Welcome to the bicycle metropolis Copenhagen #places2.0
5 min read
One of the most expensive but at the same time most liveable cities in Europe is Denmarks capital Copenhagen – the biking metropole.
#place: Copenhagen
Country: Denmark
Inhabitants: 602,481
Area: 88.25 km2
Famous Landmark: The Little Mermaid
Architecture:
Cirkelbroen bridge crosses the Christianshavn canal in Copenhagen. The curved circular bridge is an idea of the Danish artist Olafur Elíasson, who was inspired by Icelandic fishing boats. The playful, 40-meter-long transition connects the Christiansbo district with the Applebys Plads. It consists of five differently sized and irregularly connected circular platforms.Each of these platforms is supported by a single mast.
For a dip in the cold water, the Kastrup harbor pool, designed by White Architects, is a great place to go. This offers a wonderful view of the island of Saltholm and Sweden. A 100-meter-long footbridge leads to this impressive bathing platform, which is made of hardwood and offers a 3- and 5-meter diving board for particularly brave swimmers. In the evening, the harbor bath is also illuminated, creating a magical atmosphere.
Address: Amager Strandvej 301, 2770 Kastrup
Copenhagen's landmark is the Little Mermaid, a bronze statue sitting on a stone by the harbor. The figure from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name served as the model, and she now gazes out at the vast sea along Copenhagen's waterfront. She is admired by thousands of visitors every year, but not always with good intentions. For example, the Little Mermaid has been doused with paint numerous times, blown off her pedestal and found with her arm missing and once even without her head, which put her on the front page of the "New York Times." Of course, after each attack she was fully restored, so a visit to the statue is definitely worth it.
Adress: Langelinie, 2100 København Ø
Café:
Traditional Danish pastry meet Japanese influences in this Copenhagen bakery. The bakery Andersen (named after the author of fairy tales and other children’s books) was opened by a baker family from Japan. Shunsuke Takaki came on a study trip to Copenhagen in 1959 and fell in love with the Danish style of baking. When he returned to Japan, he baked bread and cakes following Danish recipes. He would have liked to return to Copenhagen to open a bakery there, but his son and daughter realized his dream for him. The company may have grown – and today it is far from the small bakery around the corner – but the product does not suffer. The pastries are still made by trained bakers and loved by the customers.
Address: ANDERSEN BAKERY EUROPE A/S • Thorshavnsgade 26 • 2300 København S
The numerous hot dog stands (Pølsevogn) in Copenhagen are absolutely cult. They have been here for over a century and are still very popular today - with locals and tourists alike. Although it was initially considered tasteless to eat sausages on the street, the carts are now part of the cityscape. One of them is "Harry's Place" on the edge of the Nørrebo district. These delicious delicacies have been sold here since 1965. It is worth a visit! Try the special sausage (Børge), which is often eaten traditionally with a cup of cocoa.
Address: Nordre Fasanvej 269, 2200 Copenhagen
Famous person:
Arne Jacobsen (1902 – 1971) is considered one of Denmark’s most important architects and designers of the 20th century. His designs followed the style of functionalism. He studied architecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Already as a 23-year-old, he received the Silver Medal at the World’s Fair in Paris – the first of many honorary titles to follow in his life. Among his main works are: the town halls in Århus, Søllerød, Rødovre and Glostrup, the SAS (Royal Hotel) building in Copenhagen, Munkegårds school in Gentofte, Toms Fabrikker in Ballerup, Denmark’s National Bank and St. Cathrine’s College in Oxford. In 1932 Arne Jacobsen began his collaboration with Fritz Hansen, and over the years he designed a series of chairs and armchairs, for example, „The Ant“ (1951), „The Egg“ (1957) and „The Swan“ (1957).
Museum, Book shop and café:
With the new building named „BLOX“, designed by the Dutch office „Office for Metropolitan Architecture OMA“, Copenhagen has a new landmark at the harbour. In May 2018, the eye-catching building was opened in the city’s former industrial harbour. It is composed of green shiny glass cubes, which refer to the harbor containers that used to be found here. The color scheme of the new building is similar to that of the water. BLOX is designed as a „city in the city“ and includes a 5700 square meter office space with both fixed offices and coworking areas – with a restaurant, a café, a shop, a playground, a fashion museum and a fitness center. There are also private apartments, a parking garage and the Danish Design Museum. The traffic of Copenhagen’s busiest road runs under the building and relieves the harbour area.
At the heart of the building at the harbour the new rooms of the Danish Architecture Center DAC occupy about one third of the building. With this location and size, the DAC is unique in the world for an architecture center. The design shop has the largest selection of books on architecture and city planning to be found in Denmark. In the café and restaurant and on its three spacious rooftop terraces you can enjoy a coffee or nordic dishes with a spectacular view over the harbour.
Address: Danish Architecture Center, Bryghuspladsen 10, 1473 København K
