Christian's Harbour
The past always sets the scene for the present. As you stand near the shiny new Metro Station at Christianshavn, find a vantage point in Christianshavn Torv (Market Place) and by squinting a little rid the scene of traffic and the age of connectivity. The drunks can remain, always the same throughout the booze-fuelled mists of time, but imagine Torvegade (Market Street) as the main thoroughfare where cartloads of farm produce from the island of Amager were trundled into the hungry city beyond. While the Christianshavn canal brought tall-masted ships bearing trade and influences from all over the known world straight into the heart of the town. Christianshavn has always been a great place for doing business, but the real reason for its founding was one of defence.When King Christian IV came to power in 1596, he immediately set about creating plans for solving Copenhagen's harbour and fortress problems; his predecessors had always quite rightly been concerned about possible attack from the sea. He started on Slotsholmen, where he built a large arsenal building, which enclosed the harbour where the pride of the Danish Navy could be fitted out. (You can hear more about this in stop #11 of the Copenhagen Classic tour on the WWWalks app.) The king also wanted to strengthen the city's business life. Therefore, he combined the two needs neatly into one, rather like the long eccentric plait that he wore all his life. And in 1616 he planned the construction of a completely new district, named after himself of course! The ramparts and the borough of Christianshavn (Christian’s harbour) were established by reclaiming the low beaches and islets between Copenhagen and Amager. It was a wild plan at the time, and where you are now standing was in fact the highest point, but by 1639 the settlement was so well-established that it gained its own rights as an independent privileged merchant's town. However, due to disagreements with the government, and with the difficulty of truly thriving as a separate entity so close to the capital, Christianshavn then became a district of Copenhagen.Originally, the settlement was laid out with inspiration from Dutch cities such as Amsterdam, and was indeed planned and constructed using Dutch architects, builders and brick manufacturers. The Dutch, like the Danes, lived in a flat, watery land with no decent stone with which to build, and so had perfected the art of land reclamation and by doing nifty things with the simple brick. With this new technology harnessed during the reign of Christian IV, the art of the red brick exploded in Denmark too. The name and the buildings of the “Builder King”, King Christian IV, are everywhere in Copenhagen, Denmark, southern Sweden, Norway, in ex-colonies in the Caribbean, along the west coast of Africa and on the Faroe islands. Christian IV was a true renaissance monarch with a keen interest in geometry, architecture, astronomy, trade, exploration, music, women and wine. We can also tag wars onto this list, which he involved Denmark in against Sweden towards the end of this reign, whence he lost an eye and bankrupted the country.Christian IV's legacy of fortifications, naval docks, scientific curiosity and his building projects which provide a staggering epitaph. The king himself was actively involved in designing many magnificent structures in the vicinity of the city such as Børsen (the old stock exchange), the Round Tower observatory, a massive red brick palace at Christiansborg (of which the naval dockyards remain), the Church of Christiansborg, the Sankt Petri Church, an earlier Copenhagen Cathedral, Rosenborg Palace, and here at Christianshavn.It’s only a short distance over Knippelsbro to Christiansborg. The original Copenhagen had its harbour at Gammel Strand, where the coastline ran. On an island in front of the beach lay the site of the first settlement in Copenhagen on Slotsholmen (stop #9 on the Classic Copenhagen tour on the WWWalks app), where once a fine red brick palace built by Christian IV stood, and further east Bremerholm, which became the navy's harbour and shipyard for a while.Up until 1682 - the original town plan was followed. But during the 18th century, new areas north of Christianshavn were filled and reclaimed to make room for the fleet's facilities, which gradually moved from Bremerholm to Nyholm (meaning new island). With the expansion of Christianshavn to the north, it became necessary to extend the fortifications towards the Amager side too, so during the 18th century Christianshavns defences were expanded, with additional bastions called the "New Works" – where much of Christiania now lies. Additional reinforcements occurred between 1779 and 1791, and again in 1810 - 1813. Even though the fortifications around the Inner City of Copenhagen were being dismantled in the late 19th century, Christianshavn's fortifications continued to be in use up until the 20th century. Consequently, Christianshavn houses some of Denmark's best preserved fortifications from the 17th century.
Canalside
From Christianshavn marketplace, cross Torvegade at the traffic lights (watch out for cyclists) then traverse Overgaden Oven Vandet and sit upon the steps which lead down to a jetty on the Christianshavn canal. Christianshavn canal is noted for its bustling maritime community, with numerous houseboats and sailboats, particularly in the northern half of the canal. It’s a joy to watch the Danes and their love of boats, in a country where no one place is further than 50 km from the coast you find that boats, beer and farming, are historically in the blood.The grand plan for Christianshavn was designed for King Christian IV by Johan Semb (1572 – 1635) a Dutch engineer, cartographer and surveyor. He specialized in land reclamation, and had experience from the construction of the town of Glückstadt in a swampy area on the river Elbe in Germany. In 1617, Semb was the perfect man for the job at creating this artificial islet, fortified market town and formidable line of defence for the inner city upon a mere sand bar. The new town was to be located out in the water between the island of Amager (where the airport now is) and Zealand (where Copenhagen lies and is the largest island in Denmark)Semb’s plan for Chistianshavn was from the beginning a straightforward street network, and was inspired by Amsterdam but simplified because of costs. The watery town was divided into an upper town (to the south) and a lower town (to the north). The original plan had in the middle a central square, Christianstorv (where the Metro is) that came to be located at the highest point. The terrain had to be of a certain height above sea level, and the construction work took place by knocking piles into the shallow water between the harbour, then the individual landowners were required to fill the land to a higher level themselves. A bridge, Knippelsbro, was built so that building materials could be transported to the new district, and another bridge connection was also established towards Amager.The necessary capital for these ambitious plans was raised by collecting a special tax throughout the country in 1618. Then the king had to make sure that capital-rich buyers became and remained interested, awarding the landowners a tax exemption for 12 years and an opt out from paying harbour dues. Also, in order to attract citizens who could help to realize the plan for a trading town, the plots were laid out as very large areas, where there was ample room for warehouses. The two parts were separated by the Christianshavn canal, to your left, which first and foremost made it possible to sail all the way into the city and transport goods to the many trading companies.The streets along Christianshavn canal have very distinctive names, Overgaden Neden Vandet and Overgaden Oven Vandet. The word Overgade comes from the German Ufer, which means broad or quay. The street to your right is characterized by a number of very large mansion-like buildings, which originally were a mixture of business premises, warehouses and housing for successful artisans and merchants. The development principle was that the largest plots lay out to the canal, while in the side streets there was room for cheaper houses and workshops. Thus, the posh traffic could be kept in the presentable streets. In the smaller properties, such as in numbers 12–14, there lived skippers whose ships conveniently lay immediately outside their homes on the quayside.
