in the country. The city’s development had also attracted many Germans, which contributed to increased development. In the middle of the century, royal power conquered Copenhagen from the church, but before long it was a downturn for the city.
In 1368, a naval attack from the Hanseatic League, and Copenhagen was destroyed. The city’s castle was also destroyed on that occasion, and after that Copenhagen’s growth was put back for a number of years. The king returned the city to the church in 1375, and the population is believed to have been around 4,000 at this time.
In 1397, Copenhagen became the center of the unified North during the Kalmar Union. It happened when Queen Margrethe I married the King of Norway. She also became the real ruler of Sweden and other areas of the Union. However, Copenhagen was still the city of the church, as it was Roskilde Bishop who decided here.
In 1417, King Erik of Pomerania regained power over Copenhagen from the church, and the city now became the residence of the regents.
Copenhagen was central to the Kingdom, which consisted of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the city flourished and quickly also became a military and political center. King Christian I was the first to be crowned in Copenhagen, and he initiated the construction of new buildings and institutions, including Copenhagen Castle and the University, dating from 1479.
The Reformation reached Denmark and Copenhagen in 1536, but in the years before there had been domestic strife, which ended with King Christian III throwing the bishops into prison and proclaiming the Protestant faith which remains the state religion of Denmark.
In 1596, Christian IV was crowned king, and in his reign he made a mark on someone in Copenhagen. Many of the city’s finest buildings have been erected during his time, including Rosenborg, Round Tower, Børsen, Nyboder, the Christianshavn district and the beautiful Frederiksborg Castle.
The area of Copenhagen was almost doubled with the expansion to the north and to Christianshavn, both of which were within the new violence facilities that were established. On the same occasion, the harbor was greatly developed, and to house the many new sailors in the larger fleet, the townhouses in Nyboder were erected.
Unfortunately, Denmark had lost Skåne, Halland and Blekinge in 1658, and as a result, a reign was held in Copenhagen in 1660. At that meeting the nobility was abolished in favor of the monarchy.
Despite the fact that Copenhagen was no longer the center of the kingdom, the city grew steadily, and in the early 18th century 60,000 people lived in the city, all of which were still mainly referred to the small area of the original medieval towns .
The Great Nordic War broke out in the year 1700, and Denmark became allied with Russia’s Peter the Great in the battles against Sweden. A Swedish-English-Dutch fleet defeated and bombed Copenhagen that year, but the city came through the attack without major damage. One consequence of the action, however, was that Denmark withdrew from the war for a time, and Copenhagen’s fortification was expanded to make the city less vulnerable to any recurrence.
In 1711, the city was hit by a plague epidemic in which a third of the population died, and later in the century Copenhagen was hit by two major serious fires, in 1728 and again in 1795, which destroyed large areas of the city. It became the starting point for a large new building of larger stone houses, which can be seen in some of the city’s neighborhoods today.
The destruction of the city continued in 1801 and 1807, with the English Navy bombing Copenhagen from the sea during what is considered the world’s first terrorist bombing.
In 1801, English Lord Nelson had defeated the Danish capital, without any real attack on the city. In 1807, when England wanted to prevent the neutral large Danish fleet from falling into the hands of French Napoleon, the city was besieged from the month of August. A colossal bombardment was launched on September 2, and it lasted until September 5. 1,600 inhabitants died, 300 houses and the city’s tallest church tower were destroyed, along with much else.
Terrorist bombing, among other things, used new rocket types that set fire to the city and hit civilian targets. After the bombing, England seized the Danish fleet and without it Copenhagen could not maintain its leading and lucrative trading position in the Baltic Sea area.
Following the English terrorist bombs in 1807 and the consequent loss of Norway in 1814, Copenhagen merchants no longer had a monopoly on trade in Norway, and with the greatly reduced fleet characterized poor economy and tedious decades after the end of the Napoleonic wars. .
However, the 19th century also became the golden age of Denmark and thereby Copenhagen, where artists and scientists made their mark internationally. HC Andersen, Søren Kierkegaard and Bertel Thorvaldsen were among those who characterized the time.
Throughout the 19th century, Copenhagen generally developed tremendously. Industrialization came to town. Here large shipyards and other industries were built, in 1847 the first railway was built at Roskilde. The city’s medieval ramparts were also closed down, as large new residential areas emerged in the current bridge districts and in Frederiksberg, causing a boom in population.
