Copenhagen is a city on a human scale. You don’t have to hurry to walk the city’s center in less than an hour. Exploring it will take much longer. But that’s easy. Copenhagen was the first city to declare a street for pedestrians only. The city has less traffic noise and pollution than any other European capital.
Stroll away from the harbor along the riverbanks, you’ll see the modest Amalienborg Palace first. Completed in the mid-18th century, it still houses the royal family. The Danish Royal Guard is on duty. At noon, you ll watch the changing of the guard. The guards are not just for show, however. Danes will always remember their heroism on April 9, 1940. When the Nazis invaded Denmark, the guards aimed their guns and fired. Soldiers fell on both sides. The guards would all have been killed if the king hadn’t ordered them to surrender.
Churches and castles are almost all that remain of the original city. Copenhagen became the capital of Denmark in 1445. During the late 16th century, trade grew, and so did the city. But fires in 1728 and 1795 destroyed the old wooden structures. Much of what we see today dates from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
See one of the spires up close—really close—at the 17th-century Church of Our Savior. Brave souls may climb the 150 stairs winding outside the spire to its top. If you’re afraid of heights, or if it’s a windy day, you can forget the climb. But then you’ll miss the magnificent view.
Once the earth is under your feet again (you’ll enjoy the feeling), cross the nearest bridge to Castle Island. The curious yet majestic-looking spire ahead tops the oldest stock exchange in Europe, built in 1619. Its spire is formed from the entwined tails of three dragons. They represent Denmark, Sweden and Norway.