Our Saviour's Church
Continue along Overgaden Oven Vandet until you reach Sankt Annegade, turn right until you find yourself before the distinctive church of Our Saviour.This baroque church is most famous for the external spiral staircase that can be gingerly climbed to the top of the spire, offering great views across the city and the sea. It is also noted for its carillon, which is the largest in northern Europe and plays melodies every hour from 8 am until midnight. This unique church is a national treasure, and also a thriving parish church for about 8000 people.Buildings from the baroque period are rather rare in Denmark. When, in 1660 following a long and bloody war, Denmark lost the southern part of what is now Sweden. King Frederik III introduced an absolute monarchy, meaning that the Danish king, like Louis XIV of France (the Sun King), was answerable only to God. It was his son, Christian V who declared the might of absolutism through an impressive building style, which literally shouted from the rooftops the power of the monarchy. This church was his greatest work and his monogram is to be seen in many parts of it. He also created the Order of the Elephant which has become the most prominent Danish chivalrous order, of which Nelson Mandela, the astronomer Tycho Brahe and Winston Churchill were all recipients. The elephant decoration is derived from Denmark’s Indian colonial possessions in the 17th century; they are also to be found in the church, both in the stucco work and on the organ plinth. The elephant is a popular motif in Denmark, you’ll see elephant imagery used at the Carlsberg headquarters too.The church was built in the 1680s and consecrated in 1696. The ground below your feet is reclaimed from the ocean and consists of a filled-in sea bed. Consequently the construction of the church foundations took a long time to reach down to the limestone bedrock upon which Copenhagen is based. The twisting tower was added 50 years later.The Stradivarius of organs - Inside you can see the colossal structure of the church and the organ, which is one of the most photographed musical instruments in the world. The huge organ with Christian V’s gilded monogram, was built from 1698-1700 and is mounted on the wall and supported by two elephant carvings. It’s the ‘Stradivarius of organs' – and when the instrument is played it is the authentic sound of 1698, something which makes you shiver when you realise that it was made and tuned when Johan Sebastian Bach was a baby. These organ pipes are the oldest in Copenhagen and it’s a miracle that they have survived for more than three centuries. The great fires that ravaged the city in the 18th century did not reach Christianshavn, nor was the district hit by the British bombardment of 1807. The British fleet used the spire as a sighting point but without damaging the church or the organ.The spire of Our Saviour's Church - The spire was consecrated in 1752, more than 50 years after the building of the church had been completed. The architect Lauritz de Thurah designed this his greatest work, and had it approved and paid for by Christian VI. Thurah's corkscrew spire reaches a height of 90 metres and the external staircase turns four times anti clockwise around it. It’s interesting to note that the steps wind to the right in case the tower is to be defended with the right hand, while the left hand rests on the railing. The spire is topped by a vase-like structure, carrying a gilded globe with a 4-metre-tall figure of Christ Triumphant carrying a banner. It has a reputation for being the ugliest sculpture in Copenhagen, but is intentionally made with exaggerated proportions because it is meant to be seen from long distances and from the sea. A persistent story says that de Thurah committed suicide by jumping from the tower, supposedly because the spire, against King Frederik V's wishes, twisted to the right. This story is untrue, de Thurah died at home in his bed seven years after the consecration of the church, penniless but of natural causes.The city has grown considerably since the 17th century, but the view from the tower of Our Saviour's is still the best - and offers the best white knuckle climb in town. It has always been regarded as somewhat of a test to climb up and touch the globe on the summit, and as the whole spire is built of oak it can shake a little in a strong wind, this adds considerably to the frisson! The climb is not for the faint-hearted or if you’re concerned about health and safety procedures, as there’s none, this is Denmark!The Carillon - The carillon in Our Saviour's Church is also very famous. In 2019, the church was visited by more tourists than any other in Copenhagen, and also because the carillon was the first in Scandinavia in modern times. The tower of the church is equipped with a concert carillon from 1928 that was rebuilt in 1980 and consists of 48 bronze bells that have a musical range of four octaves, making it the largest carillon in Northern Europe. The largest bells weigh over 2,000 kilograms and the smallest 10 kilograms. In total, the carillon weighs almost 12 tonnes, and chimes every hour over Christianshavn with different melodies.
The Butterfly 3-Way Bridge
Trace your steps back to Overgaden Oven Vandet, then continue as far as you can on the canalside until ahead you reach this impressive pedestrian and cyclist bridge.Built in 2015, this foot and cycle bridge which spans the Christianshavn and Trangraven canals is the only 3-way bridge in the world in which two sections open up like a drawbridge. The bridge is otherwise known as Trangravsbroen, and is formed of three prongs which connect to three different banks. Fixed to a common platform, two of the connections can move interdependently to allow sailboats to pass in and out of the canal. When both sections, or wings, are open the bridge takes the shape of a butterfly, which is where its name originated.
Sailing Sustainably
Take the right-hand wing of the butterfly bridge, then turn a sharp right along Trangravs canal for 50 metres.Here’s the opportunity to stop the tour here for the day, or else come back another time to explore the pristine waterfront of Copenhagen and Christianshavn as they should be seen, from the water. At the beautifully named FriendShips office by the canal, you can rent an electric boat using quiet, green CO2-compensated energy from Danish windmills. Then cruise silently and sustainably along the canals marvelling at the new views which are miraculously revealed to you. The boats have capacity for up to eight people, a picnic hamper and some Carlsberg beers, and are available everyday from 9:30 am until sunset (up to 10 pm).FriendShips have very kindly offered a 10% discount for WWWalks customers, please make your reservation online to redeem this voucher code: URWQ1L2ACBooking details here
Freetown Christiania
Continue along Trangravsvej until you reach and cross Prinsessegade, then onwards on the bicycle and pedestrian path alongside the canal, to your right. You will then come to a footbridge also on your right. Cross this halfway and swotup on your Christiania knowledge before you enter the commune. The side entrance is then just across Refshalevej, and relax - the route that we’re taking isn’t scary and you can also take photographs there. But if you fancy a walk on the wild side then that’s always an option here!Christiania is an anarchist settlement and an eco-village that marches to the sound of its own drum. Ironically, it’s recently been one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions with more than one million people in 2019 coming to experience the socialising effects of this social experiment. Mainly to sample its authentic hippie era vibe, its dodgy dealings, radical stance and pioneering sustainability projects. Freetown Christiania is a self-governing state in Copenhagen that is largely known both inside and outside of the country as a very big headache for those in authority. But for Christianites it equates to freedom, democracy, compassion, togetherness and self-determination. The heady combination of which effectively has put the green finger up to those in power for 50 years now. This controversial area is loved by many Danes and visitors, but has been the subject for strong debate, especially because of the locals' relaxed view on hash and some unfortunate violent incidents a few years ago. But Freetown Christiania is so much more than just Pusher Street and the open cannabis trade. We’re wandering deeper into the community on the -CO2penhagen tour and bypassing the dodgy areas to show you some charming sites, some great sustainability projects and much much more of the true spirit of this unique place.Outlaw Bylaws - Christiania was founded in 1971, when a group of people cut a hole in the fence and started squatting the extensive 17th - 20th century military barracks and ramparts founded by Christian IV, and used by the military right up until the late 1960s. The barracks of Bådsmandsstræde (around the main entrance on Prinsessegade) housed the Royal Artillery