City walks in Copenhagen
Nyhavn and AmalienborgWe start at the Metrocolumn at Kongens Nytorv. Facing the square you will have Magasin du Nord on your left hand side and Hotel d'Angleterre to the right. The king that named the square was Christian V and you will spot him sitting on a horse in the middle of the square, which is called "Krinsen". |  |
| "Det Kongelige teatre" (The Royal Theatre) Walk the square anti-clockwise. You pass Det Kongelige Teater, The Danish national scene for drama, ballet and opera. The theatre is guarded by the giant poets Adam Oehlenschläger and Ludvig Holberg. On the opposite side of Tordenskjoldsgade you will find the new theatre scene, linked with the royal theatre through a covered footbridge, called stærekassen in Danish. Charlottenborg A bit further ahead you will find the oldest building on the square. Charlottenborg is built 1672-83 and contains both the Art Academy and the Art Museum with current exhibitions. Nyhavn You are now at the entrance of Nyhavn. This used to be a sinful area but has now become the most popular restaurant and bar street in Copenhagen. During the summer the restaurants on the quay are crowded with tourists enjoying the view over the water, old buildings as well as ships made by wood and sailing boats. The canal was dug in 1671, to provide the city with a trade port and has been used as one until the 1950s. In the famous bar Nyhavn 17 several Danish movie productions have been filmed. During the German occupation the Danish resistance movement planed their actions in Nyhavn. And during the years several well known Danes have lived here, e.g. H.C Andersen who lived at Nyhavn 67. Admiral Hotel We take a few steps back, turn to Toldbodgade and pass Skt. Annæ Plads. Here you will notice the impressive Admiral Hotel, a former grain storehouse that in the 19th century was joined together by two old storehouses. Have a peek into the lobby and admire the wooden constructions. Amaliehaven Next to Admiral Hotel, to the north, you will find Amaliehaven. Former Larsens Plads, but since 1983 there is a garden at this spot, designed by the Belgian garden constructor Jean Delogne. The park is French baroque style and is decorated with high bronze pillars around the fountain that lies in the extension of Frederiksgade. The latest donation from the family is the new enormous opera house located on Holmen. You will get a perfect view of it across the water when standing in the park. The opera will be inaugurated in 2005. Packhusen Even further up north are the three storage buildings from late 18th century, the blue (assuredly red, but with blue doors and windows), the yellow and the West Indian. The blue and yellow ones were centre for the lucrative trade with vegetables and at the quay whaling boats anchored. Nowadays they are tastefully decorated flats. A detour to Langelinie Before we go south to Amalienborg we do a detour to Langelinie. The area around Kastellet is worth a tour itself, but you can not visit Copenhagen without paying a visit to Gefionfontänen and Den Lille Havfrue (The Little Mermaid). Just a few quick steps on Amaliegade, to the north and you will be on Langelinie in no time. Note the mightiest statue in Copenhagen, the goddess Gefion and her four sons made like bullocks. Build in 1908 by Anders Bundgaard. A bit further ahead you will find Den Lille Havfrue, the most photographed object in Copenhagen. Sculptured 1913 by Edvard Eriksen. Salys Statue And now we will enter the heart of Frederiksstad - Amalienborg. On our way back from Langelinie you will see the impressive statue on the courtyard. It represents the royal future proprietor himself, Frederic V on his horse. The statue was performed by the French sculptor Jaques-François-Joseph Saly and is thought to be one of the top three in the world. It was paid for by the Asian company and is said to have cost half a million riksdaler. In 1749 the king gave an assignment to the royal architect, Nicolai Eigtved, to cerate a new quarter in Copenhagen, Frederiksstaden, and the centre of the quarter would be Amalienborg. | Salys Statue And now we will enter the heart of Frederiksstad - Amalienborg. On our way back from Langelinie you will see the impressive statue on the courtyard. It represents the royal future proprietor himself, Frederic V on his horse. The statue was performed by the French sculptor Jaques-François-Joseph Saly and is thought to be one of the top three in the world. It was paid for by the Asian company and is said to have cost half a million riksdaler. In 1749 the king gave an assignment to the royal architect, Nicolai Eigtved, to cerate a new quarter in Copenhagen, Frederiksstaden, and the centre of the quarter would be Amalienborg. Amalienborg The royal castle Amalienborg consists of four different palaces - Levetzaus (Christian VIII:s) in the northwest, Brockdorffs (Fredrik VIII:s) in the northeast, Schacks (Christian IX:s) in the southeast and Moltkes (Christian VII:s) in southwest. It is in Schacks palace that queen Margrethe has her residence nowadays. The construction went on for almost a decade and in the end of the 18th century the colonnade that links the Moltkes and Schacks palaces together was finally put into place. The architect did not live to see his masterpiece completed, but in his remembrance a memorial plate has been placed on Frederiksgade 21. The Marble Church When you have passed Frederiksgade 21 your next stop will be the Marble Church. You will find it in the intersection of Frederiksgade/ Bredgade. The French architect N-H Jardin who had taken over the construction of Amalienborg after the death of Eigtved did the