Re-using old silos

Gemini Residence is a residential building on the Islands Brygge waterfront. The building has been created by converting two former seed silos with apartments clipped to the exterior of the silos.

-RS

HDMY Dannebrog (A540)

Her Danish Majesty's Yacht Dannebrog (Danish: KDM Dannebrog) was launched by Queen Alexandrine in Copenhagen in 1931, and commissioned on 26 May 1932. The yacht now serves as the official and private residence for HM The Queen of Denmark, HRH the Prince Consort, and members of the Royal Family when they are on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters.

The Dannebrog, named after the flag of Denmark and has dual functions: it is primarily the Royal Yacht during peacetime; it can become a hospital ship during emergency alerts or war.

-RS

Round Tower

The Rundetårn (English: Round Tower) is a 17th-century tower located in central Copenhagen, and was built during the reign of Christian IV. It was built as an astronomical observatory and is today one of the few high spots for tourists to see Copenhagen.

A fun fact about it: In 1989, Thomas Olsen went up and down the Round Tower on a unicycle in 1 minute and 48.7 seconds, which is a world record.

-RS

Saint George's Lake

Sankt Jørgens Sø (English: Saint George's Lake) is closest to Vesterbro and is made of two basins (south and north) with the southernmost point at the Tycho Brahe Planetarium and northernmost point at Gyldenløvesgade.

The lakes primarily serve as a recreational area and the paths surrounding them are popular for strolls and a favoured running route. The total distance around the lakes is 6.4 km.

-RS

New take on lighting

If you have had a great photo spoiled because of a protruding street light or traffic sign you'll appreciate that these things are some of the most underrated bits of design ever. I'll be generous and say that Copenhagen in particular does not have the prettiest road lighting and it has always fascinated me that a country renowned for its good design could have such ugly objects spoiling people's views of beautiful architecture.

On a recent visit I saw this design which is for bicycle routes and uses sun and wind-power to generate its power eliminating the need for wiring. It is an improvement on the current system and I hope this gets developed further!

-RS

The Opera Pavillion

The Opera Pavilion was completed last year and can accommodate 200 waiting visitors to Holmen by the water bus quay. I was surprised to see that the circular geometrical shape is open towards the jetty and on two sides, as well as towards the gangway pier. I am waiting to hear about a drunk falling into the water at this point but at least the structure is locked during the time the water bus does not operate.

-RS

The start of the tourist season

The start of Spring also signals the ubiquitous canal tours being opened up. This year, the relatively warm winter has allowed the opening of the routes a little earlier than usual. New facilities opposite Christiansborg palace will also be fully operational this season.

-RS

Sweet chesnut

The sweet chestnut was introduced into Europe from Sardis, in Asia Minor and had provided food to mainly southern Europe for centuries. Chestnuts produce a better crop when subjected to chill temperatures during the dormant period. As such it is ideally suited to Northern Europe and are some of the first plants to bud in Spring.
-RS

Peace protest

In front of the parliament building at Christiansborg palace a lone protester has every day been appealing for peace since 2001.
-RS

A king of the arts

Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746 and he founded the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in Copenhagen, which officially opened on 31 March 1754, his 31st birthday. Frederick also purchased what would become known as the Danish West Indies from the Danish West India Company in 1754.
His statue is the one at Amalienborg Square in Copenhagen.
-RS

Four decades on the throne

Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. She is the eldest daughter of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark. This year she celebrates 40 years on the throne.
-RS

Lawman, politician and editor

Viggo Lauritz Bentheim Hørup was a Danish jurist, politician, editor and a minister in Denmark was a leading figure in the opposition in the second half of the 1800s.
This statue is in Kongens Have and by the sculptor J.F. Willumsen.
-RS

Ambiguous legacy

With a bible and a sword

Absalon or Axel (c. 1128 – 1201) was a Danish archbishop and statesman and best known for territorial expansion in the Baltic Sea and built the first fortification of the city that evolved into modern-day Copenhagen.

Absalon was equally great as churchman, statesman and warrior. His policy of expansion was to give Denmark the dominion of the Baltic for three generations.

-RS

A Dane in Rome

Danish neoclassicistic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844), lived and worked in Rome for most of his life and some of his works are presented in the Thorvaldsen museum on the small island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen next to Christiansborg Palace.

-RS

Inside the Marble Church

Frederick's Church, popularly known as The Marble Church has the largest church dome in Scandinavia with a span of 31m and is the fourth largest domed church in Europe.

-RS

Early Spring

If you have a chance to visit the Kastellet near Østerbro feel free to sit down and enjoy the view of the Marble Church (Marmorkirken).

Enjoy your Saturday!