Regiment, ammunition laboratories and depots. Less used after World War II, they were abandoned between 1967 and 1971 – when the hippies moved in! The squatting of the site wasn’t organized, and some now claim that the takeover of the site was an act of protest against the Danish government in response to a lack of affordable housing in the city. This sadly is still true today.Hashtag - The rules in Christiania have developed within the commune since the 1970s, outside of any interaction with the Danish government. They forbid violence, guns, knives, hard drugs, stealing, bulletproof vests, and bikers’ colours. Almost immediately after it was founded, Christiania became known as a hub for the cannabis trade, an act that was tolerated by authorities until 2004 and in it’s time it has provided the biggest open air hash market on the planet. While drugs such as cocaine and heroin are banned in the town, vendors sell marijuana from open stands that line Pusher Street, Christiania’s main strip where up to 10,000 people a day in 2019 have purchased around 40 kg of hashish. In this the ”Green Light District '' Christiania emphasises that there is no running, no photographs taken and that the sale and purchasing of hashish is illegal.Radical Roots - The site consists of 34 hectares of prime lakeside real estate, which developers would dearly love to get their greedy capitalist hands upon. Yet the community adopted a policy of collective land ownership and responsibility, with the 1 mile long settlement becoming well-known for its liberal approach to drug use and homosexuality, both still taboos in Denmark in the 1970s.Hippie Home - Today many of the original settlers still live in the collectively controlled village, the area still has a groovy hippie feel and is set within a water wonderland created by the old fortifications. Generations of families live on the site, and in 1995 the number of children had grown so much that parents and activists began building the fourth children’s institution in the area. The freetown hosts many events, as well a variety of vegetarian restaurants, workshops, galleries, yoga and meditation classes, a laundrette using rain water, Christiania (cargo) bikes, female blacksmiths, breweries, bars and music venues offering all sorts of cultural experiences.Sustainable Living - Christiania has always been a hotbed for sustainable ideas; amply nurtured in the old days by not being connected to the national grid or by having running water. The heating supply these days in Christiania is decentralised, with the houses heated in part by second-hand wood and stoves made within the community. Water is heated by the sun, and waste water installations are often interestingly experimental. There’s plenty of plans afoot to focus even more on ecology in the future; with the production of food in orchards and kitchen gardens.The ’can do’ attitude - which is imbued in the place has also spawned experimental and sustainable dwellings, constructed largely from recycled materials. There are a total of 200 buildings on the site, 100 of which are self-made and 11 protected historical buildings. The peculiar buildings form a demonstration of the artistic, functional, and cultural richness of vernacular architecture, this is architecture characterised by the use of local materials and knowledge. Many of the people living in Christiania built their homes from scratch themselves, or else took their residence over from a previous tenant, giving the area an extremely interesting ’architecture without architects’ feel. In building these quirky buildings from recycled parts the results are often futuristic in design, and range from makeshift huts to elaborate constructions with mad roofs. Most homes are sustainable in that they are built from salvaged materials, others follow the style of more traditional Scandinavian houses and some just look pretty dreadful. Christiania promotes the use of materials which demand relatively few resources to produce, resulting in lower energy expenditure and ensuring that 90% of the materials are recycled. The buildings are experimental in style, many with decorative murals, others integrated into their surroundings, and all serving as functional dwellings. With the Danish government increasingly trying to assert its control, one of the newer laws stipulates that nothing new can be built in Christiania except for roofing. In true Christiania spirit this restriction has lately led to some very exciting roof designs!Ownership - Christiania has existed under special conditions for 50 years with constant conflicts and clashes between the local Christianites and the Danish State. Christiania isn’t just used by residents though, it’s used, visited and enjoyed annually by up to a million Copenhageners and foreigners alike. Nobody owns any of the dwellings in Christiania, and after many years of uncertainty about the future, an agreement was signed in 2012 which created the Foundation Freetown Christiania.The foundation now owns the entire part of Christiania located outside the protected ramparts and leases buildings and land within the ramparts, which are still owned by the State. Part of the money is raised by selling the symbolic Christiania shares. Christiania pays all its public expenses, such as trash collection, electricity and water consumption, rat extermination, municipal taxes, state taxes, chimney sweeping etc. At the same time, the Christianites pay for five children’s institutions, a health clinic, building office, machine hall, maintenance of infrastructure and green areas, and postal services.Soul Food Control - The businesses in Christiania are subject to the same control as the rest of Denmark. Public houses, restaurants, food shops and children’s institutions are visited twice yearly by the Governmental hygiene department, dispensing “smileys” according to cleanliness standards.VAT - All of Christiania’s businesses which deal with the surrounding society are VAT registered in the normal way. Businesses whose activities are directed only towards the citizens of Christiania pay VAT to Christiania’s Common Purse, which twice yearly settles with the Customs and Excise Department. Christiania’s local currency, the Løn, is to be further developed so that it can support a green and environmentally sound economy.Safety in Christiania - It is important that you are aware that the areas around the main entrance on Prinsessegade are not like any other neighbourhoods in Copenhagen. The area can be considered quite rough and dodgy, whereas the more residential areas of Christiania are peaceful and without incident.Have a Nice Trip - According to the Copenhagen police, the area around Pusher Street is controlled by organised criminal groups. The residents themselves have adopted a set of rules for security reasons, which they strongly advise visitors to abide by. They discourage visitors to photograph, run and talk on the phone in the area, especially in and around Pusher Street. The Green Light District is the most famous part of Freetown Christiania and is where you’ll see numerous lots of shady people, booths loaded with all different kinds of weed and smoking accoutrements, hippie clothing, food and jewellery.Guided Tours - Locals give guided tours of the area every day throughout the summer (26 June – 31 August) and every weekend in the rest of the year. This is a really good way to experience the special Christiania vibe as the guides have lived most of their lives here, and give a personal twist to this alternative community. The tours cost 60 kr (cash only) in English or Danish, and start with bookings from outside the Loppen building, closeby to the main entrance on the corner of Bådsmandsstræde and Prinsessegade at 15:00.Photography - Noticing the street’s underground atmosphere, visitors who have just left Copenhagen’s Instagrammable streets behind, usually feel the urge to take a couple of photographs around Pusher Street without paying attention to the sign that has been standing at Christiania’s entrance for several years reading: ‘Taking photos is forbidden because buying and selling hash is still illegal.’ Keep your camera in your bag while you go pass by. While it’s allowed to take photos in the rest of Christiania, taking photos with other people in the scene should only be done with permission. Though Freetown Christiania is a touristic site for you, for the 850 people living here it is their neighbourhood and they don’t appreciate it when foreigners photograph them at their house’s front garden or while relaxing at their favourite café. So, try to be discreet and respect the locals.Best advice - It’s recommended to go during quieter times of the year, when the local residents are more relaxed and willing to chat to tourists. Further out from Pusher Street, where we’re going, you’ll find delightful areas with small art galleries, boutiques, blacksmiths, manufacturers of the famous Copenhagen Cargo bike, great restaurants, bars, breweries, and many beautifully cranky self-made homes and gardens for the residents.
