The Danish capital is a beautiful city that can be visited quietly on foot or by bicycle, the main means of transport for most residents and a very interesting and healthy option for tourists. The city centre , called the City or Indre By, gathers most of the tourist attractions of the city and is the best area to stay in Copenhagen for a sightseeing tour
The centre houses the City Hall Square, Rådhuspladsen, the spectacular Tivoli Gardens and Copenhagen’s main street, Strøget, which brings together the city’s most exclusive clothing stores, as well as the best cafes, restaurants and hotels, and at the end of which is Kongens Nytorv, the former central square of the city.
To the east of the Tivoli and very well connected to it by public transport are the icon of the city, the statue of The Little Mermaid , and the Kastellet, a former military fortress.
If you are interested in knowing where to stay in Copenhagen , you may also be interested in knowing where to stay in Stockholm, where to stay in Oslo, where to stay in Helsinki and where to stay in Amsterdam.
Copenhagen’s city centre, the best area to stay
The Tivoli, the oldest amusement park in the world, is a clear reference point for those who spend a few days in the Danish capital and around it are located the most exclusive hotels in the city and it brings together an endless number of clothing shops, cafes, restaurants and nightlife venues, so it is the place to have fun and go out after a busy day of sightseeing through the charming streets of Copenhagen.The gardens surrounding the Tivoli are spectacularly beautiful and an attraction for any visitor, and it even houses a restaurant boat where you can have lunch or dinner and taste the typical smorrebrod, cold dishes that are very popular among Danes.
A few steps from this spectacular park is the Rådhuspladsen, the main square of the city, the busiest and most lively, where you can find the statue of Hans Christian Andersen, author of “The Little Mermaid” and other famous children’s stories, as well as the famous bronze statue Fountain of the Dragon, in which a bull defeats a dragon, and the statue of the Viking warriors.But the most emblematic thing about this square, where people are always having a drink on the terraces, taking photos of a street artist or simply contemplating the beauty of its buildings, is the town hall, a red brick building whose plenary room can be accessed free of charge.In the romantic nationalist style, the Danish city hall has a richly decorated façade with a statue of Absalom and a slender clock tower that, at almost 106 metres high, is one of the tallest buildings in the city of Copenhagen. The city hall also houses Jens Olsen’s astronomical clock, an engineering gem from the first half of the 20th century.
From Rådhuspladsen comes one of the world’s longest pedestrian streets and Copenhagen’s main street, Strøget (actually it refers to the five streets that run from City Hall Square to the famous Kongens Nytorv square).On one of these streets is the Helligaandskirken (Holy Spirit) church, a former Augustinian monastery that was burned down and has been restored and is the only building that remains from the medieval era, the church of St. Nicholas (Skt.Nicolaj Kirke) and Vor Frue Kirke, Our Lady’s church is the current cathedral of Copenhagen and dates from 1829, although the original foundations are from the late 12th century.Next to the Cathedral is the University of Copenhagen, the largest and oldest (15th century) university in the Danish capital.
Reached Kongens Nytorv, the former central square of the city, is worth a detailed visit.Built in 1908, this beautiful cobblestone square is home to buildings such as the equestrian statue of Christian V on horseback, the oldest statue in Copenhagen, the Royal Theatre, which is the national theatre of Copenhagen and hosts drama, opera, ballet and orchestra, Charlottenborg Palace, a large baroque-style mansion, home to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and Thott Palace, the current French Embassy.
From Kongens Nytorv you can get by bus to The Little Mermaid, the famous bronze mermaid sculpture in Langelinie Park in Copenhagen’s Harbour Bay, inspired by Andersen’s fairy tale of the same name.Very close to Copenhagen’s emblem is the Kastellet, a fortified citadel and one of Copenhagen’s fortifications, which today houses a church, a windmill and a spectacular public park, ideal for relaxation, walks and family fun.
And, a short distance away, it is worth visiting Amalienborg Palace, the immense and elegant winter residence of the Danish royal family, formed by four Rococo style mansions, and a few meters away, Frederiks Kirke or Marmorkirken, the marble church, a very representative building that stands out for its impressive dome, similar to that of St. Peter’s Church in Rome.The Russian church of Aleksander Nevskij and the Danish Design Museum are also in this area.