The King’s residence castle, Christiansborg, was hit by a new fire during the growing season, and the royal family moved to the current regent residence in Amalienborg. Christiansborg stood for a few years as a fire blank, but the large complex was rebuilt in the early 1900s as the country’s new parliament.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Copenhagen’s almost explosive growth continued with the construction of large new suburbs in Zealand and Amager. Copenhagen rounded out 500,000 inhabitants, making it an international metropolis. The city’s new town hall and large landscaped main station were opened every few years and the city plan was modernized.
Copenhagen’s buildings came graciously through World War II, with only a few bombings being made, and this was one of the reasons why the city became a hub for Scandinavia soon after the war; for example, for air traffic, where SAS established its hub at Copenhagen Airport in Kastrup.
Copenhagen’s network of S-trains was continuously expanded in line with the city’s development following the so-called finger plan adopted in 1947. The trams still ran in the city’s streets, but this ceased in 1972, when buses and cars took over the traffic.
The expansion continued through the latter half of the 20th century when new major projects were adopted. This included, for example, the brand new Ørestad and the construction of the Copenhagen subway, whose first line was opened in 2002.
In 2000, Copenhagen became land-fixed with the former Danish areas in present-day Sweden. The Øresund Bridge was built, and the development of Copenhagen and the Øresund area as a central part of the Baltic Sea region was thereby started; and Copenhagen’s position is thus the capital’s historic position up through the first centuries of the city.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Overview of Copenhagen
Copenhagen is Denmark’s capital, where the sights are many and the distances small. Copenhagen is also the largest city in Scandinavia and the center of the Øresund region, which has developed rapidly in Denmark and Sweden since the opening of the Øresund Bridge in 2000.
Copenhagen’s medieval profile with the many beautiful towers is unforgettable, and a stroll or sailing through the city is very evocative and a must during a visit. Also, walk through the small streets and alleys that often provide surprising views of the famous and new sights.
Tivoli, Nyhavn and The Little Mermaid will be at most tourists’ level, but here are also many other things such as the political Christiansborg Castle, the Royal Amalienborg Castle and beautiful churches with the Marble Church, Copenhagen Cathedral and Holy Spirit Church as some of the best known.
About the Whitehorse travel guide
Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
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Author: Stig Albeck
Publisher: Vamados.com
Language: English
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When King Christian IV founded the new city of Christianshavn, it was intended as an independent market town, which was to have both a church and a town hall. The church was already planned in 1617, when it figured in Johan Semps’ sketch for a plan for the new town. A foundation was laid in 1620, and a temporary church was erected 1639-1641.
The current Church of Our Savior was built in the period 1682-1696 in the Dutch Baroque style. The church is particularly known for its external spiral staircase on the 86 meter high tower and spire, which was erected 1749-1752. Of the tower’s 400 steps, the last approximately 150 are on the outside of the tower in the open air. If you venture all the way to the top, you can enjoy perhaps the city’s most beautiful view. At the very top of the spire is a three-metre high, gilded figure of Christ.
However, the interior of the church is also quite interesting. Inside the Church of Our Saviour, you can see the large and impressive organ, which is original from the installation in 1698.
Rådhuspladsen is Copenhagen’s central square and modern centre. The history of the square goes back to the time of Copenhagen’s ramparts, when the place was the city’s straw square. Back then, it was immediately outside the Vesterport city gate and thus the actual city. On the site was part of Vestervold and two bastions: Schack’s and Gyldenløve’s Bastion.
The first major building came together with the Nordic art and industrial exhibitions that were held here in 1872 and 1889. In the years 1870-1872, the Industrial Association built the Industrial Building for the purpose. The building was inspired by the Italian Renaissance and was located where the current House of Industry is located (corner of Rådhuspladsen and Vesterbrogade).
For the exhibition in 1888, a large wooden exhibition hall was built at Martin Nyrop. This was crowned by a dome and stood in distinguished national romanticism. By the end of 1888, the hall had been demolished, and already at the beginning of 1889 the same Nyrop came up with a design proposal for a new town hall on the square. Nyrop later won a final competition for the town hall, and in 1892 excavation began for the building that is still home to the city government.
Copenhagen’s imposing town hall is built in Martin Nyrop’s national romantic style inspired by the Italian Renaissance in the period 1892-1905. The town hall is richly decorated inside and out. The Town Hall is magnificent, and you can also take the trip up the 105 meter high Town Hall Tower, which is only surpassed in height by the one at Christiansborg Castle. From the balconies in the Town Hall Tower there is a beautiful view over the whole of Copenhagen.
Incidentally, it is at Copenhagen’s Town Hall that prominent guests in the city are invited by the city’s mayor to eat town hall pancakes, and it is from the small balcony facing Town Hall Square that several sports stars have been honored over time. This applies, among other things, to the footballers who won European Championship gold for Denmark in 1992 after a 2-0 victory over Germany.
In addition to Copenhagen’s town hall, there are a number of other well-known buildings around Town Hall Square. The tower-adorned Palace Hotel (Rådhuspladsen 57) was built in beautiful Art Nouveau style in 1909-1910, while Politikens Hus (Rådhuspladsen 37), which also has a tower, was built and extended in the years 1904-1907.
On the Vesterbrogade side is the corner building Richshuset (Rådhuspladsen 16), which was built in 1936. Richshuset is one of Denmark’s best examples from the Art Deco era, and its name comes from the coffee substitute company C.F. Rich & Sønner, who had their seat here until 1969. The house is known for the Weather Maidens, who, together with a neon thermometer in the tower, form a characteristic corner decoration.
Opposite Richshuset is the House of Industry, built 1977-1979 and thoroughly remodeled 2011-2013. Next to this building is Tivoli and the Tivoli Castle, built in 1892-1893 by brewer Carl Jacobsen as a Museum of Art and Industry.
There are also a number of monuments on Rådhuspladsen. Next to the town hall building towards H.C. Andersens Boulevard you can see the popular statue of H.C. Andersen, which was inaugurated in 1965. Towards Vesterbrogade you can see the Dragon Fountain, the first modeling of which took place in 1889. The fountain was originally intended for a place on Amagertorv/Højbro Plads, but came to adorn Town Hall Square. From here it is not far to the Lurblæserne from 1911-1914 and the Land soldier with the Little Hornbæsler, which is from 1899 and commemorates the Schleswig Wars in the 19th century.
Finally, one can also find one of Copenhagen’s four so-called zero point stones, which stand at the city’s four historic city gates; Vesterport, Østerport, Nørreport and Amagerport. These stones indicate the distance to cities around the capital. On the Town Hall Square stands Vesterport’s stone with the distance to Kalundborg and Roskilde, among others.
Today, Christiansborg Palace Church stands in classicism from the 19th century, but the ecclesiastical history of Christiansborg and Copenhagen Castle stretches back to Bishop Absalon’s castle from the 12th century. Even then, there is believed to have been a chapel in connection with the castle. Services were also held at Copenhagen Castle, which succeeded Absalon’s castle.
With the construction of the first Christiansborg under King Christian VI, the castle also had to have a church, and the choice fell on an independent building connected by a corridor. The architect Nicolai Eigtved was behind the design, which was inspired by the palace church in France’s Versailles, and the church was built in the years 1738-1742. The dedication was held on 27 November 1740, which was the day after the royal family had moved into Christiansborg.
In the first church several events managed to take place. In 1746, Christian VI was laid on the castrum doloris before his burial, and the same happened to Frederik V in 1766. The following year, the anointing of Christian VII took place in the castle church; it was the only one of these autocratic anointings of the time that was not carried out in Frederiksborg Palace Church. In 1794, the church, along with the rest of Christiansborg, met its end in the fire that hit the buildings.
With the plans for the second Christiansborg, it was thought again to integrate the church into the castle, but the choice fell on reusing the still standing outer walls and room divisions, and in the period 1813-1826 the current church was built on the ruins of the burned down church. The consecration took place on 14 May 1826, and it was part of the celebration of the thousandth anniversary of the introduction of Christianity in Denmark.
The style of the castle church is classicism, and it was built by C.F. Hansen. Especially inside, the building is very beautiful with the elegant dome construction. The current church, like its predecessor, has provided space for many large events; the later king Christian X was both baptized and confirmed here, and Christian IX, Frederik VIII, Christian X and Frederik IX were all laid to rest on the castrum doloris here. In recent years, Prince Christian, second in the Danish line of succession, was baptized in the castle church in 2006.
