The Old City
The Copenhagen skyline has nothing like the Empire State Building or the Eiffel Tower. And Copenhageners will tell you that they prefer it this way. Rather than dominant high rises, the lines of low rooftops are broken by copper domes, spires and bell towers. It’s just this sort of sight that gives the city its charming, intimate character. The city is easily surveyed and it’s a breeze to get around on foot or bike, the most common means of transportation. In the early morning hours it’s not unusual to glimpse suit-clad cabinet ministers whizzing through the narrow streets on their way to Christiansborg, the parliament surrounded by water on the island of Slotsholmen. Everybody is on wheels: grandmothers on mountain bikes, young women in flowing dresses, and busy delivery boys rushing to and fro with packages sent between the city's shops and offices. Visitors to Copenhagen are always astounded by the high number of cyclists – just as they are always surprised by how small the Little Mermaid really is! With a so-called "city bike," you should be able to discover all the nooks and corners of the Old City. Getting a bike is easy- just put a 20 kroner coin (about $3 USD) in one of the city bikes parked in racks all over the Old City, then return it to a rack that’s convenient when you’re through and you’ll get your money back.
Speaking of transportation: the ultramodern metro system is less than three years old. It doesn’t cover all parts of the city yet, but it will take you from Nørreport to Kongens Nytorv, two of the most popular destinations in central Copenhagen, in just two minutes. A ticket that is valid for one hour will set you back around 17 kroner ($2.50 USD).
Copenhageners love their capital and are particularly proud of it. Up until 1852 the city was encircled by ramparts. Outside the ramparts lay open countryside, where the well-to-do spent their summers. Inside the ramparts was another story: the urban population was packed like sardines and the citizen protested loudly against the cramped conditions. Finally, military authorities capitulated to the angry crowd and tore down the ramparts. The layout was obviously antiquated, a fact that was made abundantly clear as early as 1807, when English troops bombarded the city. They aimed for the church spires, and when they collapsed in flames, entire districts were consumed by fire. 1,600 Copenhageners were killed and large parts of the city were destroyed.
Copenhagen’s history reaches back 800 years, but the English bombardment and two extensive fires in the 18th century tragically destroyed much of Copenhagen’s oldest medieval parts. Consequently, the Old City mainly consists of simple, elegant, classicist buildings, giving the city a fine, uniform look and providing a delectable treat for the local architecture students. A historical atmosphere lives on in Old Copenhagen, and the bumpy cobblestones that line the streets are the same strolled on by the famed existential philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, who would venture out into the streets as often as his poor health would allow.
The old trade route, Strøget, runs right through the city center. The pedestrian street, which is two kilometers long, is not only the best place to shop, but also links two very different sides of the city: the modern, heavily trafficked Copenhagen with the City Hall Square and lots of neon lights in one end, and the stately old town with the mansions, Kongens Nytorv, and Amalienborg, residence of the royal family, in the other. The mansions exude a luxuriousness that is echoed by the quality of the shops in this part of Strøget, which has always been the most exclusive high street in the country. Here you will find fashion stores like Gucci and Louis Vuitton, and if you are into fine dining, you will find exquisite restaurants discreetly situated on the side streets around Kongens Nytorv and the smaller square Nikolaj Plads, which is hiding behind this part of Strøget. You will also find it hard to miss the flagship of the country's most distinguished chain of department stores, Magasin du Nord.
Native Copenhageners prefer to avoid the crowded Strøget in favor of the quieter side streets. Here they have their favorite little shops and boutiques, and when they relax in one of the many cafés, chances are they’ll know the owner.
Halfway through Strøget is Amagertorv, one of the finest squares in the city, where pentagonal pink, yellow, grey and black granite tiles are elegantly arranged in patterns that call to mind the floor of a royal ballroom. When you are standing in that square, you are standing in the very center of old Copenhagen – but it is as lively as ever and by no means a museum piece.
Around the Old City you will be able to make out remnants of the former ramparts and the accompanying moats in the belt of green parks that encircle the core of the old city. This is where Copenhageners love to take their exercise, go on picnics or simply sunbath in the summertime. The city's ancient history breathes life into the modern metropolis. Students stroll leisurely towards the lecture halls of the Law Faculty, which is situated in the Latin Quarters behind Vor Frue Kirke (The Church of Our Lady). Copenhageners seize any and every opportunity to enjoy their city. The slightest hint of sunshine has people coming out from everywhere to crowd the cafés, have picnics in the parks, or play pétanque under the shadows of the trees.
May 2006