Open for business

 

After having been closed for renovation for a couple of years the most prestigious hotel in Copenhagen, the Hotel D'Angleterre is (almost) open for business. Some renovations still remains but it has opened its doors for guests.

 

Fenced in

The equestrian statue of King Christian V must fell pretty fenced in behind the high green wall surrounding him and the metro construction site at Kongens Nytorv. And he better get used to it as the construction will go on for the next 4-5 years.

Reality rules?

Sometimes things happens in Copenhagen that baffles you. This is one of these times. A group of demonstrators is standing on Kongens Nytorv with banners with dubious proclamations like Reality Rules. As it was filmed with a background poster promoting a show by Danish stand-up comedian Tobias Dybvad, it (hopefully) was only a staged happening by the Danish TV channel TV-2.

Showing the city

I've told you about the little train that take tourists around the inner city, but there's alternatives to that. The horse carriages is a new feature here, or rather an old one that has been re-emerging. This one is passing one of the big ads that "decorate" the fence around the metro construction on Kongens Nytorv.

Flea markets

During the summer there's been a lot of flea markets throughout Copenhagen. To me it seems like the number has exploded, maybe because of the economic crisis that has hit everybody. This one is at the central square of Kongens Nytorv and is open every weekend.

Gift wrapped

 

On the central square of Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen one of the buildings seem almost gift wrapped. It's the French embassy and it's under renovation. Instead of the usual banners with ads or info, the French PR firm Athem has made this very nice banner. Hopefully the renovated facade will be even nicer.

More art on the green wall

 

As told yesterday the green walls around the metro construction sites in Copenhagen are being decorated with art and photographs. This pic is from the wall at Kongens Nytorv.

 

The green Wall of Copenhagen

 

As told here before the construction of the new metro line in Copenhagen is making its mark around the city. One of the more obvious things is the large, green walls that has been put up around the construction sites. In a bid to make it look a bit better some of the walls will be used as place to show street art, photographic exhibitions or other public stuff. Here it's iconic photographs on Kongens Nytorv. -CL

 

Not to be seen this summer

Unlike last summer Kongens Nytorv is a construction site until further notice. Tourists will have to cope with the building of the new metro system until 2018 even though the square is due to be cleared of construction equipment before then. Buildings facing the square include the Charlottenborg Palace from 1671, the Thott Palace from 1683 (now the French Embassy), and the Royal Danish Theater from 1874. -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

With The Law One Shall Build The Country

The District Court of Copenhagen is situated on Nytorv in the centre of Copenhagen. This Neoclassica building was inaugurated in 1815 and was built to the design of Christian Frederik Hansen.

The construction was started in 1803 and the project was delayed by scarcity of building materials as well as the British bombardment of the city in 1807 in the Battle of Copenhagen. Materials from the demolition of Hirschholm Palace were used for the building.

The building served a dual purpose for almost one hundred years, until the current Copenhagen City Hall was inaugurated in 1905. After that it has been exclusively used as the District Court of Copenhagen.

The inscription is from the Codex Holmiensis, the manuscript of the Danish Code of Jutland.

-RS

Knitted

This decorated bicycle was spotted near Kongens Nytorv. Recently the street art of CPH Knitters and Knit Bitch has been adorning many public spaces and trees in them. Anyone going past Nørreport station would have come across their work.

I wonder if this bicycle belongs to one of them?

-RS

The "King" in "Konge"

The place Kongens Nytorv and Kongens Have both show geographical points with a royal link. Konge means king in Danish. Both these areas are close to the current royal winter palaces situated at Amalienborg a few hundred metres away.

This photo is of the equestrian statue of King Frederik V, founder of Amalienborg Palace

With the construction of the new metro line in Copenhagen, there's a lot of constructions sites that need something to make them easier on the eye. On Kongens Nytorv in the centre the fence here has been decorated by the street-artist Shepard Fairey when he visited the city in August.

Renovating an Institution

On Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen an institution has been covered up; the Hotel D'Angleterre is under renovation for the next year or so. Instead of having its guests endure dust, noise and inconvenience , the new management decided to close down totally until the work is finished. As a five-star hotel, I guess it wouldn't do to have the guests complain too much.

Family Group?

On and around the square of Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen the Elephant Parade has placed eight of the elephants, maybe as out of convenience or maybe because they know that elephants are social animals.

Biggest Exhibition in Copenhagen

This elephant looks positively brimming with all the attention it is getting! The exhibition is the single biggest one held to date in Copenhagen and 103 elephants have been placed all over the capital.

Details

The detail on some of the elephants on the Elephant Parade is quite astonishing. This one, on Kongens Nytorv, is visited daily by hundreds of walkers-by.

Merry Christmas

The day's pic is of one of the 6 Happy Xmas Trees on the square Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. It's made artist Mikael Hauberg and it's called Copenhagen Towers Tree, which is appropriate as it shows the Copenhagen skyline.

In Denmark we celebrate Christmas on the eve of the 24th of December, so I want to wish you all a very merry Christmas, while I prepare for the feast of roasted duck with caramelized potates, boiled red cabbage and all the rest of the accessories, ending with ris a'lamande and hot cherry sauce.

How to get around

A question much used at Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen is "How do I get around to the other side?" Much of the square is fenced off because of the construction of the new metro-line. This station will be one of the connecting ones between the old(er) metro and the new one, so the construction site will take some space...and it should only take until about 2017 before we have the metro ready...if they're on time. Which would be a first.