plans for this church. The original plan was to use Norwegian marble but due to costs the project had to be terminated. It was not until 1874 when the financier C.F Tietgen had bought the property that the construction continued. The new architect, Ferdinand Meldahl, built a dome in Italian baroque style. The resemblance to St Peter's church in Rome is noticeable. The official name of the church is Frederikskirken and was completed in 1894. Alexandr Newskij Kirke Continue the walk along Bredgade, which will lead you back to Kongens Nytorv, where the tour began. But first we make a detour to the north to admire the Russian-Orthodox church, Alexandr Newskij Kirke with its golden onion shaped domes. The initiator was the daughter, Dagmar, of Christian IX:s. She later changed her name to Maria Feodorovna and married Tsar Alexander III. The church was built in the 1880s and all costs were covered by the Russian government. Bredgade The beautiful houses lie close together at Bredgade. The Silk Factory is an early example of industrial functionalism. The Odd Fellow Palace in rococo is a part of Eigtveds original plan for Frederiksstaden. Skt Annæ Plads Continue the walk in to the verdant Skt Annæ Plads, where we are met by the equestrian statue of Christian X. It was erected in 1951 in the memory of the King´s daily riding tours through the occupied Copenhagen during the Second World War. Further down we find a bust of the USA president Franklin D. Roosevelt, erected in memory of the deliverance. Garnisions Kirken To your right at Skt Annæ Plads you will find the Garnisions Kirken, made of red bricks and baroque style in the beginning of the 18th century. The church has room for 1.600 persons. Inside you will note beautiful details like an altar in baroque style, and a baptismal font made of Norwegian marble. Now your city walk is finished, feel free to continue to Nyhavn, rest your feet and have a well deserved drink at one of the bars/restaurants.
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 | Gammel Strand, Slotsholmen and ChristianshavnThis walk in the south east parts of the city starts at Vandkunsten; a square you find at Rådhusstræde, a crossroad to Strøget. |
| Vandkunsten During the Middle ages there was a water mill here and during the Swedes attempts to storm Copenhagen in 1659 fierce fights were fought in these parts. A picture at the corner of Gåsegade reminds us of this bloody fight. Nybrogade Lets go down to Slotsholmens Kanal and to the left into Nybrogade. We pass number 26 where the unhappy colonel Heinrich Ernst Peymann lived; he who was forced to surrender to the Englishmen during the bombardment in 1807. Gammel Strand The group of sculptures " Slægt løfter slægt " from 2000 by S.W Hansen marks our entrance into Gammel Strand. We are now on really historic, even prehistoric, grounds. This used to be the oldest harbour in the city and until 1958 this was a fish mongers market known for its quick tongued fishmongers. One of them immortalized with a statue placed just before Højbro. Today you find lots of restaurants and cafés, with nice open-air cafés in summertime, and the excellent Krogs Fishrestaurant as the jewel in the crown. Thorvaldsens Museum From Gammel Strand we have a wonderful view towards Thorvaldsens Museum on the other side of the canal. Here you find work of this world famous sculptor and art from Bertel Thorvaldsen´s big private collections. Slotskirken (Palace Church) To the left of the museum is Slotskirken that was opened in 1828. During the carnival festivities in 1992 the church was severely damaged by fire and the dome fell down into the church room. The church is now totally restored. Højbro Plads Gammel Strand ends at Højbro plads, where the founder of Copenhagen, bishop Absalon, on horseback is heading for the spot where he wants to build the first fortification of the city. Is the axe he is holding a battle axe or a timber axe? The square was created after the big fire in 1795, which destroyed big parts of the city, and was intended as a fire-break. Højbro We cross Slotsholmens Kanal at Højbro, a bridge that had precursors already during the Viking Age. Walk on the left side of the bridge and look down into the water at an odd under-water sculpture . It is called "Agnete and the Seaman" and was created in 1992 by Suste Bonnén. Christiansborgs Court Yard We now stand in front of the impressive Christiansborg, where Folketinget (the parliament) has its headquarters. In the courtyard you see the statue of Frederik VII. And it is from the palace balcony Denmark´s new regents are proclaimed. Børsen (the Exchange) Before we enter the palace area, we take a look at the Exchange. A remarkable building from the beginning of the 17th century, where the eager building proprietor Frederik IV ordered rebuilding and extensions according to his liking, among other things the misplaced top spire. From 1857 the Exchange has been the centre of the Danish Stock exchange. Christiansborg We walk back a few steps into the palace complex. There has been fortifications at Slotsholmen since the days of Bishop Absalon. The history is varied and fascinating. The palace that was built in the middle of the 18th century according to designs by Nicolai Eigtved burnt down to the ground in the big fire of 1794. The next palace was built in the beginning of the 19th century according to designs by C.F Hansen, but in 1884 it was also destroyed by fire. The present palace, built in granite, in neo rococo style was built by Thorvald Jørgensen and completed in 1928. Folketinget (the Parliament) We continue into the courtyard. In the main building you will find "Folketinget" with its 179 members. And in the right wing you will find the Supreme Court. To the left is the impressive horse racing track, lined with Royal theatre in the south and the Royal Stables in the north. Here you will find the statue of Christian IX:s on horse. We walk through the gigantic building, pass "Tøjhuset" and then you will reach "Istedløven" | Istedløven This monument has a history of its own, performed by H.W Bissen in remembrance of those who died in the war against Preussen 1848-50. At first the monument was placed at the graveyard in Flensburg but after the war the Germans moved it to Berlin in 1864. With help from the Americans the monument was brought back to Denmark after the Second World War. Den Sorte Diamant We continue our city walk to "Christians Brygge" and here you will spot the most modern building in Copenhagen. The entrance is on Sören Kierkegaards Plads and from there you will enter The New Royal Library, called the Black diamond. Inaugurated in 1999 and designed by the architects Morten Schmidt, Bjarne Hammer and John Lassen. Knippelsbron For those of us who have not got time to spend the whole day in the library we suggest that you walk along the bridge known as Knippelsbron to Christianshavn. The first bridge was built in 1620 by Christian IV who had decided to build the new quarter Christianshavn. The present bridge dates back to 1937 and was renovated in 1987. The old one was sold to Sweden and was placed by the Falsterbo channel. Strandgade After crossing the bridge just walk one block ahead and then turn left onto Strandgade. Here you will find several magnificent burgher-palaces. In Lehns or Tordenskjolds estate Peter Wessel Tordenskjold, a young naval hero, lived as a permanent guest. In another nearby estate the psalm writer Grundtvig lived. Christians Kirke Built in the middle of the 18th century by the omnipresent architect Nicolas Eigtved. The church has hade two mayor reconstructions, the most recent one was after the heavy bombardments by the English in 1943. Christians Bro We walk on to the architect's street and admire the grand office buildings made by glass, steel and concrete. All built between 1977-2000 and their gables all facing the harbour and alongside with Den Sorte Diamant they form an astonishing modern architectural unit. Wildersgade We walk back to Christians Kirke and enter into Wildersgade. We are now in the neighbourhood of the great rise in shipping and trade of the 19th century. Warehouses followed by workshops and barracks. Most of these are now renovated and turned into flats. Sankt Annæ Gade Cross Torvegade and walk a quarter ahead, here we cross the channel and continue out walk on Sankt Annæ Gade. A very exciting area. The street was transformed from slum to a picturesque residential quarter. You are now "Oven vandet" (over the water). Christianshavn is devided into "Neden" and "Over" Christianshavn channel, and on both side of the channel you will see streets that confirm the obvious. Vor Frelsres Kirke We have now reached a real eye-catcher. Vor Frelseres Kirke was built in the end of the 17th century and has a spectacular and tremendously high spire. At the top you will see a 3 meter high statue of Jesus Christ. Outside the spire is a spiral staircase leading up to the top, and when the weather is fine it is open for visitors who are not scared of heights. A persistent legend says that the constructor, Laurids de Thurah committed suicide when e discovered that he had built the stairs anti-clockwise instead of clockwise. The altar is designed by Nicodemus Tessin from Sweden. Towards Christiania or Voldene If you have any strength left we will now continue our walk. Turn left on Prinsessegade, keep on walking and you will reach Christiania and furher on Arsenaløen and Holmen. This area with its old barracks and shipyards is now going through a complete makeover. You will also find the new operahouse out here on Dokøen. You may also turn right and have a nice stroll along Christianshavn Voldgade with its bastions along the "Stadsgraven" (city moat.). |
"Bycyklen" (the city bike)Denmark is the Promised Land for those who love to cycle. Flat, open, beautiful and with an excellent bike-road network. Even the capital is well adjusted for bikers. In Copenhagen there are no uphill slopes and the motorists are well aware of the rules for the bikers. As a temporary driver in Copenhagen you have to be extra aware of the bikers, especially at right turns. |  |
| Bycyklen A phenomenon in Copenhagen is "bycyklen". The system works like the trolley-principle, put a 20-coin in the slot, release the bike and hop on! The bikes are easy to recognise and are only for use inside "Voldene" (From Skelbækgade/Absalonsgade in the southwest to Frihavnen in the north east and from the lakes in the northwest to Stadsgraven in the southeast). If the police spot you outside this area you will have to pay a fine. When you finished riding the bike you just place it in one of the cycle stands and you will get your coin in return. You will find more information about "bycyklen" on www.bycyklen.dk. | Bike Rental If you would like to rent a bike of your own there are plenty of rental offices to choose from as well as plenty of different models. The price is around DKK 100 a day and DKK 350 for a week. Do calculate with a couple of hundred DKK in deposition charge. Here are just a few examples where you may rent a bike: Danwheel, Colbjørnsensgade 3, Vesterbro Københavns Cykelbørs, Gothersgade 157, City Københavns Cykler, Reventlowsgade 11, Vesterbro/Hovedbanegården Østerport Cykler, Oslo Plads 9, Østerbro/Østerport station  |
