The Little Mermaid. Copenhagen harbour.

Copenhagen, Denmark

by Eve Andersson

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Copenhagen feels like the "Amsterdam of the North" – a beautiful yet edgy European city, with picturesque canals, throngs of bicyclists, and historic squares, dotted with outdoor restaurant seating despite the cool temperatures and often-grey skies. Copenhagen contains many beautiful areas, but the most interesting, to me, is Christiania, a "freetown" whose residents consider it independent from Denmark – more below.

Canals

Christianshavns canal, with swan. Christianshavns canal, with houseboats. Frederiksholms Canal. Houseboat. Port of Copenhagen. Restaurant boat. Port of Copenhagen. Frederiksholms Canal. Port of Copenhagen. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Marmorbroen (The Marble Bridge), over Frederiksholms Canal. Port of Copenhagen. Bridge over Christianshavns canal. Port of Copenhagen near Frederiksholms Canal. Christianshavns canal, with houseboat. Port of Copenhagen. Houseboats. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Frederiksholms Canal at night. Frederiksholms Canal at night.

Rundetaarn (Round Tower)

Ascend the 209m long spiral walkway of Rundetaarn, the oldest functioning observatory in Europe, for wonderful views of the city.

Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). View to the southwest from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). View of K?bmagergade from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). View of Radhuset (city hall) and the Palace Hotel from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). Helligaandskirken, viewed from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). Rundetaarn (The Round Tower), interior. View to the north, including windmills, from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). View to the southeast from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). Kunsthallen Nikolaj is in the center. View to the southwest from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). The three major skyline features, from left to right, are Radhuset (city hall), Vor Frue Kirke (the Church of Our Lady), and Sankt Petri Kirke. View to the west from Rundetaarn (The Round Tower). Sankt Petri Kirke can be seen on the left.



Nyhavn (New Harbor)

This colorful, touristy area along the water is full of restaurants. Some diners are wrapped in blankets.

Girls with ice cream cones and bicycles. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Pissoir. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Restaurants. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Restaurant with blankets for patrons. Nyhavn (New Harbor). Nyhavn (New Harbor).

City Centre near Sankt Pauls Kirke (Saint Paul's Church)

This quaint area includes Nyboder, a set of yellow terrace houses built in the 1630s to house members of the Danish Navy.

Brick houses, orange, yellow, and off-white. Neighborhood near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre. Red and yellow houses. Neighborhood near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre. Light blue and grey houses. Neighborhood near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre. Red and grey houses. Near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre. Brick house with red shutters. Near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre. White and grey houses. Near Sankt Pauls Kirke, city centre.
Fiskehuset Boland, odorous at half a block at way. Borgergade, city centre. Stone house. Olfert Fischers Gade, Nyboder district, city centre. Sankt Pauls Kirke. City centre. Yellow houses at Oster Voldgade and Suensonsgade. Nyboder district, city centre. Yellow houses at Sankt Pauls Gade and Borgergade. Nyboder district, city centre. Stone houses. Borgergade at R?gade, city centre.

Other City Centre Photos

Swan. St Alban's Anglican Church. Frederiks Kirke, also known as Marmorkirken (Marble Church). Fountain at Amagertorv. City centre. Vor Frelsers Kirke Frederiks Kirke, also known as Marmorkirken (Marble Church). Statues and street nearby. Bird sculpture covered with bird droppings. Klareboderne, city centre. Cafe Stella. Kompagnistr?, city centre. Ravhuset (House of Amber). Kongens Nytorv, city centre. Kunsthallen Nikolaj, formerly a 13th century church; now a cultural centre. Nikolaj Plads, city centre. Nygade at Nytorv, city centre. Hellig?skirken (The Church of The Holy Ghost) and a food vendor in a Pac-Man-like enclosure. Str?get, city centre. Fountain with fish figures. Vandkunsten, city centre. Restaurants. Vandkunsten, city centre. Sculpture at Gr??dretorv. City centre. Amalienborg Palace, with the Marble Church (Frederiks Kirke) centered behind it. Building near Marmorkirken (Marble Church or Frederiks Kirke), city centre. Painted wall. Written on it is "M?gir Sundhed". (Is this the artist's name? The latter word means "Health".) On S?lvgade, adjacent to King's Gardens, city centre. Vestindisk Pakhus, a restored warehouse overlooking Copenhagen harbour. In front of it stands a replica of Michelangelo's David. Statues of Johannes D?ber, Elias, Peter, Paulus, Moses, and Martin Luther. They almost look like kids in a playpen. Frederiks Kirke, also known as Marmorkirken (Marble Church). Fountain at Gammeltorv, on the pedestrian street Str?get. City centre. Nytorv (New Square), city centre. Nytorv (New Square), city centre. Le Petit Tortus, a restaurant on Skoubogade, city centre. Slutterigade, with courthouses on either side. City centre. St Alban's Anglican Church. R?us (Town Hall).

Vesterbro

Formerly home to Copenhagen's red light district, Vesterbro is now one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods.

Old street lamps in front of K?benhavns Bymuseum (Copenhagen City Museum). Absalonsgade. Vesterbro district. Old advertisement posters. Absalonsgade. Vesterbro district. Frederiksberg All? Vesterbro district. Versterbro Torv, Vesterbro district. Eliaskirken (Elias Church), flanked by bars. Versterbro Torv, Vesterbro district. Frederiksberg All? Vesterbro district. Restored houses on Skydebanegade. Vesterbro district.
Verdens Mindste Kaffebar (The World's Smallest Coffee Shop), or so it is named. Tullinsgade, Vesterbro district. Astrid Queen of Love, on an establishment on Oehlenschl?rgade. Vesterbro district. An establishment on Oehlenschl?rgade that says Astrid Queen of Love on the door. Vesterbro district. Graffiti of a man and a woman. Saxogade, Vesterbro district. Graffiti of adult and baby aliens. Saxogade, Vesterbro district. Solhatten health food shop. Istedgade, Vesterbro district. Sidewalk chalk art. Saxogade, Vesterbro district. Saxogade, Vesterbro district.

