The Copenhagen City Hall can rightfully be called one of the most beautiful buildings in the Danish capital. It is one of the most important architectural monuments of Copenhagen. It will be interesting to visit her for every tourist who decided to come to this European city. Let's get to know this landmark in more detail.
Town Hall History
The Copenhagen City Hall is located in Copenhagen, on the Town Hall Square. The facility is centrally located among other attractions located nearby.
The Town Hall is considered an administrative building, it houses the city council. Previously, the city hall was located here.
The Copenhagen City Hall is already 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 buildings were built on this site in 1479 and 1728. They did not survive, as they were dismantled after serious damage caused by large fires.
The architect Martin Nyurop was responsible for the project for the construction of a modern town hall. When designing it, he was inspired by such an outstanding architectural structure as the Palazzo Publiko Palace, 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 style of northern Art Nouveau, and it really can be considered the 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.
Features of the building
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. Locals venerate this bishop as the patron saint of the city. The roof of the town hall is made in a muted dark brown shade, and the spire is made in dark green.
The Town Hall Tower reaches a height of 106 meters - this is a lot for a similar construction in the city center. In order to climb the tower, you will have to overcome a spiral staircase, numbering about 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 located in it?
Inside the Copenhagen City Hall, tourists are greeted by a pleasant atmosphere. The interior is spacious and sophisticated, you can pay attention to bright rooms and two-tier galleries, the central hall is decorated with flags. Through the glass panels on the roof, a large amount of sunlight enters the town hall, and strict wooden benches are installed on the sides.
On the right hand side of the entrance you can observe one of the most important Danish attractions - Olsen's astronomical clock. It is worthwhile to dwell on the story about them.
This is not a simple watch, it is important not to confuse them with the ordinary ones located on the tower. The astronomical clock was developed by Ian Olsen, who 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, right down to the slightest gear. Interestingly, this watch is made of an almost record number of parts - they involved 15, 448 pieces. One of the main features of the structure of watches in the Copenhagen City Hall is their highest accuracy. According to average estimates, 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 personally attended the watch.
For tourists, the entrance to watch the watch is paid, but the cost of the ticket more than pays off with pleasure, which can be obtained from contemplating a unique mechanism.
City's legends
The Copenhagen City Hall is located on Town Hall Square, which is known for its interesting sculptures. You can pay attention to the sculptures of two Vikings, located next to the entrance.
Vikings play on lura - this is a fairly ancient wind instrument in the form of the Latin letter S, which has been widespread in Denmark since ancient times.
There are two interesting legends about these statues that any Copenhagen guide can tell you.
The first one says that in those years when Denmark is in mortal danger, revived statues will be trumpeted into lures. Their sound will raise from the sleep of the great hero Holger, and he will save the country from terrible troubles.
Another legend is frivolous and humorous in nature - 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 trumpet Vikings, other sculptures can be seen in the square, including the monument to Andersen, loved by tourists and children who chose his lap as their favorite place for photographs; a fountain depicting the symbolic battle of a dragon and a bull; figures of girls who show the townspeople a weather forecast.
Town Hall Tower
As we have already mentioned, the town hall is crowned with a majestic tower whose height exceeds one hundred meters.
It is equipped with a viewing platform for tourists, from which you can see the city at a glance - the landscape from the tower opens up 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 building of the town hall is not equipped with an elevator. Entrance to the observation deck for tourists is paid.
Town Hall today
To this day, the Copenhagen City Hall remains the central venue for city meetings, it holds meetings of authorities and administrative events.
At the same time, it is also a tourist center, where guests are always welcome, various events are held, holidays are celebrated and exhibitions are organized. Moreover - you can even have a wedding in the town hall!
What tourists need to know when visiting the town hall
The Copenhagen City Hall is located at: Copenhagen , Town Hall Square, Building 1, 1599.
For visitors, 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 a large number of various events are held in the town hall, including official ones, some days entrance for visitors and tourists may be limited.
Entrance to the Copenhagen Town Hall itself is free, there is the opportunity to get acquainted with the interior interiors and decoration.
Of course, visitors are not allowed into the administrative premises and to meetings of the authorities, and tickets will be required to climb the tower and examine the astronomical clock. The ticket costs about 30 CZK (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 the visit.
Tourists respond very well to visiting this attraction. They note the availability for tourists, a beautiful and pleasant interior, amenities inside the town hall itself (the availability of drinking water, toilets, a gift shop, the ability to freely take pictures). The building has a Wi-Fi network. Near the town hall is a large number of hotels, cafes and restaurants.
Memo to the tourist in case you are armed with a foreign language guide: Copenhagen City Hall in English - Copenhagen City Hall, and in Danish - Københavns Rådhus.