Mælkebøtten
Now that you’ve done your Christiania homework, cross Prinsessegade and enter Christiania through the side entrance. Follow the path straight for 15 metres. Turn left for our more rural vision of the settlement, and right for the edgy experience. After exploring the area at your leisure (this may take a few hours, days or minutes) return here and take the first right down towards the moat.Christiania’s graffiti-painted walls, cobblestone alleys with the smoky bars and cosy cafés are the things that create the peculiar underground atmosphere that attracts locals and tourists from all over the world. If you turn right along the path known as Mælkebøtten you’ll eventually wind up in “Christiania City”, go left and you can wander for about a kilometre around here in the Mælkebøtten (dandelion) area. Wander further and you’ll find yourself in the charming Børneengen, Blue Caramel and Bjørneklo quarters.If you wish to shorten the -CO2penhagen tour today then you can walk straight through the Børneengen area, parallel to Refshalesvej and pick the tour up again at #15, the noma restaurant. This is a green residential quarter with creative hippie houses and a pretty village feel, it’s worth exploring the ramparts to get a great view over the whole area too. There’s no real maps of the area, and most paths seem to be called Mælkebøtten, but for the purposes of this -CO2penhagen tour we’re walking straight on, down ‘Mælkebøtten’ (where else) looking at sustainability and green living, not in getting stoned in the big city. In many ways this is the same approach held by many of the Christianites, especially those with children who live quietly and ecologically in this lovely area filled with a rich flora and fauna, right in the centre of Copenhagen. Soon you emerge near to the water, the area that appears is once again very different, spacious and filled with large expanses of lakeland which were formerly the moats surrounding the ramparts. We’re crossing Dyssebroen (the Dolmen bridge). This bridge connects Christiania’s main area (Christianshavn Side) to the Amager side.
Dyssebroen
Continue towards the wooden bridge. Take a rest and contemplate the peaceful scene or cross the bridge to the remote-feeling Amager side of Christiania.Dyssebroen, or the Dolmen Bridge is a picturesque pedestrian and cycle bridge crossing Stadsgraven, the moat which separates Christianshavn from the rest of the island of Amager. It was originally a fully effective wide moat, located in front of the Christianshavn Ramparts as part of the city's Bastioned Ring Fortifications from the 17th century onwards. There has been a bridge here since the beginning of the 20th century, built to a particularly robust design because it was used by heavy military traffic. Nowadays a newer bridge connects the Christianshavn Side of the Christiania community to its more 'rural' island of Amager backdrop. The old bridge was found to be rotten a few years ago, and in 1998 a team of German carpentry apprentices were engaged on the project. Ten apprentices spent a total of 2,500 hours over a period of three months before the bridge was completed.
The Ramparts
Either stay on the bridge and turn to contemplate the now peaceful lakes and mounds, or else cross the bridge, turn left at the dolmen and find an area along the Dysse path where you can see the lake and the old ramparts of Christiania.The fortifications of Copenhagen underwent a comprehensive expansion in the 17th century, and although largely the masterplan of Christian IV, they were continued and improved upon by his successors. The new fortifications relied on the existing medieval defences all around the city, but the total area was extended and a defensive ring around the city completed with new structures facing outwards towards the sea. Today, only the Christianshavn Rampart and the citadel Kastellet (just behind the Little Mermaid) remain intact, while the rest of the fortifications were dismantled in the 19th century. The moats were incorporated as were the lakes in the Tivoli Gardens and in Ørestad Park, or as the routes of numerous streets in the city. But those of Christianshavn were allowed to remain. Today they are considered to be amongst the finest surviving 17th century defence works in the world, and when you consider that they were all dug and constructed by hand or horsepower they really are an accomplishment.
Dyssen
Continue ambling along the 2 km winding path.Everyone knows Christiania but very few people have visited Dyssen, the long, narrow isthmus that runs parallel to the freetown on the eastern side of Stadsgraven. It is the 'unknown' Christiania, where you can experience both bird life on the water and in the trees, admire the many styles of cranky Christianities homes or find a quiet spot to relax in the heart of the city, yet it feels very remote, and you can even run and take photographs a-go-go.Dyssen, or Christianshavns Enveloppe as it used to be known, is part of Christianshavn's ramparts, but was not built until 1779, about a hundred years after the rest of the fortifications as a low, outer rampart outside the moat. In contrast to the old Bådsmandsstrædes Barracks, which was occupied and transformed into the Christiania Free City in 1971, Dyssen was outside the barracks area itself and did not contain buildings other than the old gunpowder magazines. Four of these crown the redans, redans are v-shaped earthworks which are more easily defended. They were built in 1779 to replace a storage depot in central Copenhagen, which exploded in 1770 killing 50 people. The buildings are renamed Aircondition, Autogena, Fakirskolen (The Fakir School) and Kosmiske Blomst (Cosmic Flower) and although listed buildings, have been altered from their historical state by the Christianiaites.This area lay almost untouched until the locals moved across the moat and began to build new houses amongst the shrubbery. All along the two-kilometre-long Dysse path grows ash, maple, hawthorn, elder, rowan, wild cherry and other self-seeded deciduous trees and bushes. From these you can hear birdsong, and in the lake hissing mute swans, moorhens, reed warblers, mallard and heron.
Old Execution Place
On the grassy right-hand side of a sharp bend, behind the redan on which the ‘Aircondition’ building sits you will see a concrete foundation. This is the location of the last Danish execution site active from 1946 to 1950. It can still be seen, although the wooden execution shed is no more, the concrete foundation and a grisly drain for the blood remain. In total, 29 World War II criminals were executed on the site. The last was Ib Birkedal, a high-level Danish Gestapo collaborator in 1950. In 1933, Denmark abolished all capital punishment when a new Danish Penal Code automatically came into effect, entirely replacing the older code from 1866. Under military law, however, capital punishment still remained an option.Between 1945 and 1947 three special laws were enacted to bring capital punishment back to address crimes committed during the occupation of Denmark.These were part of the purges attempting to meet public opinion demanding severe punishment for wartime offenders, in particular certain informants and those Gestapo and HIPO officers responsible for brutal murders or torture. The HIPO Corps was a Danish auxiliary police corps, established by the German Gestapo in 1944.About 13,500 Danish citizens were sentenced as collaborators, denouncers or traitors under these laws. About 400 were killed, mostly in extralegal reprisals, with 76 formally sentenced to death and 46 of the capital sentences carried out. The 30 remaining were pardoned. The sentences were carried out by firing squads of 10 voluntary police officers, either close to the city of Viborg or here.Let’s move on.