The opera is the name of the Royal Theatre’s opera house on Holmen. The opera was built by and donated to the Danish state by shipowner Mærsk McKinney-Møller from A.P. Møller-Mærsk, whose corporate domicile is in the white office buildings on the opposite side of the harbor as seen from the Opera. The opera building itself acts as the end of the Amalienborg axis, which at the opposite end starts at Frederiks Kirke (Marble Church).
The opera building was designed by Henning Larsen, and it was inaugurated in 2005. There are a total of 14 floors, of which 5 are underground. There are two stages in the building, with the Store Stage holding 1,500-1,700 spectators depending on the extent of the orchestra pit in the individual setup. The Takkelloft can house 180 spectators.
Inside, a number of well-known artists have created works that can be enjoyed in the beautiful rooms. Here you can see, among other things, four bronze reliefs by Danish Per Kirkeby and three chandeliers by Danish-Icelandic Olafur Eliasson. Per Arnoldi has been responsible for the color scheme in the opera building, which is imbued with distinguished material choices and excellent craftsmanship.
Strøget is Copenhagen’s famous business street, which, with a length of more than a kilometer, is considered the world’s longest pedestrian street. Until 1962, the five streets that together form Strøget were completely ordinary streets with both car, bus and tram traffic. In 1962, Strøget was made Denmark’s first pedestrian street as an experiment. Two years later, the experiment was made permanent, and since then locals and tourists have been able to enjoy the street’s many shops, restaurants and attractions.
When you take a walk along Strøget, you can enjoy the atmosphere together with both locals and tourists. There are also a number of buildings worth seeing along the way, starting with Rådhuspladsen at one end and Kongens Nytorv at the other. You can see, for example, the Church of the Holy Spirit and the House of the Holy Spirit, whose history goes back to the 13th century.
The history of the Church of the Holy Spirit goes back to the end of the 13th century, when Bishop Johannes Krag founded the House of the Holy Spirit as a secular hospital for the poor, sick or lonely elderly citizens. Helligåndshuset still stands at Helligåndskirken and, with its construction in 1296, it is one of Copenhagen’s oldest houses.
In 1469, King Christian I turned the House of the Holy Spirit into a monastery. The house formed the western wing of a four-winged monastery complex, while the Church of the Holy Spirit was the southern one. With the Reformation, the monastery was closed around 1530, and the House of the Holy Spirit became secular again. With the Reformation, the church was made into an ordinary parish church.
The origin of the Church of the Holy Spirit is not known with certainty, but a church is believed to have been on the site as early as the 14th century. In connection with the establishment of the monastery in 1469, the church had a high central nave, two low side naves and a short choir. After the monastery was founded, the choir was built longer, and in the 16th century the church tower was added.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Christian IV set up a form of work and education institution in the monastery buildings, but the successor on the throne, Frederik III, closed down the place and sold the buildings. The Church of the Holy Spirit took over the House of Holy Spirit, but the rest of the monastery was demolished. From the 1650s, Helligåndshuset functioned as a burial chapel, which was the case until 1858, when burials within Copenhagen’s ramparts were prohibited.
The medieval church was pretty much destroyed in 1728 during the Copenhagen fire. The tower collapsed, the vaults fell and the church burned down. It was rebuilt in the years 1730-1732, but as only parts of the outer walls could be reused, it was practically a new church that was built. In terms of style, the church also came to stand in contemporary architecture; however with some historical details such as vaults in the church room. However, a beautiful baroque portal from 1620 was saved and stands as part of the new church; it is the portal by the armory.
The biggest later rebuilding took place at the end of the 1870s, when a number of details were changed. The church tower was, for example, returned to that of the former church; it was done using a drawing by van Wijk from 1611.
Inside there are several things worth seeing. The church itself is bright and spacious, and if you look at the art, the altarpiece is from the 18th century. Of the church’s two baptismal fonts, one is made of marble, and it was prepared by Bertel Thorvaldsen around 1820 as a copy of the one he had made for Brahetrolleborg Church. The baptismal font first came to Helligåndskirken in 1939, where it was bought in England, where Thorvaldsen had delivered it.
Today, Helligåndskirken still functions as a church under the Danish National Church, while Helligåndshuset is set up as an event venue, where various activities take place on an ongoing basis. The complex looks beautiful from Strøget, where throughout the 16th and 18th centuries there were stalls which provided income for the church; it was in 1528 that so-called Lærredsboder was established.
Large parts of the area between Nyhavn and Børsen were formerly an island called Bremerholm. King Christian III built a naval shipyard on Bremerholm, which was then simply called Holmen. This name took over the fleet with the area on the Christianhavner side of Copenhagen Harbor when the naval shipyard later moved there.
