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Top 10 tourist attractions in Copenhagen
23 July 2023
travel
matthieu
Copenhagen is a city that is both quiet and full of passion and romance. It is antique, artistic and modern. It is a shopping paradise with a collection of top brands from all over the world and items that symbolize Danish design. It has countless fantastic castles, palaces and beautiful and picturesque texts of Andersen. This is Copenhagen, which is a charming city. Let me show you a little list of the top 10 most popular attractions in Copenhagen.
1. Den Nye Havn
Den Nye Havn is an artificial canal built between 1669 and 1673, which directly introduces seawater into the King’s New Square. The main purpose of the construction of the Den Nye Havn at that time was to promote the economic development of Copenhagen by introducing prosperous sea traffic into the city center. People can still see the first houses built on both sides of the canal. The side that can be sunbaked has become a pedestrian street. Therefore, Den Nye Havn is also a landmark tourist destination in Copenhagen. Although the place is not large, It’s pretty beautiful with the sparkling river, the various boats on both sides and the colored houses. Whether it is inside or outside the restaurant, it is crowded with people. Although the food is not necessarily appetizing, it is definitely a good place to rest when the sun is shining. Andersen, the father of the great fairy tale, loved the architecture here. He lived here on the 18th, 20th and 67th. He wrote many great fairy tales showing the pursuit for hopes, life, love and happiness.
2. Stroget
Stroget is in the heart of Copenhagen, which is a bustling and historic place. It’s also the largest commercial district in Copenhagen and one of the longest commercial streets in Europe. Behind the low-key surfaces, there are many shops of internationally renowned luxury goods. Fashionable goods and the old buildings bring out the best in each other. In addition, a variety of restaurants and coffee shops on the street make people feel the excitement and prosperity of Copenhagen. There are also many tourist attractions in the street. Go down the Central Railway Station and you will see the Andersen Statue, the Town Hall Square, and the Church of Our Lady of the Danish royal family. Then, you can board the dome and get a glimpse of the city center of Copenhagen. At the other end of the street is the Den Nye Havn. Near the Stork Fountain, you can also find the Christiansborg Palace.
3. Radhuspladsen
Copenhagen’s Town Hall Square is one of the largest squares in Copenhagen with an area of 9,800 square meters. It’s also the most important and oldest square in Copenhagen and has a history of more than 800 years. In addition to the city hall, there are political buildings and industrial buildings in the vicinity of the square. Opposite the square is the Tivoli Park. The red-brown dignified building of the City Hall is very eye-catching and the singular dragon sculpture on the square is also a highlight. The government is open to the public so that everyone can fully understand and participate in the activities of public institutions, including prisons, city halls, fire brigades and so on during October cultural festival. Of course, you can go to worship the bronze statue of Andersen which is also next to the square.
4. Amalienborg Slot
Built in the middle of the eighteenth century, the Amalienborg Slot is located in the eastern part of Copenhagen. It is not far from the location of the Little Mermaid. It is the main palace of the royal family. The palace is located around the octagonal square and consists of four identical palaces. The square is huge, with a bronze sculpture horse riding in the middle. The four palace buildings have handsome guards wearing the animal’s skin high hat. The owner of the four palaces has changed for several times, and the royal family lived there at the end of the eighteenth century. Now, whenever the Queen is in the palace, the flag of Denmark will rise on the building where the queen is located. Visitors can visit two of the palaces, one is the museum of the royal family, and the other is the place where the Queen welcomes foreign guests. In addition, visitors can also take photos with the guarded royal guards. After all, the Royal Guard is also a protagonist in Andersen’s fairy tale. However, pay attention to keep the distance when you take a photo. If you are too close, you will be warned by the guard.
5. Gefion Fountain
The Gefion Fountain is located in the Nordre Toldbod area, next to the Castellet and the Long Beach Park. This is the largest fountain in Copenhagen and it’s a wishing pool meanwhile. Many people make a wish in the fountain. The fountain is located 500 meters north of the Amalienborg Palace and there’s a sculpture of the goddess Gefion whipping the bull. The goddess Gefion is driving four different forms of bulls to pull the plough, which is lifelike. It’s said that when the goddess and her husband divorced, the king told her, ‘ the enclosed land that you plow the sunset belongs to you.’ Then Gefion drove the oxcart and set off at sunrise. The area enclosed before sunset was Denmark. The St. Alban church built in 1885 is beside the fountain, which is in harmony with the fountain.
6. Frederiks Kirke
Frederiks Kirke is the largest copper-green dome church in Denmark, across the road is the Amalienborg Palace. Due to the extensive use of marble produced in Denmark and Norway, the locals call it the “marble church”. The marble church was built in 1779. It was not completed and was opened until 1894 due to funding problems. The huge dome with a diameter of 31 meters inside the church is supported by 12 columns. The dome is painted with the portraits of 12 apostles of Jesus. The whole interior decoration and painting are solemn, majestic and divine. The tall sculptures on the outside of the church make the church with more historic vicissitudes.
7. The Little Mermaid
This statue based on Andersen’s fairy tale “The Daughter of the Sea” has become a symbol of Denmark in the hearts of people after the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The bronze statue is about 1.5 meters high, which is equivalent to the height of a child in his teens. The cornerstone is about 1.8 meters in diameter and was cast by Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen according to Andersen’s fairy tale “The Daughter of the Sea.” Eriksson used his wife as a model to cast a bronze statue of the mermaid. The bronze statue was completed in Langelinieparken in 1913 and has been in existence for hundreds of years. You couldn’t miss it.
8. Christiansborg Slot
Christiansborg Slot was built by the Absalon Archbishop in 1167. It was once a palace and it was destroyed by a fire at the end of the 18th century. It was repeatedly rebuilt and reconstructed. The current palace is a Baroque building completed in 1928. Part of it is the Royal Danish Welcome Room. It’s also a museum open for people to visit. The underground exhibits the remains of the early 12th century and some of the earliest built cities. The interior of the palace is luxurious but not glamorous. Walking up the stairs with red carpet likes being in the fairy tale. There is also a royal training ground with 20 beautiful white horses that are very docile and willing to be close to people. There’s also a carriage dedicated to members of the royal family. One of the most famous carriages is made of gold.
9. Rosenborg Castle
Built in 1606, the Rosenborg Castle was originally purchased and built by King Christian IV. The palace consists of three spires. The building is constructed entirely of red walls and decorated with grey sandstone, which is of Renaissance style. At the top of the palace is painted marble. There’s gold-plated mirrors, Dutch-style wall art, silver lions and a variety of gold and silver inside. The scenery outside is beautiful, but the exhibits inside are more attractive. The Rosenberg Castle is the place where the royal family used to preserve the collectibles. The Royal Danish Pavilion in the basement features a large collection of royal treasures such as the crown of Christian IV, the sword of Christian III and the pearl of Queen Margaret II.
10. Tivoli Garden
The Tivoli Garden is the second playground in the world. Its high-quality entertainment equipment and reasonable layout make it absolutely worth visiting. The largest roller coaster in the park is named “Dragon”. Every Wednesday night, there’s a fireworks show in the garden. It’s more beautiful with the fantastic fireworks during the days of Christmas and New Year. More than 80 concerts or musical performances are held each year in the garden. The summer in Copenhagen is very long, and Tivoli Garden’s opening hours last until midnight. Therefore it’s a great choice to go to Tivoli Garden after 7pm.
Do you want to know more about this great city? Maybe you will meet some surprises in a little street or a normal bar. Don’t forget to rent our pocket Wifi before leaving. Believe me that you do need it to look for the road or to search the information.