CopenHill
Continue along the route for another 500 metres. As the path through Christiania ends you’ll find yourself in a residents car park. Continue until you reach Forlandet, the main road. Turn right and follow the road for 300 metres, then turn a sharp left onto Vindmøllevej. Walk along here until the end, then head for the climbing wall at the front of the power station and either walk up the hiking path at the side of the hill, climb up (maybe not?) or take the elevator.CopenHill (known to locals as Amager Bakke) is the world’s first combination of a power plant that creates energy by burning waste instead of fossil fuels and a fully functioning ski slope, helping to make sustainable living lots of fun all year round. The power station is visible all over Copenhagen and at the top of the 85-meter climb to the hill’s roof, visitors will find a fully-operational 1,300-foot dry slope for skiers and an observation look out with breathtaking views of the city and the sea. Inside it’s filled with the latest technologies in waste treatment and power production. All capable of incinerating 440,000 tons of waste to make clean energy that will deliver electricity and district heating for 150,000 homes annually.Ski, walk, climb or drink - You can bring your own equipment to the hill, or you can rent some from the shop. But CopenHill is not just for skiers. In total, 300,000 guests are expected to visit CopenHill every year. They can enjoy a free running and hiking trail up and down the hill, après ski and a restaurant, the tallest climbing wall in the world, or simply take in the panoramic views from the summit and admire the nerve of this structure wrapped in a facade of aluminium planters which drip with greenery. If you don’t wish to walk, ski or run there’s also elevator access, with the added bonus of offering you a glimpse inside the space-age steel, concrete and glass structure.A beacon for sustainability - Copenhagen aims to be the world’s first carbon-neutral city by 2025, while Copenhagen Airport itself became carbon-neutral in 2019, Greater Copenhagen in 2030 and the rest of Denmark in 2050. The building, which cost some $650 million to construct, was designed by Danish architecture firm BIG and thanks to state-of-the-art catalytic filtration, the incineration is nearly pollution-free. According to star architect and CEO of BIG, Bjarke Ingels, “CopenHill is not only the cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in the world, it’s also a beacon for other cities, proving that a sustainable city is not only better for the environment – it is also more enjoyable for the lives of its citizens.” In the original plan, the chimney was to blow smoke rings, one for every tonne of CO2 generated. The smoke ring mechanism has been put on hold though, in part because Peter Madsen, the artist who helped design it was sentenced to life for the brutal murder of a young Swedish journalist.Know Before You Go - Visiting the slope is free, but if you want to ski you can buy a ticket and rent equipment in the gift shop at the base of the hill or online here.Opening hours for walking guests - Monday to Friday 12:00-20:00. Saturday 10:00-20:00. Sunday 10:00-18:00
The Seaplane Hangar
Retrace your route from CopenHill / Amager Bakke down Vindmøllevej, turn right after 350 metres onto the Forlandet road, keeping on the right-hand side for about 300 metres. You’ll see the hangar on your right, the best views of the studio spaces are around the back of the building. As you return from CopenHill back towards Holmen you will pass a remarkable seaplane hangar. This was built in 1921 by the architect Christian Olrik. The hangar is located on Margretheholm, which is part of the Holmen series of artificial islets. From 1690 to 1993, these islands were the main base for the Danish navy. Prior to World War I, a Zeppelin station was built on Margretheholm, and here the Naval Air Force remained until 1950 where they built and repaired seaplanes.Today the Navy has only a few institutions left on Holmen, whose buildings have instead been converted into homes, schools and offices. In 2001, the seaplane hangar was converted into a modern office building and nowadays functions as a workshop for 300 students from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
noma
There's much to choose from the culinary arts in Denmark these days. Move over southern Europe and hello Scandinavia with noma voted the best restaurant in the world for several years in a row. Everything about what is served at noma follows the manifesto of New Nordic Kitchen, which Rene Redzepi co-wrote with Claus Meyer in 2004.New Nordic cookery looks back to look ahead; digging deeper than seasonality to explore unsung foraged products, while seamlessly weaving in a study of fermentation. The noma name is a portmanteau of the word's "Nordisk," meaning "Nordic," and "mad," the Danish word for food. The restaurant's name perfectly defines its ambitions, describing how the Nordic kitchen should be both innovative and preserving. noma and its founder, Rene Redzepi have built a culinary dynasty by focusing solely on ingredients from the Scandinavian region, shunning things like olive oil, and focusing instead on foraged ingredients. The focus lies on health and an ethical production philosophy, while still maintaining traditional ingredients and methods. A bonus to this way of working is a more sustainable handling of ingredients, by leaving out expensive shipping of foodstuffs from every quarter of the world out of season with a heavy impact on the environment.Old noma - We’ll end the tour by the original noma, which was open from 2003 until early 2017 in an old warehouse on the waterfront in Christianshavn. Founder Rene Redzepi and his team closed the restaurant with a vision of reinventing itself, in between initiating a wildly popular pop-up in Mexico and then building up this new restaurant almost from scratch in this new location, which is roughly two kilometres from the old restaurant. Redzepi’s visionary approach to celebrating terroir via ingredient-focused, minimalist plates earned the first incarnation of noma the title of The World’s Best Restaurant in four years: 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014.New noma - Redzepi closed the original noma in February 2017. New noma has already reclaimed the two Michelin stars it relinquished by temporarily closing down. This new location was formerly an ammunition storage facility for the Danish military, and comprises the main restaurant, its kitchens, and numerous greenhouses where the produce served to diners is grown. Designed by renowned architect Bjarke Ingels (also behind the ski slope design of CopenHill) the site's 11 buildings stretch more than 60 metres from end to end, and are designed to resemble an old Danish village.Putting the mad into food - In the past decade and a half it’s been a joy to behold creativity, enthusiasm and sometimes quite bonkers innovations, which brought about such newsworthy scandals as in the quest to find a Nordic alternative to the sharp acidity of a mediterranean lemon. Live ants were sent wandering across plates of thinly sliced raw reindeer filet - the startled diners were requested to squash the ants into the bloodied meat to emit a pleasing acidity. This created a backlash, but fabulous publicity nonetheless. The whole concept of New Nordic Cuisine generally created great newsworthy articles though, and a renewed environmentally conscious interest in sourcing ingredients locally; sending the world to forage for mushrooms, moss, branches, and flowers in their nearby forest ready in time for supper.Other Scandinavian delicacies at noma have included Icelandic seaweed, mold, potted plants, Faroese deep-sea fish, dried moss, Greenlandic musk ox and sorrel from Danish forests. Famous dishes include 'The Hen and the Egg', a meal cooked by the diners themselves which consists of potato chips, a wild duck egg, slightly wet hay, salt, herbs, wild forest plants, hay oil, thyme, butter, and wild garlic sauce. The chefs do all their own curing, smoking and pickling and are at the forefront of new techniques to combine and prepare ingredients in innovative ways. In its previous locations, noma changed its menu based on what ingredients were most readily available, but used vegetables, meat, and fish throughout the year. Most recently it has operated in three seasons, focusing on seafood for four months, vegetables for another four, and then game for the final four.Bookings - Getting a reservation at noma is much more like trying to get tickets to a festival or major concert, and isn't as simple as giving the restaurant a call. The restaurant releases reservations three times over the course of the year, and if you want to stand a chance of getting a table, you're going to need to be on the noma website the minute booking opens. If you manage to secure a table, you'll need to pay for your food upfront in order to prevent guests not showing up, with drinks extra on the day. You can expect exceptional food, service, atmosphere, to take around three hours, and sample 20 remarkable courses. Each reservation will cost DKK 2,800 per person with a wine pairing priced at around DKK 1,100.You can try to make your reservation and read about noma here.noma for everyone - In May 2020, during the COVID-19 crisis, noma re-opened as a wine and burger bar with takeaway options. At the end of our -CO2penhagen tour we will pass by the recreation of this at the noma burger bar, Popl – meaning for everyone. Here you can sample for yourself (without an expensive reservation) some of the world-beating culinary breakthroughs that noma has accomplished – all in the form of a burger costing DKK 150.
