Top architectural sightseeing and landmarks of Copenhagen - ideas on city exploration routes

» The construction of the royal residence in Copenhagen was finished in 1624. The building remained unchanged to this day. Many technical drawings were made by the king himself.
»  Since the middle of the 19th century (1838), the castle has been open to the public as a museum. The exhibits are arranged in chronological order. You can see the collections of furniture and porcelain, paintings, an heirloom treasury of Danish kings. It took 300 years to collect all these valuable objects.
»  There are two thrones in the Long Hall. A monarch’s seat (1665) is made of a toothed whale’s canine tooth. A queen’s chair (1731) is made of silver. They are guarded by silver lions in aggressive postures.
»  The ceiling of the Throne Hall is mosaicked with national Danish emblems. The walls have tapestries with military scenes.
»  Royal regalia are kept in the basement of the castle. There are the following items: a crown (1596) with ornamented figures of girls having a symbolic meaning and a crown (1671) with large sapphires; a sovereign sword, a scepter with a lily; the armour with pauldrons looking like elephant heads.
»  You can visit a ballroom used for banquets and royal receptions. The castle is surrounded by the Rosenborg Castle Garden. Rosenborg castle is Denmark’s historic and cultural heritage.

» In the 17th century (1642), the observatory was part of a complex consisting of university buildings and the Trinitatis Church. Famous astronomers used to work there.
»  The building has no angles and inside stairs. A ramp is used to get to the observation deck. It is fenced with patterned cast-iron bars. The suburbs of the city can be seen through telescopes.
»  The traces of carts are still visible on the yellow tiles on the floor. Peter I entered the tower on his horse, and Catherine I processed in the carriage.
»  A secret name of God is written in Biblical Hebrew on the stonework above the tower gate.
»  The upper level of the planetarium is situated 36 metres above the ground. A stairless spiral ascent is 210 metres long, which equals 7.5 revolutions.
»  The traces of carts are still visible on the yellow-tile floor.
»  There’s an exhibition hall on the way there, where the items related to scientific discoveries and the history of the Rundetaarn can be found.
»  The observatory is cylindrical in shape, which is why it is called the Round Tower.
»  There’s a star chart under the ceiling. The inner circumference is 18 metres. Different vernissages are organized in the room of a former library. Speed bike races are held here.

» The Danish royal family lives in Amalienborg. The building was named after crowned head Sophie Amalie.
»  The first construction dates back to 1673. The foundation of the building was laid by order of Frederick V. There’s a statue of him in the centre of the architectural complex. Its construction lasted for 17 years. The king looking like a Roman emperor sits on a horse. The emperor’s head is turned towards the Marble Church.
»  The area around the monument is tiled and fenced with chains.
»  There are four rococo-style mansions that are connected by wings. Together they form an eight-corner square. Each one is named after a certain king.
»  In 2010, the last renovation of the buildings was completed and a museum of royal house items was opened here.
»  The palace complex stretches for 203 metres on one side and 195 metres on the other one.
»  The Knight’s and Banquet Halls are located inside the First Palace. There are sculptures made by a German sculptor installed along the facade. Foreign visitors are still received here.
»  A covered colonnade connects the building with another one. It houses a museum. The Palaces of Amalienborg are guarded by guards in black fur hats.

» The Lutheran church was designed in 1740. The foundation stone was laid by King Frederick in 1749. The church is named after him.
»  The construction ceased for 150 years due to lack of money.
»  The span of a green copper dome is 31 metres. It was built thanks to donations from parishioners. It is supported by 12 columns.
»  The exterior of the walls is a mixture of Norwegian marble and limestone. That’s where the second name – the Marble Church – comes from.
»  The front sides of the walls have bas-relief and statues of saints.
»  The main entrance is made as a covered gallery standing on four pillars.
»  The interior is elegantly decorated, and there are carved wooden benches and a gilded altar inside. Together with murals and gilding, the ceiling depicts a starry sky.
»  High narrow windows are covered with stained glass. A multitude of candles complement the lighting, and it seems that the cross on the dome moves along the perimeter of the hall following the rays of the sun. Once a day, it coincides with the image of the cross on the altar.
»  On Sundays, wedding ceremonies are held here. According to statistics, about 250,000 people visit the church annually. Despite the abundance of tourists, it’s incredibly quiet in the church.

» The assumption of power by a monarch, weddings, baptisms of royal persons were held in the Church of Our Lady. In 1716, one of the ceremonies was visited by Peter I.
»  The first church building (12th century) was burnt by the Vikings. The second one managed to last for four centuries. However, it was destroyed by fire in the early 18th century. After it was reconstructed, the new building existed until 1807 when it was destroyed in a bombing raid.
»  The modern building was built in the 19th century. There are two bells on the tower. One of them is the largest bell in Denmark – it weighs 4 tons. The other one was made in the 15th century.
»  There are bronze statues of the prophets Moses and David along both sides of the facade.
»  The interior of the church is magnificent. The Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ are of the greatest value. To avoid putting them into niches, a sculptor made them a bit higher. Now they can be seen along the walls.
»  There are portraits of churchmen hung in the passage. The Son of God welcomes parishioners with open arms. An angel knelt down before Jesus near the altar.
»  The church is spacious and light inside. It can hold up to a thousand people. There’s an underground chapel, where you can look at the models of the destroyed churches and some parts of the former buildings left after their destruction.

» Kastellet (The Citadel) is a preserved military fortress. Its construction was approved in 1626 by the king that ruled then.
»  Its main purpose in the past was defence. Today, being a bastion facility, it’s subject to the Danish Defence Ministry.
»  The Commander’s House (a red building with a tiled roof and grand bas-relief on the wall, 1725) has an office of the commander of the fortress and provides accommodation for soldiers.
»  The area is guarded by the Queen’s guardsmen. The Kastellet fortress is star shaped. There are protruding parts (bastions) at the corners of the fortress. Each one is named after a certain royal.
»  Stone protections and towers are half destroyed. There are artificial mounds with old cannons. The Citadel is surrounded by moats filled with water.
»  A Danish millionaire provided funds for the reconstruction of the fortress. It was finished in 1999. A part of the territory is occupied by a city park.
»  The main entrance to the fortress is called King’s Gate. It’s decorated with vertical pilasters and a bust of King Frederik III.
»  There are caponiers in front of the gate. They were used for bombarding enemies. A windmill also managed to survive.

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Facts: » Bella Sky Comwell is 23-storey modern hotel that has a wonderful Scandinavian style design.
»  It consists of two leaning towers connected by an upper bridge. It became popular and stood out from other similar hotels thanks to its high-quality service.
»  812 rooms provide comfortable accommodation for up to 15,000 people. Each room has a climate control unit, a TV and radio, a safe, household appliances, wi-fi, and a 24-hour room service.
»  There are several dozen rooms for disabled guests.
»  Bella Sky Comwell is especially popular among women. The four-star hotel has a whole floor on the 17th level for the fair sex. There they can undergo various rejuvenation procedures, use a minibar, and relax in the lounge areas.
»  You can have a meal in any of the three restaurants or two bars – each one has a unique interior. The main restaurant is on the first floor. A hearty free breakfast is available until 10.30 am.
»  Sky Bar is a great place to hang out with friends and relax with light snacks and refreshing drinks. Sky Bar is situated on the last, 23d, floor.