In 1562-1563, King Frederik II built an anchor forge for King Christian III’s shipyard. Despite the industrial purpose, the building was built very nicely and richly detailed, as it was located immediately next to the king’s castle, and therefore it had to be a nice and representative sight for the eye.
In 1619, King Christian IV arranged a marine church in the old anchorage. It was rebuilt in the typical Renaissance style in which many of Christian IV’s buildings are built; eg Rosenborg Castle and Frederiksborg Castle. The first marine church had quickly become too small, and the current cross church was built in the 1640s.
Over time, there have been certain alterations and additions to the marine church; among other things by the long building along the water, the so-called Great Chapel from the beginning of the 18th century. A number of crypts and chapels have been arranged in the 59 meter long building.
Holmens Church’s altarpiece dates from 1661, the baptismal font from 1662, and both were carved by Abel Schrøder. Among the other interesting interiors of the church and chapel are the beautiful stucco ceilings and the sarcophagi of naval heroes Peter Tordenskjold and Niels Juel.
Among recent major events in the church was Crown Princess Margrethe’s baptism in 1940. The later Queen Margrethe II was also married here; it happened on 10 June 1967, when she married French Henri, who on that occasion became Prince Henrik.
The Royal Theater is Denmark’s most famous theater stage. Vilhelm Dahlerup’s theater building was built in 1872-1874 as a replacement for the previous theater from 1748. The style of the building is inspired by the Renaissance.
In front of the theater there are two statues of Ludvig Holberg and Adam Oehlenschläger, respectively, whose works have been performed at the theater many times. The Royal Theater is magnificently furnished, and the large, oldest hall can accommodate approximately 1,500 spectators.
In 1931, the theater was expanded with Den Nye Scene, popularly called Stærekassen, and mainly plays are performed here. The starling box itself is finely decorated. You will find the building in Tordenskjoldsgade, which is located in the side street east of Den Gamle Scene. The Stærekassen was closed as a stage with the opening of the Skuespilhuset in 2008, and it is used today for many different events.
From the area in the corner of Kongens Nytorv at the start of Nyhavn’s quays, you can take a canal and harbor cruise and experience Copenhagen from the water side. It is a good opportunity to form an overview of the relatively large, interesting area around the harbor and along the canals on Amager and around Slotsholmen.
There are several different operators of canal and harbor tours, and in addition to these guided tours, you can take the city’s harbor buses, which, among other things, dock at the opposite end of Nyhavn at the Skuespilhuset.
The Botanical Garden is located in Copenhagen’s green belt, which formerly formed the city’s ramparts and moats. The garden belongs to the University of Copenhagen and is a lovely recreational area close to the city centre.
The garden is the fourth botanical garden in Copenhagen, and it was laid out in 1871. In addition to thousands of different plants, there are almost 30 greenhouses, the most beautiful and most interesting of which is the 2,400 square meter palm house made of glass, wood and cast iron, which was completed in 1874.
The city’s first botanical garden was established in 1600 in the current Krystalgade by Fiolstræde. The second and third gardens were founded in 1752 and 1778 respectively; their locations were in the area by Amaliegade and by Charlottenborg’s castle garden.
King Christian IV had charming Nyboder built in 1631-1641 as the world’s first townhouse development. The houses were originally built for the people of the navy and their families. Nyboder was located in the so-called New Copenhagen, which almost doubled the area of the Danish capital through an expansion to the east. Nyboder is almost the only remnant of the buildings from New Copenhagen, as most of the other homes were renovated in the 1940s; however, you can see Møntmestergården from 1683 in Den Gamle By in Aarhus.
The houses in Nyboder were originally around 40 m², and they were gradually remodeled and extended. One of the original blocks of houses from 1631 can be seen in Sankt Pauls Gade, where at number 24 you can visit Nyboder’s Memorial Rooms. This block is the only one with one floor, while the others have two floors and were built in the years 1757-1795.
One of the characteristics of Nyboder is the characteristic yellow color of the building. However, the houses were painted in the national red and white colors when they were built. Between all the townhouse blocks you can see a statue of the builder, King Christian IV. It was erected in 1900 and stands on the corner of streets Krokodillegade and Kronprinsessegade.