Holmen
After noma we turn to the right on Krutløbsvej, and then skirting the water of Christiansvold to our left onto Kongebrovej we find ourselves on Holmen, which means island in Danish. Holmen - is a great visitor attraction which doesn’t attract very many visitors, particularly not those from abroad. Its many unique historical buildings, bastions and location have played a vital role in the history of Denmark, as well as that of Copenhagen. This place has a remote, overlooked and almost haunted feeling. Founded in the late 17th century, it comprises of several artificial islands floating upon sandbars which guard the city of Copenhagen across the harbour. The naval base used to occupy the entire area, but is now just a shadow of its former self; confined, old and over-looked on the northern island of Nyholm. This place is full of charm and atmosphere though, and is so worthwhile to explore. It has this empty feeling, almost shocked at it’s own stillness considering how, back in the day and until the 1990s, this place was heaving with industry as the chosen location for the Danish Royal Navy and its massive naval shipbuilding yards.Holmen was originally a loose term for all the locations where Danish naval vessels were built, repaired, maintained and berthed. It was a city within the city where the Navy had its own laws, prison, hospitals and schools, churches and churchyards. For more than three centuries, the naval base was Denmark's biggest workplace.Since then the area has instead been redeveloped for other use as a new district of the city, characterized by a mixture of residential developments, design businesses, and artistic educational institutions, with any remaining military activities confined to the Nyholm district but which are open to the public in daytime. Holmen is also home to the spectacular Copenhagen Opera House which was completed in 2005. Since the Navy closed down its activities and Holmen was released for redevelopment, it has become home to one of the largest creative clusters in Copenhagen, mostly in converted naval buildings along the eastern side of Frederiksholm. It includes the Design School, the Architecture School, the Rhythmic Music Conservatory, the Danish Film School and the Theatre & Contemporary Dance School. 32 formerGunboat Shedstoday house small businesses mainly in the creative sector, such advertising agencies, media houses and architectural practices.The Creation of Holmen - The existence of Holmen originates from the late 17th century when the Danish Fleet was moved from its earlier home at Bremerholm, near to where the parliament now stands at Christiansholm. Since the city was growing rapidly, it was no longer practical to have the fleet stationed in the centre of the city. Being built out of timber, the vessels constituted a major fire hazard. Furthermore, the sailors disposed of their garbage by throwing it directly into the harbour, which had developed into a sanitary hazard as well. The land which Holmen comprises was initially formed by sinking ships loaded with mud from the harbour and trash from Copenhagen's streets. In certain filthy streets, there could be more than one metre of trash, so there was plenty to take. As well as cleaning the streets, these efforts gradually formed the land that we’re now stood upon.
In The Navy
As you continue skirting the water of Christiansvold to your left, which is in itself remarkable as this was once all open water, and that you are now standing on land consisting of sunken ships, and trash and rubble from the 18th century city of Copenhagen. You’ll see a collection of buildings from the Danish Royal Navy to your right, then a sign for the Peder Skram frigate. Enter the naval compound and head up Spanteloftvej, then take a sharp left onto Henrik Spans Vej until you see navy cruisers and a submarine in the open air museum. This area is called Nyholm - meaning new island, but it isn’t new at all and is in fact the oldest part of Holmen and was built in 1680 and in use as a shipyard until 1918. A plan was made to move the fleet out of the inner city because of fire risks and pollution. In order to create land, old ships were scuttled after being filled with stones and refuse, and in 1685, a defence wall with seven bastions was built. The bastions still exist today and you can climb upon them to have a terrific view out towards the sea. In Carls and Wilhems Bastion, you can still see the original gunpowder depots. These are Holmen's oldest structures, built in 1688 and 1690. Some of the cannon batteries were named after the old ships, such as Elefanten which were sunk in order to form their foundations.A new shipyard - was created on Nyholm too. The first ship to be launched from Nyholm was the Dannebrog in 1692 and in the following years the construction of all major vessels gradually moved here. The facilities at Holmen were constantly expanded over the next centuries. In 1807, following the disastrous Second Battle of Copenhagen, the English destroyed three ships afterwards within the shipyard at Nyholm. But even though these were poor times for the Navy, ship construction continued. The last ship to be launched from Nyholm was in 1918, after which naval shipbuilding was moved elsewhere.Mastekranen - This iconic masting crane (or rigging sheers) dates from 1750 and was built almost entirely in wood and designed by architect Philip de Lange in the baroque style. The brick walls were interestingly only used to encase and protect the timber from the rough weather in this exposed place. Earlier the building of sailing ships had not required sheers to erect their mast, as they could be lifted into place by ropes and manpower. But as ships became larger, it was no longer possible to mount their masts by muscle alone. A crane was needed, tall enough to lift the entire mast vertically and then lower it into the ship. From the top of the crane a flag was raised in the daytime, and when there was a storm warning to relay, a red lantern nicknamed “cabin boy’s terror” was raised.Operation Safari - At the start of World War II in 1939, Denmark declared itself neutral. On 9 April 1940, Germany occupied Denmark, and for most of the war, the country was a protectorate and then an occupied territory. The Danish government and king functioned relatively normally in a de facto protectorate over the country until August 1943, when Germany placed Denmark under direct military occupation, which lasted until the Allied victory on 5 May 1945.During the early years of WWII - Denmark had been known as the model protectorate, earning the nickname the Cream Front due to the relative ease of the occupation and copious amount of dairy products. But in case of an allied invasion, plans to disarm the Danish Army were drafted by the Germans. Following an incident, where the navy were forced to give six torpedo-boats over, the navy had planned the scuttling of its ships on 5 February 1941. The Danish Vice Admiral issued orders that in the event the Germans attempted to seize the fleet, crews were to attempt to sail for neutral Sweden or if this was not possible, to scuttle their ships. The Danish fleet chose to scuttle themselves in response to Operation Safari and the internment of all Danish military. A coastal defence ship was scuttled at the quay alongside the masting crane. Of the fifty-two vessels in the Danish Navy on 29 August, two went to Greenland, thirty-two were scuttled, four reached Sweden and fourteen were taken undamaged by the Germans.The Royal Naval Museum - The frigate Peder Skram was in use until 1990, and now serves as a privately operated museum ship along with the ships of the Royal Danish Naval Museum. During opening hours visitors are free to walk around the Peder Skram, while the two other decommissioned ships of the Cold War era, a submarine and a missile-boat can only be visited on tours. They start every 30 minutes during opening hours and are available in English. They can only be visited from June until August during limited opening hours.The Main Guard Building - Towards the bastions is a small building with a distinctive spire topped with a clock and a crown. This is Nyholm’s guard building from 1744, commonly known as Under Kronen (under the crown). The building served as offices for the chief of the naval base and his staff.The Royal Yacht - When the royal yacht Dannebrog is not at sea, it ties up at Elefanten (The Elephant) a pier which extends south from the northern tip of Nyholm, next to the Central Guardhouse. The pier is named after the 17th century naval vessel Elefanten which was sunk at the site to create it. The royal family cross the harbour on the royal barge which moors at Nordre Toldbod, just north of Amalienborg Palace.