King's Garden

The King's Garden: where people relax and dogs play but horses apparently do not fare well.

L?ven og Hesten, a statue by Peder Husum. Portrays a lion devouring a horse. Kongens Have (King's Gardens). Kamp med en slange, a statue by Thomas Brock. Portrays a Native American attempting to spear a snake that has wrapped itself around his horse. Kongens Have (King's Gardens). Kongens Have (King's Gardens), surrounded by stately buildings. City centre. Rosenborg Castle. Ekko, a statue by Aksel Hansen. Kongens Have (King's Gardens). Kongens Have (King's Gardens), surrounded by stately buildings. City centre. Ladies with dogs. Kongens Have (King's Gardens). City centre. Rosenborg Castle. Rosenborg Castle and adjacent garden. Statue of Hans Christian Andersen. Kongens Have (King's Gardens).

Creatures

The Little Mermaid may be the most famous of Copenhagen's mythical creatures, but others abound.

The Little Mermaid. Copenhagen harbour. Dragon-like building detail. Bredgade, Frederiksstaden district, city centre. Merman-like light fixture. Bredgade, Frederiksstaden district, city centre. Dragon-like railing decoration on B?mandsstr?. Christianshavn district. Snake. Gefionspringvandet (Gefion Fountain). Dragon-like figure on fountain in front of R?us (Town Hall). Fountain in front of R?us (Town Hall). Dragon-like figures in front of R?us (Town Hall).

Christiania

Squatters took over a disused military area in 1971 and declared independence from Denmark. Thus was born Christiania, a "freetown" the size of a city neighborhood, completely surrounded by Copenhagen. Its relationship with Denmark is uneasy, as one might expect. A sign outside the Moonfisher Café declares, "More than 6000 armed police inspections since 2004!" I love Christiania. Its residents have created a beautiful community, full of artistic expression and acceptance of people. Homes are collectively owned. Residents walk or ride bicycles, as automobiles are not allowed. Musicians perform in the streets and children play ball under a waving red and yellow Christiania flag. Christiania du har mit hjerte.

Christiania flag. Christiana Post. Letters require local postage and, if going outside Christiania, Danish postage as well. Building and leaning chimney. Painted building. House with painting of a woman carrying a jug that reads "human justice" on her head. House with marijuana leaves painted on it. Door with sign saying "Hvor er Gandalf?" ("Where is Gandalf?"), another saying "langt ude" ("long way"), a doll in a gas mask, and a 3rd sign saying "Please do not attempt to walk on the water". Painted pillars. Spiral staircase on the exterior of a house. Door of the Moonfisher Cafe, with the three dots symbolizing Christiania at the top. Painting of mountains on a wall. Painting (of devils?) on a wall. Building. Structure with stone wall. Playground, with eyes painted on fence posts. House with painted wall. Bicyclist riding past building with painted wall. Painting of angel and flag. CASO, restoration of antique stoves and furniture. Painting on a wall in Christiania. Below EZLN (the Zapatista Army of National Liberation), it says (in Spanish), "Viva la autonomia y la libre autodeterminacion de los pueblos del mundo" ("Long live the autonomy and free self-determination of the towns of the world").Pa Paintings on a building, including a needle being broken, a woman with a Christiania flag, and a marijuana leaf. Painting of a frog and a woman with wings made of leaves. Horses. House with tiled walls. Pattern includes a peace sign. House. House. House. Metal sculpture of a woman with a heart above her head. Sign: Welcome to the Moonfisher; More than 6000 armed police inspections since 2004; The world's safest cafe. Guitar player, near a wooden boat painted with the three dots of Christiania. Sign forbidding motorcycles and cars in Christiania. Snake carved in rock. Decorations depicting a variety of Scandinavian nations, including Christiania. Floating dog (?) sculpture. Stadsgraven (City Pond). House painted with a strong female figure and "To exist is to Resist". Painted house. Rock painted with "Christiania du har mit hjerte" ("Christiania you have my heart")

Helsingør and Kronborg Castle

About an hour north of Copenhagen by train lies Helsingør (in English, Elsinore). The town itself is somewhat quaint, though most people visit in order to see the Kronborg Castle. This castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting of Shakespeare's Hamlet, contains a beautiful chapel, paintings depicting important Danish historical events, and dark, underground casemates watched over by Holger the Dane.

Kronborg Castle, Helsing?r. Castle yard. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Statue of Holger Danske (Holger the Dane). Casemates (underground rooms and tunnels). Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Chapel. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Chapel pew. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Grassy mound, with door. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Ballroom. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. King's chamber. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Painting of King Frederik I before the besieged Copenhagen. Queen's gallery. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Tapestries. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Chapel. Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r. Casemates (underground rooms and tunnels). Kronborg Castle. Helsing?r.
Red and black house. Helsing?r. Havnepladsen. Helsing?r. Yellow house on Munkegade. Helsing?r. Houses on Sankt Olai Gade. Helsing?r. Houses on Sankt Olai Gade. Helsing?r. Train station. Helsing?r. Helsing?r.

More photos: View all photos in the directory /photos/denmark/.
Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)
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