Showing 1-19 of 19 results
-
Alexander Newsky Kirke
There is a cluster of sights along the upmarket street known as Bredgade, home to many of the city's top antique dealers and auction houses. Alexander Newsky Kirke was built in Russian Byzantine style in 1883 by Tsar Alexander III.
-
Børsen
Another striking Renaissance building is Børsen, the stock exchange, at the eastern corner of Slotsholmen. Constructed under Christian IV in the 1620s, it's of note for its ornate spire, formed from the entwined tails of four dragons, and for its richly embellished gables. This still-functioning chamber of commerce, which first opened during the bustling reign of Christian IV, is the oldest in Europe but is not open to the public.
-
Caritas Springvandet
In the old square, the gilded Charity Fountain is the most beautiful in Copenhagen. It was built in 1608 and is a popular rallying point for buskers.
-
Christiansborg Slot
Slotsholmen is the seat of national government and a veritable repository of historical sites. Located on a small island and separated from the city centre by a moat-like canal, Slotsholmen's centrepiece is Christiansborg Slot, a large palace that is home to Folketinget (the Danish parliament) and various government offices.
-
Copenhagen Opera House
Copenhagen's magnificent opera house features two stages: the Main Stage and a smaller venue, Takkeløftet. Productions usually sell out way in advance but 25 tickets are available each day at the box office. Alternatively, many come just to look around the building or eat in the panoramic Franco-Danish restaurant or ground-floor café.
-
De Kongelige Repræsentationslokaler
The grandest part of Christiansborg Slot is De Kongelige Repræsentationslokaler, an ornate Renaissance hall where the queen holds royal banquets and entertains heads of state.
-
Det Kongelige Bibliotek
The largest library in Scandinavia, Det Kongelige Bibliotek is a fascinating blend of the original classical style building near parliament and the seven-storey extension, dubbed the 'Black Diamond', which sports a shiny black granite facade, smoked black windows and a leaning parallelogram design. An enclosed overhead walkway connects the Black Diamond with the library's historic wing.
-
Domhuset
Copenhagen's pink-stucco, neoclassical court house was designed by CF Hansen (also responsible for Vor Frue Kirke,) and built in 1815. It is linked by its own 'bridge of sighs' to cells across the road on Slutterigade. The words inscribed above the courthouse steps, 'Med Lov Skal Man Land Bygge' (With Law Shall One Build the Land), are taken from the Jutland Code that codified laws in Denmark in 1241.
-
Gammel Strand
Gammel Strand (old beach) fronts the canal that partially encircles the island of Slotsholmen. This perfectly preserved row of 18th- and 19th-century town houses, with its restaurants and cafés, is among the most picturesque in the city and a great place for an outdoor drink on a sunny day.
-
Holmens Kirke
Just across the canal to the northeast of Slotsholmen is Holmens Kirke. This historic brick structure, with a nave that was originally built in 1562 to be used as an anchor forge, was converted into a church for the Royal Navy in 1619. Most of the present structure, which is predominantly in Dutch Renaissance style, dates from 1641.
-
Advertisement
-
Jens Olsens Clock
You can poke around the main hall of the Rådhus (city hall) on your own but it's more interesting to make the climb up the 105m clock tower for Jens Olsens Clock, which tops city hall, but expect a decent workout as there are some 300 steps along the way.
-
Little Mermaid
When the world thinks of Copenhagen, the statue of the Little Mermaid is probably the first image that springs to mind. Love it or loath it, this small unremarkable statue must be the most photographed sight in the country, as well as the cause of perhaps countless indifferent 'yeah, so?' shrugs from tourists who have trudged the kilometre or so along an often windswept harbourfront to see her.
-
Marmorkirken
Also called Frederikskirken, Marmorkirken is a stately neo-baroque church on Frederiksgade, a block west of Amalienborg Slot. The church's massive dome, which was inspired by St Peter's in Rome and measures more than 30m in diameter, is one of Copenhagen's most impressive landmarks.
-
Rådhus
Copenhagen's grand red-brick Rådhus was completed in 1905. Designed by the Danish architect Martin Nyrop, it reflects many of the trends of its period, displaying elements of 19th-century national Romanticism, medieval Danish design and northern Italian architecture, the last-mentioned most notable in the central courtyard.
-
Rådhuspladsen
The large central square of Rådhuspladsen is flanked on one side by the city hall (or rådhus) and on another by Copenhagen's modern municipal bus terminus, and marks the heart of Copenhagen. The bustling pedestrian shopping street Strøget begins at the northeast side of Rådhuspladsen, while the historic pleasure garden, Tivoli, glitters to the southwest.
-
Rundetårn
The Rundetårn is a splendid vantage point from which to admire the old city's red-tiled rooftops and church spires. This vaulted brick tower, 35m high, was built by Christian IV in 1642 and used as an astronomical observatory in conjunction with the nearby university. Although the university erected a newer structure in 1861, amateur astronomers have continued to use the Rundetårn each winter, which gives credence to its claim to be the oldest functioning observatory in Europe.
-
Sankt Ansgars Kirke
There is a cluster of sights along the upmarket street known as Bredgade, home to many of the city's top antique dealers and auction houses. Sankt Ansgars Kirke, next door to the Medicinsk-Historisk Museum, is Copenhagen's Roman Catholic cathedral. It was built in 1841 in the neo-Romanesque style and has a colourfully painted apse.
-
Sankt Petri Kirke
Another handsome place of worship in the Latin Quarter is Sankt Petri Kirke, a German church that dates from the 15th century, making it the oldest church building in the city.
-
Vor Frue Kirke
Opposite the university is Vor Frue Kirke, Copenhagen's cathedral, which was founded in 1191 and rebuilt three times after devastating fires. The current structure dates from 1829 and was designed in neoclassical style by CF Hansen. With its high-vaulted ceilings and columns, Vor Frue Kirke seems as much museum as church - quite apropos because it's also the showcase for sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's statues of Christ and the 12 apostles, his most acclaimed works, which were completed in 1839.
-
Advertisement
Showing 1-19 of 19 results