Copenhagen Central Station was inaugurated in 1911, and the large station halls are the Nordic region’s finest example of the magnificent railway constructions of the time. The architect behind the large building is Heinrich Wenck, who had already drawn up several proposals for a sumptuous railway station building in 1898-1902.
The central station was originally divided into a departure hall facing Vesterbrogade and an arrival hall facing the six platform halls. At Track 1 towards Tivoli there is access to the trains from the royal waiting rooms; just as there were originally waiting rooms for travelers in 1st, 2nd and 3rd class. In terms of track, Copenhagen Central Station was a so-called sack railway station when it opened, but with the establishment of the boulevard line towards Østerport in 1921, the tracks were carried through to the north and thereby towards Hillerød and Helsingør. Future plans include the opening of the Cityringen in the Copenhagen metro; with it, the main station appears on the metro map.
Copenhagen’s current main railway station is the city’s third. The first railway station was opened in 1847, when the line between Copenhagen and Roskilde was inaugurated as the first in what is now Denmark. The railway station was called Copenhagen Station and was located perpendicular to today’s railway station. The tracks led west and along Halmtorvet and Sønder Boulevard. The station was outside Copenhagen’s ramparts, and therefore it was built of wood for military reasons. The building was demolished in 1865.
The second railway station was built in 1863-1864, and it was located around Axelborg and Palads close to Vesterport Station. At the time, the surroundings were so rural that, in addition to the station, a director’s villa was also built, and later the station area was expanded considerably. However, the space quickly became too narrow, and all traffic continued to be routed over Lake Sankt Jørgens Sø.
Christianshavns Kanal is a canal that was dug and built at the same time as the Christianshavn district; that is, during the time of King Chistian IV in the 17th century. The canal made it possible from the start that goods could be sailed all the way into the new district.
Today, the canal is firmly on the program on canal cruises, and it’s easy to understand. There are always quite a few different kinds of boats here, which with the many old buildings as backdrops create a very beautiful atmosphere with a calmness that is not found in many places in the middle of a big city.
If you follow the canal in a south-westerly direction, you come to the modern apartment blocks, which are a contrast to the older buildings in the streets between Torvegade and Bådsmandsstræde.
Tivoli is Copenhagen’s lovely amusement park from 1843 and an absolute must when visiting the Danish capital. The park is built on Copenhagen’s old moat area, and the Tivoli Lakes are also part of the city’s historic moat.
The garden is Denmark’s most visited attraction, with more than four million visitors a year, and this is easily understood by the fairy-tale atmosphere with the colored lamps, flowers, benches and fountains.
Countless rides entertain children of all ages, and among the popular activities is the roller coaster, built in 1914, making it one of the world’s oldest. The slide gives the illusion of an alpine landscape and is built as a wooden skeleton with fiberglass surfaces. As something special, there is a brakeman on the trains.
Christmas time is also special in Tivoli, where there is a wonderful Christmas market in true Tivoli style.
Frederiksberg Castle was built as a summer castle in the period 1699-1703 by King Frederik IV, who got inspiration for the construction especially in Italy. As crown prince, the king had been on an educational trip to Italy, and with inspiration from the trip, he himself drew the first sketches for what became Frederiksberg Castle a few years later.
After the castle was completed, it was first expanded in the years 1708-1709. A floor was built here, where there was, among other things, a new dance hall. Two side wings and the castle’s church were also built here. The castle was expanded again in 1732-1738 under King Christian VI, when Lauritz de Thurah built the rounded building as an extension of the side wings.
Among the kings who lived in and maintained Frederiksberg Castle were Frederik IV, Christian VII and Frederik VI, and famous guests over time include, for example, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, who visited Frederik IV in 1716. The last royal resident was King Frederik VI’s widow, Queen Marie, who died in 1852.
After having been uninhabited since 1852, the castle passed to the army, which in 1869 set up the Army Officers School at Frederiksberg Castle. It still has that function, but on special occasions you can still go on tours, where not least the castle church is beautifully decorated. Here you can also see the famous bathroom where historical episodes took place.
It was at Frederiksberg Castle that the drama surrounding Queen Caroline Mathilde’s relationship with King Christian VII’s physician, Struensee, unfolded. The couple had a child, and Struensee effectively took over more and more of the king’s political considerations. After a masquerade ball in 1772, the relationship was broken with Struensee’s execution on wheels and steeples and the queen’s imprisonment and later deportation to Celle in Germany.
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