Architecture of Denmark. Must see and must visit landmarks

» 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.

Location on the map:   Interesting 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.

» The building is located in the old part of the city, on an island. There used to be a fortified construction.
»  The first stones were laid ten centuries ago. The building changed its appearance several times due to severe damages and reconstruction.
»  The palace is surrounded by 2-kilometre water canals. It’s connected to the city by 8 bridges.
»  There’s a statue of Monarch Christian riding a horse before the entrance.
»  A 106-metre palace tower ending with a spire in the form of several crowns is a part of the building. Nowadays, it functions as an observation deck with a view of the city.
»  The walls of some rooms are draped with red Syrian silk and decorated with metal bas-relief.
»  The Queen’s Reception Room is filled with picturesque paintings and sculptures.
»  The Knight's Hall has lots of tapestries with the scenes of events from the Kingdom of Denmark’s history. They were presented to the Queen of Denmark for her milestone birthday in the 90s.
»  The flag of Denmark is frescoed on the ceiling of the Throne Room.
»  Christiansborg Palace is the current government residence. Several parts of the building are occupied by state institutions (the Legislature, the Supreme Court, the Office of the Prime Minister). The rest is owned by the museum.

» 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.

» The distinctive features of the Church of Our Savior are its 90-metre-high spire and an external spiral staircase with gilded handrails.
»  400 steps steeply rise up and lead to the bell tower. The rise is very steep with narrow stairs – two people can’t walk side by side.
»  The spiral staircase winds round the tower four times counterclockwise. It was built 80 years after the main building was constructed.
»  The turret ends with a gilded spherical surface. A four-metre monument of Christ the Savior with a religious banner is attached to it.
»  The Dutch Baroque Protestant church was opened at the end of the 17th century.
»  The elements of the interior that are truly impressive are an altar made of marble and wood, an old organ (18th century), and a musical instrument consisting of a set of bells (a 19th century carillon). 48 bells of different size ring every hour.
»  The red and yellow brick walls on a massive granite pedestal were strengthened. A sufficient amount of natural light gets inside through high semicircular windows in the upper part.
»  The church can be accessed through the main entrance. It is located in the eastern part of the building. There are portraits of King Christian, the patron of the church, inside it.

Location on the map:   Interesting facts: » There’s a dark-red brick building on the central street of Copenhagen. It’s the Church of the Holy Spirit, the oldest one in the city.
»  In 1238, the members of the Order of Saint Augustine built a church that served as a shelter for the afflicted. A medieval Gothic hospital building is a remnant of the old monastery.
»  The chronology of the building: the 15th century – a brick facade was erected; the pillars were built in the 16th century; the ornamented main entrance made of sand was made in the early 17th century.
»  The old building was destroyed during a big fire in 1728. The new building was constructed using the remains of the previous building. The house of God is baroque in style.
»  The inside of the church is decorated with two huge chandeliers; there’s an honorary chair of a bishop, behind which an altarpiece holy face is put. The inlay of a marble baptismal font is truly impressive. It was originally made in Rome, but a century after, it got to Denmark and now belongs to the church.
»  The church is open to parishioners. Organ music can be heard every day at 12 noon sharp.
»  The inner yard of the church has a memorial in honour of the Danish killed at German concentration camps.

» A legislative body of the Copenhagen Municipality has been located in the city hall since 1905. It's the sixth building since it was first built. The previous ones were either destroyed by fire or fell into decay.
»  The first building dates back to 1479. The modern building is an example of Scandinavian architecture in the style of Nordic modernism. It’s the highest construction in the city – almost 106 metres.
»  There’s a viewpoint which you can get to only after ascending 300 stairs. The building has a clock tower that is 106 metres high. The chimes of bells are broadcast all over the country.
»  The facade is built of red brick. It is crowned with a gilded statue of the founder of Copenhagen.
»  A mercury thermometer is installed in one of the wall niches. When the weather is good, a golden figure of a girl on a bicycle is shown, and when the weather is bad, a girl with an umbrella shows up.
»  Capacious bright halls are decorated with stucco artwork, plaster paintings, and wooden carvings.
»  There’s an astronomical clock in a glass case in a separate room. A mechanic had been working on it for forty years. The clockwork consists of over 15 thousand parts. It has been showing the exact time since December 1955 and is perfectly accurate. Over 300 years, the deviation will be just 0.4 seconds.

» The Copenhagen Opera House is owned by the Danish state. It’s a part of the Royal Danish Theatre. It took 3 years to accomplish the project.
»  More than $500 million (USD) were provided by a private economic company. It was opened in the first winter month in 2005.
»  It’s a nine-floor skyscraper of over 41,000 square metres + five floors are hidden underground. There are two stage grounds. Together with a foyer, it takes up 7,000 square metres.
»  The first auditorium of the main stage gathers up to 1,700 spectators at a time. The orchestra pit holds over a hundred musicians, all of whom are skilled performers.
»  The auditorium is divided into parterre and three elevations (balconies). There's a box for royalty on the left side.
»  The main stage is surrounded by five additional acting areas. Several performances take place simultaneously here.
»  The second auditorium has 180 seats. The lounge foyer is so huge that it has a cafe and a restaurant. There are over a thousand back rooms.
»  A marble hall with huge chandeliers can be seen behind a stained glass window. It's finished with white maple, oak, and gold leaf. The area before the opera house is paved with granite.

» 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.

» 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.

» In 1888, the building of the Glyptotek was gifted to the city by its founder who built the museum at his own expense.
»  The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek has over 10,000 sculptures from different eras, – Ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt – paintings by talented artists, jewellery, pendants, numerous statuettes, decorative elements.
»  In 2006, the interior of the building was renovated. There’s a music hall in the Glyptotek. Classical music concerts, literary readings, lectures, and conferences are held here.
»  The facade is made of red brick. It is decorated with columns and sculptures. The entrance is guarded by a lion statue.
»  The first floor is occupied by marble statues from Ancient Egypt, Greece, Near East: a restored lion sculpture from a Greek tomb (6th century BC), fragments of sculptures from Lebanon (5th century), tomb reliefs, and Assyrian palace reliefs.
»  One of the halls is dedicated to Rodin’s artwork (around 30 objects), Degas’ sizeable bronze statues, Danish and Norwegian sculptors’ works.
»  The second floor has a variety of sculptures and paintings by 19-20th-century Impressionists.
»  An observation point on the roof of the museum has a wonderful view of Copenhagen.

» 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 State Museum for Art has two wings. The main building was constructed in the style of the Italian Renaissance in the late 19th century.
»  The National Gallery of Denmark overlooks the royal family’s residence. It’s a place where classic pieces of art are stored. There are so many paintings that an additional second building was required here.
»  The new extension was built in 1998. It’s located in the park area. The two buildings are connected by a welded covered gallery made of glass.
»  The two buildings different in style harmoniously complement each other. The new house presents the modern art. The museum is famous for its collection of paintings, installations, 12th-century prints, and modern masterpieces by world-renowned Danes.
»  The works are arranged in chronological order, which makes it easier to trace the periods of modern painting development. There are over 35,000 exhibits.
»  The gallery is one of the largest repositories in the country. Picturesque paintings, etudes, fine art photographs are just a few works of art from the early Renaissance to the 21st century present here.
»  It’s one of the best collections of graphic art in the world. The covered area is divided into several sections.