Your First Time in COPENHAGEN

[aljuarez]

If you're lucky enough to visit the Danish capital, and you haven't been there before, you're in for a treat!

The city is compact and very walking-friendly. You will see many cute squares of different sizes. This being Europe, a lot of these squares will have gorgeous buildings as background for monumental, megalomaniac statuary, as well as magical-looking old towers and spires aplenty. As an added bonus, Copenhagen is a port, with much waterfront prettiness and inviting canals.



























Invariably, you will be drawn into Strøget, reputedly Europe's longest pedestrian shopping street. Much of it isn't pretty, but it is the main drag of the old city and you will happen upon a few beautiful squares. Here, the most famous, Amargertorv.































For a nice lunch, you could go into the Cafe Norden, which is of course touristy and not very cheap, but it overlooks the square and nothing in it will remind you of McDonald's.







The Thorvaldsens Museum, with its beautiful façade. You should go in. It's small, manageable and won't eat up too much of your time.














The museum sits on Slotshomen, an island that contains Christianborg palace, site of the Danish parliament and a museum of the old palace, where they won't let you take photos!





















































You may be used to Europeans being a bit aloof and reserved (especially those in the North), so you may be shocked to find that many Danes are super friendly, even chatty! Perhaps less surprising, given their strong traditions of design, is how well dressed and stylish many of them are! Unless you've been to China, you may never have seen as many people on so many different kinds of bikes, too!






Some random shots of things you may see

[toshijmx]

These are very good images. I love the details and closeups! A few of the pics are a bit underexposed, I think...

[DWest]

wonderful shots of wonderful Copenhagen.
I like your detail shots.

[SYDNEY]

Fantastic shots mate, I so wish that we had an older history and/or that the French settled in NZ - they sure know how to build ornate buildings

[aljuarez]

Yes... I upgraded to a new camera. I'm still getting used to the settings. I used to have to increase contrast on the computer, now it's the opposite!

[aljuarez]

Depending on what's on, a visit to the National Gallery of Denmark could be included on your first trip to CPH!





















Right next door, the Geology Museum is housed in a beautiful building. The interior has some odd paintings and decorations, which makes it interesting. Definitely not a must for a first time, though...



















Some more buildings and details






















You may find it difficult to avoid the Rundetaarn (Round Tower), which is mentioned in every guidebook. But why should you? It's a fun building. You go up for wonderful views over the city via a sloping ramp that looks like something out of a Smurfs comic strip. It houses one of Europe's oldest surviving astronomical observatories, an art gallery (originally a library) and a church.

































































Bonus street action shot!

[rychlik]

The last shot says it all. To me, this is Europe. The enjoyment of life and not worrying about driving or owning a car. The opposite of North America. I'm moving.

[hhhhh]

Fantastic shots,wonderful Copenhagen.

[Linguine]

really marvelous photos from Copenhagen...thanks for sharing.

[christos-greece]

Amazing, very nice photos from Copenhagen, aljuarez

[aljuarez]

Test!

[aljuarez]

Let's look at some more basic sights in good old Copenhagen.

Unless you fly in, the Central Train Station, or København Hovedbanegård is likely the first thing you'll see of this nice city. Notice the unusual wooden beams in the nave and the beautiful pendant lights.























As you approach the square, the spires and pinnacles around it beckon and loom over the whole central area. Just don't use them for orientation; some of them look very much alike, at least for a first-timer!













And we arrive. The center of central Copenhagen! Rådhuspladsen, the City Hall square,







The City Hall is the main structure in City Hall Square, I think...















The Lur Blowers sculpture, and the Palace hotel behind it, a Jugendstil work in red brick. Not many of those around.















Now let's look at the small, but grand Thorvaldsen Museum. Every work in there is the work of Mr. Thorsvalden, a local sculpture who worked in Rome most of his life. It shows! The building was finished in the 19th century. This is a smaller museum, and one that won't take you hours to see, so keep it on the list!

























































The museum sits on Slotsholmen, literally the Castle Island, completely integrated to the inner city grid and linked by short bridges. This one, the Marble Bridge, is the prettiest.







Just off the island, the National Museum. We'll have a look inside later.









Ramdon impressions of this very civilized city.

[DarkLite]

Best thread of Copenhagen ever! I am in love with the city, it has such a charming feel to it and I am pretty sure friendly people give it a huge plus.
Totally beautiful work, you did an excellent job capturing the wonderful details of the facades most people wouldn't notice.

[FREKI]

Awesome pics mate!

[aljuarez]

Thanks, Freki! Means a lot coming from a local!

[SYDNEY]

Fantastic, I can't wait to visit the city one day

[hellospank25]

Beautiful photos, perhaps you can give me some tips as I will be visiting Copenhagen in January

[karlvan]

great city..
I like your detailed shots
and I'm always a fan of old architecture.

[aljuarez]

More from the Danish capital!

Inside the Rundetaarn, in the old town. A nice gallery and café, much more spacious than you would think from the outside.















Right in the same building, the Trinity Church





















Old Town scenes…



































The University and immediate area…





































Shops and shop windows















Moving towards the end of the Strøget













The statue of the fisherman teaching his son to play the flute, a charming sight on pretty Lille Strandstræde





Details on Nyhavn









The beautiful Danish Playhouse





Amalienborg, the complex of palaces housing royal residences and a couple of interesting museums…

































The Alexander Nevsky Russian orthodox church









Towering over the whole are, the huge “Marble Church” (actually, Frederiks’s Church).

[danmartin1985]

a charming city and indeed, a wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen!