About the tour

See the famous sights of Copenhagen on this tour, which will take you on a 8km (2 hour long) journey to see some of the most well-known and historically significant buildings and monuments of the city.

A. DIS

Meet at the DIS Student Hub (or wherever works for you).

B. Studenterhuset

Literally ‘the student house’. Situated just a five minute walk from DIS, Studenterhuset offers a wide selection of sandwiches, coffee and beers. This hang-out has been a DIS tradition for years, largely due to the free wifi, cozy atmosphere, and young student vibe. Throughout each month Studenterhuset hosts a number of socials including Quiz Night, Hygge Nights, and International Night. Studenterhuset is also known as one of the best live venues in central Copenhagen – be sure to take in a cozy concert of a local group!

C. Nyhavn

Nyhavn is one of the most iconic sights of Copenhagen! It was inaugurated in 1673 as a busy and very important commercial port, and the houses along the harbor were built for merchants and trade. The seaside of Copenhagen is historically important as Copenhagen has fought many wars against neighboring countries, and up until the 1700 century many foreign intruders came with ships. Luckily, many of the houses located in Nyhavn are original from the 17th and 18th century. In fact, the famous Danish author H.C. Andersen lived in Nyhavn for more than 20 years from 1834!

D. Den lille havfrue (The Little Mermaid) / Kastellet

This statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s famous mermaid has been resting on the shore of Copenhagen’s harbor since 1913 and is visited by no less than three million people every year! The story about a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea to gain a human soul is a classic fairytale that was rewritten by Disney, and is famous worldwide. Immediately adjacent to The Little Mermaid is Kastellet Park, a public park and historic fortress constructed by King Christian 4 in 1624. It´s a beautiful area for walks and jogging – and it´s a popular photo spot – if people still want more pictures after all of their takes at the Little Mermaid statue!

E. Amalienborg

This palace is the winter home of the Danish royal family and is made up of four palaces surrounding a courtyard in front of Frederick’s Church (the building with the green dome that you can see from all over the city). It was built after the original royal palace, Christiansborg Castle, burned down in 1794. The new Amalienborg castle represented a new era in the Danish Monarchy; a turn away from the medieval times during which Denmark had been involved in many wars. During this time wars were fought like a game of chess – as long as the King was safe, you hadn´t lost the war. Therefore, he needed protection! Amalienborg doesn´t provide any protection with the location this close to water. Monarchy in Denmark has followed tendencies in society, which can be seen in the buildings, the parliamentary democracy, and female emancipation. Today the Danish monarchy, though mostly a figurehead, is a popular and modern family that most of the Danish people still adore.

F. Rosenborg Slot & Kongens Have

Rosenborg Castle is another of the very active King Christian 4’s projects, ultimately for use as his summer home. It was finished in 1633, and built in Dutch Renaissance style with red bricks and grey sandstones. It was meant to meet all the needs of a renaissance king:

Christian 4 also designed the adjoining castle gardens, known as Kongens Have (The King’s Garden). Besides the lovely flower garden growing next to the castle, the King’s Garden also encompasses a 30-acre green space surrounding the castle. The park turns into an oasis in the city center during the summer, where young people come to play soccer, tan themselves and have picnics. The park is Copenhagen’s most visited park with more than 10,000 daily visitors on hot summer days.

G. Rundetårn / Trinitatis Kirke

Rundetårn (Round Tower) is one of the famous Danish King Christian the 4s creations, and was built in 1642. Attached to the Trinitatis Church (originally a university chapel), the Rundetårn was added to the complex for the purpose of having an astronomical observatory. Astronomy grew to be very important in 17th century Europe and this led to the mushrooming of many observatories. Today, for a small fee, visitors can climb the spiral ramp on the inside and enjoy the view from the top as well as, on certain days of the week, use the observatory for a little late-night stargazing. The Library hall on top of the Church is always bustling with activity as it regularly plays host to exhibitions and concerts in its capacity as an active cultural venue.

H. The University of Copenhagen, The Library

The University of Copenhagen was founded in 1479 and is among the oldest universities in Northern Europe. The building located in Vor Frue Plads consists of administration, the old student prison in the basement (to prison behaving students), and one of the main research libraries in Denmark, the Copenhagen University Library. Founded in1582, it is also the oldest library in the city. The main building of the library (see the entrance on Fiolstræde) is very impressive, and is still an active library today. It was designed by Johan Daniel Herholdt and completed in 1861.

I. Vor Frue kirke (Church of Our Lady)

This church is the cathedral of Copenhagen and was first built in 1200 by the important Danish bishop Absalon. Due to several wars and great fires, the church we see today was built in 1829 in classical style. It´s beautiful and open to the public – also occasionally for midnight masses. The church lies next to Frue Plads – an important DIS meeting location for take offs to Field Studies and more!

 

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