Holmen Nord
Walk back towards where you came from at the entrance of the naval area at stop #17. Then turn right on Danneskjold-Samsøes Alle, crossing over the water and to your right towards the harbour at Holmen Nord. This is the site of old heavy industry, but we’re looking at boats - this time houseboats, harbour buses, ferry boats and sailing ships.In the water - you’ll see an array of Danish shipping, and if you’re lucky ahead of you you’ll see the Georg Stage, a fully rigged, three-masted sailing ship which serves as a training platform for Danish sailors. In this delightful backwater you’ll also see some old ferry boats transformed into houseboats; the William Jørgensen, launched in 1966 in Helsingør. Also the Bukken-Bruse which was built in 1961 in Bergen, Norway and used on various ferry routes until 1980. During its working life, it had space for 25 cars and 300 passengers. In 2003, it was sold to a private individual and moved to Copenhagen but, unlike most other houseboats, it is still fully seaworthy.Harbour bus stop - It’s possible to take a “green” journey all along the harbourside by boat. Not part of this tour, but the battery-powered havnebus (harbour bus) also calls here on it’s daily round route of Copenhagen - at the cost of a regular bus ticket (it’s worth noting that they take no credit card payments in this almost cashless society, which is strange. You can use cash, a Copenhagen card or the standard Danish rejsekort). You can experience a fabulous vision of the city from the south all the way to the northernmost end of the Copenhagen harbour (more details on the harbour bus at stop #13 of the WWWalks Copenhagen Classic tour). The bus offers a smooth and silent voyage in which to rest your feet, and after all these seafaring stories surely the perfect way to see the city and its close connection to the sea. Another option is to just catch the boat across the harbour from here to visit the Queen’s palace at Amalienborg, Nyhavn or the Royal Library. You’ll find departure times at the harbour bus stop.Please note that the Harbour buses have two different route numbers: Havnebus 991 - direction: Teglholmen (south) and Havnebus 992 - direction: Refshaleøen (north)Not only are the harbour buses an efficient means of public transportation in this city, they’re also the perfectly sustainable alternative to the polluting, overpriced and touristic cruises from Nyhavn. Havnebussen is a big part of Copenhagen’s hard work of lowering its CO2 emissions in preparation of becoming one of the first carbon-neutral capital cities in the world in 2025.Island Life - There are about 406 islands in Denmark. Some 70 of them are populated while the rest are uninhabited. Although many Danish islands are nowadays deserted because of the difficulty of earning a living in such places, the ferry boat is very much a symbol of the long history of connectivity from island to mainland and providing a lifeline with supplies and transportation. The number of islands in Denmark actually changes from time to time, with new islands occasionally formed by the tide and shifting sand in this flat and windy land. Several examples of these new islands are found in the waters around Æbelø, to the north of the island of Funen, including Drætlingen which formed in the late 1990s. These new islands are generally less stable than larger, rock-based islands and may later simply disappear again. Other islands are created artificially. Peberholm, formed in the process of construction of the Øresund Bridge, is a notable example as well as here on Christianshavn and Holmen. It’s worth noting that an "island" needs to be surrounded by free-flowing, natural water and not just artificial canals as we see here.Sailing away - Perhaps all this talk of distant islands has whetted your appetite to travel to one. There is one such route closeby, in the form of the island of Hven. This paradise on earth used to be Danish, but was lost as part of the settlement at the end of (yet another) disastrous war with Sweden in 1660. The island permits no motorcars, and once you have sailed from Nordre Toldboden in Copenhagen for a day trip (just across the harbour) you will have five hours in which to explore this delightful island by foot or on a rented bicycle.More details on sailing to Hven in the summer months here.Quick tip - Exchange a little Swedish kroner before you go, and take a picnic and your passport - just in case you never wish to return.
The New Copenhagen Opera
Continue walking around the houseboat lined harbour, you’ll then find yourself on Fabriksmestervej heading towards the main Copenhagen harbour over an area formerly occupied by Døkøen naval shipbuilding yard. A small pump house, a dry dock from 1858 and two overhead cranes from the 1920s remain. Cross this area diagonally towards the vast roof of the new Copenhagen operaOperaen is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. Denmark's national opera is a landmark in Copenhagen and a symbol of the city's rich cultural life. As you approach the building housed under the vast roof it is very easy to be impressed by its vigour and strident good-looks. But it's also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built, with construction costs well over $500 million. With all that money thrown at it the building does fall short of the Sydney Opera House though, which is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings and also built by a Dane - the architect Jørn Utzon in 1973. This massive building, although adored for its acoustics by opera singers, has had a mixed reception with design aficionado's and resident Copenhageners. The building was donated to the Danish people by the foundation A.P. Møller (the family behind the huge shipping company Mærsk) to the Danish state in August 2000. Some were offended by the private donation, in part because the full cost of the project would be tax deductible, thus virtually forcing the government to buy the building. The celebrated architect behind this building, Henning Larsen also wasn't very happy, and was constantly rained upon with difficult and compromising requests by Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller, the billionaire bankrolling the project. Henning Larsen, on the other hand, was trying to make sure that the original architectural ideas were carried through the construction process, especially concerning the large glass surface front, which became a matter of great controversy and subsequent compromise - it's been likened to the radiator grille of a Pontiac car.First Impressions. Alongside architect Henning Larsen, a number of Danish artists have contributed to the decor, including Per Kirkeby who has created four bronze reliefs, and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson who has contributed the three light sculptures for the foyer. The building totals 41,000 square metres. Five of the fourteen storeys are subterranean, and the main stage seats an audience of 1400. The Opera House is clad with limestone, and the foyer features Sicilian marble. The walls of the auditorium facing the foyer are clad with maple wood, and the ceiling in the main auditorium is adorned with 105,000 sheets of 24 carat gold leaf, equivalent to 1.5 kilos of gold.Cruel Jewel. Love it or loathe it, it does have an attitude, with money talking and the billionaire's wishes prevailing. As Arnold Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller (1913 – 2012) was a close friend of Queen Magrethe, it's fitting that from Amalienborg across the water it sits in perfect alignment and does indeed send out a bold, and very confident message about the power of megabucks.
The Opera Gardens
From the harbourfront, walk right around the opera building. There’s another chance to hop on a harbour bus but otherwise continue straight. Turn right and continue slowly until Orlogsværtvej.The Opera Park - is a new public park on the Copenhagen harbourfront designed for recreation and contemplation in the middle of the city. A much needed green lung offering of trees, bushes, plants and flowers; a mixture of local and exotic species reminding us of the rolicking seafaring history of the area, and of Copenhagen itself as an epicentre of international trade. Inspired by the other European capitals’ parks with winding paths and pavilions, a café and greenhouse, as well as a pedestrian tunnel connecting the basement with the foyer of the neighbouring Opera.The gardens are set to open in the summer of 2023.
Storehouses
Cross the water on Orlogsværftvej, then take a sharp right on the pedestrian and cycling Takkelloftvej and over Proviantbroen. It’s all in the names - Orlogsværft means naval shipyard, Takkelloft is a tackle warehouse, and Proviantbroen a provisions bridge. We’re almost at the end of the tour, but the area that you are now walking through was part of the northerly expansion of artificial islets from Christianshavn, and in it’s day the crucial area for servicing and repairing the vast array of both naval and merchant ships, which descended upon the port of Copenhagen. In this area, which is nowadays dominated by the Opera and the buildings which beckon across the harbour, it’s the silence and size of the depots and warehousing, as well as the names which give you keys to the seafaring past. As you walk along Takkelloftsgraven (tackle loft canal) you will see two 140 metre long store houses, Søndre (south) Magasinbygning and Nordre (north) Magasinbygning. These two massive structures were built in 1767 for storing ships’ tackle; equipment such as booms, halyards, sails and rope. In the past, with shipping as the only viable means of transportation, this place would have been equivalent to the airports or great container ports of today.All quiet now - and in its dotage Søndre Magasinbygning has been converted into fancy apartments, while Nordre Magasinbygning is productively used by the school of architecture of the Royal Danish Academy of Arts.
The King's Gate
Continue along TakkelloftsgravenHolmen’s most southerly island is named Arsenaløen. An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, and issued. In 1742, construction of a large arsenal building, designed by Philip de Lange, got underway on this man-made islet. Which was once again constructed by driving piles into the seabed and infilling with trash and refuse from the stinking streets of old Copenhagen, and stone and rubble on scuttled ships. The construction of Nyholm, which we visited at #17, was well underway at the time of the completion of the arsenal in 1770.Access to the important naval area of Nyholm required sailing to Holmen. You could take a ferry through "The Kings Gate" and sail on in style. The two front buildings of the arsenal are facing towards the harbour, the inner city and the royal palace. This, like the positioning of the Opera in front of Amalienborg today, was to add gravity and mark the sight line from the palace and the glory of the absolute monarch, King Christian Vl. Absolute meaning that he was in such a position of power that he was answerable only to God.The gate is something of a hidden treasure, and you can see that the ornate iron grilles are dedicated to the illustrious king and have recently been gloriously restored. Christian Vl was also responsible for the Marble Bridge and the remaining baroque stable buildings at the palace of Christiansborg. Many of his influences came from the French court of Louis XlV and are expanded upon at #9 of the Copenhagen Classic tour. But his beautiful royal gate is not visited by many people anymore, only by the -Co2penhagen tour and those looking for Danish design lamps and furniture in the various trendy shops and emporiums which have sprung up inside the arsenal.
Eat Green
Cross the butterfly 3-way pedestrian and cyclist bridge, taking the right-hand fork.One stop to go - until the end of our -CO2penhagen tour, and you may well be hungry and in need of a sit-down. The essence of this walk around the surprising and, nowadays, very green islets of Christianshavn and Holmen has been about sustainability and creating no carbon footprints. You’ve made it, and now to rest your carbon-neutral feet and to sustain yourself with, as promised, something tasty, nutritious and reasonably priced from the kitchens and laboratories of noma - and without a year-long wait.It’s food which is very much in line with the theme of this tour, offering something delicious, innovative, and following full environmental consideration such as using biodynamic farms for produce, fermenters, brewers and winemakers. This dedication to quality, innovation, cooking and environmental consideration is the backbone of the cuisine. Hence the name POPL, which comes from the latin word “populus” meaning “community of people”, and also refers to poplar wood which is used inside the restaurant.Located on an iconic corner by the water, as cyclists swoop over the Kissing Bridgeahead over the harbour to Nyhavn, and roar down the cycling superhighway to your right. Our final stop is 200 metres away and, if you can’t find seating around here is the perfect place to eat your delicious food overlooking the busy harbourside, and surrounded by old warehouses and sailing ships.More details here
North Atlantic Quay
Take Strandgade to the left past venerable old warehouses, once filled with bounty from the far north of the Danish empire. Then take a sharp right onto the stunning quayside in front of the Icelandic embassy, with the old noma building from 2003 - 2017, situated overlooking the waterfront. A perfect place to relax and look back on the tour and out onto the busy, clean harbour.On the pristine waterfront - The whole area was once part of the busy Greenlandic Trading Square, which for 200 years was a centre for trade to and from the Faroe Islands, Northern Norway, Iceland and, in particular, Greenland. Dried fish, salted herring, whale oil, tusks and skins were among the goods from the far north that were stored in and around these warehouses, before being sold off to European markets further south. It was a big, hazardous industry which profited from the brilliance of the Danes as mariners, shipbuilders and merchants. In many ways this is the same lineage as their Viking forebears.With the masted ship from the time of arctic exploration and colonial exploitation now, like tiny Denmark, docked neatly on the quayside. You can taste the fresh clean breeze of change, and perhaps as young people dive into the clean harbour water you can see how this city is a place which takes its commitment to tackling climate change seriously. The harbour contributes to Copenhagen’s reputation as one of the world’s most liveable and sustainable capitals, and has recently been ranked as the world’s best according to CNN when it comes to swimming. However, this has not always been the case and only 15 years ago this would not have been possible, as the discharge of wastewater from sewers and industrial companies made the water highly polluted and unsuitable for swimming. But the pragmatic Danes woke up early about environmental issues, stepped-up and fixed it, and so can now shine a light to all capital cities around the world.The object of this tour has been to illustrate how the Danes' relationship with and dependence on the water, the soil and the wind has defined the nation, and how the sea could simply take all the hard work of reclaiming land away again if climate change raises the level of the sea. It’s this awareness of vulnerability in this nation of small islands, and a lack of natural resources apart from the soil, the wind and water which have given Denmark a flying start in the quest to find alternative solutions to fossil fuels.The EndIf you enjoyed this tour, then please leave a rating and review at App Store or Google Play. You’re so welcome to follow the green footprints and hear about all the exciting new sustainable activities we’ll be adding to our repertoire.Find our refreshing Instagram, Facebook and website at @wwwcopenhagen
Copenhagen
"Stepping towards a green future for travel"Thank you so much for joining us on this sustainable, and geolocative walking tour of the rather overlooked, and totally worthwhile Copenhagen destination of Christianshavn!What's a geolocative tour? Just enable your location in settings on your phone, you'll be able to follow the route every step of the way. Click on the small map icon to check the route at the base of each screen. Not in Copenhagen? Then no need to change your settings - just sit back and enjoy the storytelling.Do I need to take all of the tour in one day? Just dip into the the sections that appeal at any time, you can always come back another day. We are finding eco-friendly partners along the route, so do look out some of the great discounts on food and experiences.Why sustainable walking tours? WWWalks stands for Wonderful Wonderful Walks, and it's our mission to blow the dust off history and offer a kiss of life to the future - with perfectly sustainable, and very entertaining tours of the city of Copenhagen and nearby destinations in Denmark. We take the path less followed, and hope to unlock the secrets and open up new sustainable routes both in the capital and in rural destinations for visitors and staycationers to access easily. We want to share our knowledge on how to reduce our carbon footprints as we travel responsibly, seeing small as beautiful and caretaking our natural world for our children and our childrens’ children.The idea has been to inject the same originality, storytelling and entertainment value as you find with real life tours, something that Heather excelled at in the past eight years and lately by live-streaming tours from Copenhagen. Also, to illustrate just how much in Denmark to be proud of, and to teach the world what we’ve had a flying start at developing since the 1970s in environmental advances, and how Copenhagen hopes to become one of the first carbon-neutral capital cities in 2025.
