Copenhagen City Hall: description, history, photos

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

Copenhagen City Hall can rightly be called one of the most beautiful buildings in the capital of Denmark. It is one of the most important architectural monuments of Copenhagen. It will be interesting to visit it for every tourist who decides to come to this European city. Let's take a closer look at this attraction.

History of the Town Hall

The Copenhagen City Hall is located in Copenhagen, on the City Hall Square. The structure is central to other nearby attractions.

The town hall is considered an administrative building, it houses the city council. Previously, the city hall was located here.

Copenhagen City Hall is the third building built on this site. The beginning of its construction is considered to be 1893, and construction was completed in 1905. Previously, wooden administrative premises were built on this site in 1479 and 1728. They have not been preserved because they were dismantled after severe damage caused by large fires.

Responsible for the project of building a modern town hallarchitect Martin Nyrop. When designing, he was inspired by such an outstanding architectural structure as the Palazzo Pubblico, located in Siena. When creating the architectural model, significant improvements and innovations were made so that the Copenhagen City Hall harmoniously fits into the architectural ensemble of the square. The Town Hall was built in the northern modern style, and it can really be considered a pearl of the architectural ensemble.

Another historical milestone in the existence of the town hall can be called the opening in 1955 of the famous astronomical clock designed by Jens Olsen.

Build Features

The building of the Copenhagen City Hall in Denmark is made of red brick. The main decoration of the facade is a large gilded statue depicting Bishop Absolon. This bishop is revered by the locals as the patron saint of the city. The roof of the town hall is a muted dark brown with a dark green spire.

The town hall tower reaches a height of 106 meters - a lot for such a building in the city center. In order to climb the tower, you will have to climb a spiral staircase with approximately three hundred steps.

In the courtyard of the town hall there is a cozy and beautiful garden with flower beds and neatly trimmed trees and shrubs.

What is in it?

Inside the Copenhagen City Hall, tourists are greeted by a pleasant atmosphere. The interior is distinguished by its spaciousness and sophistication; you can pay attention to the bright halls and two-tier galleries,the central hall is decorated with flags. A large amount of sunlight enters the town hall through glass panels on the roof, and strict wooden benches are installed on the sides.

To the right of the entrance you can observe one of the most important Danish sights - the Olsen astronomical clock. It is worth dwelling on the story about them.

This is not a simple clock, it is important not to confuse it with the usual ones on the tower. The astronomical clock was designed by Ian Olsen, who has devoted more than forty years of his life to working on it.

They show not only the exact time, but also the phase of the moon, Christian holidays, the arrangement of stars and planets in the sky, calendar data, as well as the time of sunrise and sunset. This watch is in a large glass case, under which you can see in detail their mechanism, down to the smallest gear. It is interesting that this watch is made of almost a record number of parts - 15,448 of them are used. One of the main features of the structure of the clock in the Copenhagen City Hall is their highest accuracy. According to average calculations, the error in determining the time on them is only half a second in 300 years.

Unfortunately, the author of this wonderful invention did not live ten years before the clock was launched. Their grand opening took place in 1955, and Olsen died in 1945. King Frederick IX and the granddaughter of the master, Bridget Olsen, attended the ceremony of setting the watch.

For tourists, the entrance to watch the clock ispaid, however, the cost of the ticket is more than compensated by the pleasure that can be obtained from contemplating the unique mechanism.

Urban legends

Copenhagen City Hall is located on the Town Hall Square, which is known for its interesting sculptures. You can pay attention to the sculptures of two Vikings located near the entrance.

Vikings play the lures - this is a fairly ancient wind instrument in the form of the Latin letter S, which has been widely used in Denmark since ancient times.

There are two interesting legends about these statues that any Copenhagen guide can tell you.

The first says that in those years when Denmark is in mortal danger, statues come to life will blow lures. Their sound will wake the great hero Holger from sleep, and he will save the country from terrible troubles.

Another legend is frivolous and playful - it says that the sounds of lur will be heard over the square as soon as an innocent girl passes through it.

In addition to the trumpeting Vikings, other sculptures can be seen on the square, including the Andersen monument, beloved by tourists and children, who have chosen his knees as a favorite place for photographs; a fountain depicting a symbolic battle between a dragon and a bull; figures of girls who show the townspeople the weather forecast.

City Hall Tower

As we already mentioned, the town hall is crowned with a majestic tower, which is over one hundred meters high.

Sheequipped with an observation deck for tourists, from which you can see the city at a glance - the landscape from the tower is simply amazing! The city seems like a toy, as if descended from the pages of a children's fairy tale.

To climb the tower, you will need to overcome the spiral staircase on foot - the town hall building is not equipped with an elevator. Entrance to the observation deck for tourists is paid.

Town Hall today

Copenhagen City Hall remains the central seat of city meetings to this day, it hosts meetings of authorities and administrative events.

At the same time, it is also a tourist center, where guests are always welcome, a variety of events are held, holidays are celebrated and exhibitions are organized. Moreover, you can even hold a wedding in the town hall!

What tourists need to know when visiting the town hall

Copenhagen City Hall is located at: Copenhagen, City Hall Square, Building 1, 1599.

For tourists, the building is open daily, except Sunday, from 10:00 to 15:00. On Saturday, it works at a reduced time - only until 12:00.

Due to the fact that the town hall hosts a large number of various events, including official ones, on some days the entrance for visitors and tourists may be limited.

Entrance to the Copenhagen City Hall itself is free, there is an opportunity to get acquainted with the interior and decoration.

Of course, to the administrative offices and toVisitors are not allowed to attend meetings of the authorities, and you will need to purchase tickets to climb the tower and inspect the astronomical clock. The ticket price is about 30 crowns (310 rubles), it is better to check the exact figure directly upon arrival or in the tourist guide. In winter, there is a possibility that the climb to the tower may be closed - it is also better to find out in advance before visiting.

Tourists speak very highly of visiting this attraction. They note accessibility for tourists, a beautiful and pleasant interior, amenities inside the town hall itself (availability of drinking water, toilets, a souvenir shop, the opportunity to take pictures freely). The building has a Wi-Fi network. Near the town hall there are a large number of hotels, cafes and restaurants.

A reminder to a tourist in case you are armed with a foreign-language guide: Copenhagen City Hall in English - Copenhagen City Hall, and in Danish - Københavns Rådhus.

Town Hall on the map

Copenhagen City Hall Address: City Hall Square, Building 1, 1599 (Rådhuspladsen 1, 1599 København, Denmark). For your convenience, above is a map with the exact location.