-RS

Bike parking

Nørreport station is currently undergoing a major renovation. It is the busiest train station in the country, serving 165,000 people daily. The rebuilding will take place between 2011 and 2014.

While this is happening the streets around the station has been closed of to traffic and parking has been made for bicycles as this photo shows.

-RS

The King's Garden

The oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen is the Rosenborg Castle Gardens or in Danish Kongens Have (King's garden). This used to be the private gardens of King Christian IV and today plays host to temporary art exhibitions and other events such as concerts throughout the summer.

-RS

Let's go shopping

Strøget is a popular tourist attraction in the centre of town is the longest pedestrian shopping area in Europe. Strøget was created in November 1962 and has consequently been extended to about 100,000 square metres of car free street

-RS

Some more street art

Sometimes, walking around Copenhagen, one comes across amazing works of art done by street artists such as Tejn. I have come across his work mostly as paste-ups and have been very impressed with it. As someone who believes public spaces should not be bland and faceless it gladdened my heart to come across this piece on the Dronning Louises Bro near Nørrebro.

The pieces are called Lock On's and are made from reclaimed metal found in relevant areas with a link to certain events and then given a new lease of life.

In another blog I came across I saw there were more installations dotted around the city so I will go and search for them.

-RS

Another view from the Rundetårn

With it being one of the few tall buildings in the centre of town easily accessible to public it is always worthwhile visiting this structure.

The foundation stone was laid in 1637 and was the first stage of the King’s Trinitatis Complex - which had the main objective to congregate three major facilities for scholars and students at the University: an astronomical observatory, a University Church and a University Library.

Today's view is towards the Amalienborg castle area with the Marble church in the middle-ground.

-RS

Looking out to Østerbro

Østerbro, slightly northeast of Nørrebro, has remained an uncluttered and suburban residential area since the 19th century. The train station, Østerport, was built in 1894–97 to help workers travel to the city centre, on the site of Copenhagen’s fortified eastern gate.

This photograph was taken from the Rundetårn and shows Rikshospitalet and Fælledparken on the horison and the Botanical Gardens in the middle-ground.

-RS

Latin quarter

Looking out from the Rundetårn towards the west one can see a large part of the Latin Quarter of Copenhagen.

This area is home to Copenhagen’s university, where Latin used to be the spoken language. One of the oldest areas in the city, it is full of 17th-century buildings that were built by the architect king, Christian IV. Although there have been dwellings here since medieval times, most of them were destroyed in the disastrous fire that spread across Copenhagen in 1728 . Today, the Latin Quarter is a lively and bustling student area brimming with shops and cafés.

-RS

Historic Axelborg

These days it seems the whole of Copenhagen is a huge construction site with the new metro ring being built and reparations from last years flooding still happening everywhere.

The offices to which many travelers go to find information on Copenhagen is in the Axelborg with its distinctive dome and beautiful grand hall. It was built in 1920 and was the first office building in Copenhagen. It was in those times the second largest secular building in all of Copenhagen after Christiansborg.

Since then it has been the address for Denmark’s state radio broadcast service, banks and, today, a conference and banqueting company.

-RS

Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde's ships - 50 years later!

Since 1962 the The Viking Ship Museum (Danish: Vikingeskibsmuseet) in Roskilde has been the Danish national museum for ships, seafaring and boatbuilding in the prehistoric and medieval period.

Its most famous exhibits, the Skuldelev ships, were excavated in 1962.

-RS

Here stood the place of punishment

In front of the Copenhagen District Court building on Nytorv is a raised area past which I have walked many times. A few days ago I noticed there was a stone with some lettering carved in it. This is what I took a photo of and the word "kag" translates to a cat with nine tails!

Oh well, I thought, just another weird Danish tradition.

-RS

Coffee, sir?

Very much like in Paris there is a tradition to have coffee in cafès and restaurants. This kiosk (situated on Nytorv) is one of several which seems to date from the early 1900's dotted throughout the city.

The detail work on these are phenomenal and harks back to an era when form was just as important as function!

-RS

A true great Dane

The Danish physicist Niels Bohr made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics. He received the Nobel prize in Physics and played a significant role in advocating the peaceful use of nuclear energy and the mass rescue of the Jews from Denmark. Bohr has been described as one of the most influential scientists of the 20th century.

This photo is of a bust of him outside the Copenhagen University.

-RS

Construction everywhere

Nowadays it seems that half of Copenhagen is under construction and the other half is the constructions site for all the surplus soil, bricks, pipes, etc.

This is the view near Rådhusplasen and it shows the statue of the two buglers which, according to popular myth, blows their instruments if a virgin walks past. No comment...

-RS