Walking City Tour...

Como hoy tengo trabajito que hacer y no sé a qué hora podré pasarme por aquestos lares, y además, tengo mi segunda clase a las 2 y media, he decidido contaros cosas de días pasados, para ir poniéndoos al día. Ayer por la tarde, a pesar de que el tiempo pareciera no acompañarnos, continuó nuestro social programme con un walking tour por la inner city de Kopenhavn. Me gustó muchísimo e hice muchas fotos, y sobre todo tuve la portunidad de conocer un poquito más a fondo esta ciudad que me tiene acogida y que es preciosa.Como ponerme yo a contaros lo que vi sería horrible, he preferido colgaros en qué consiste el tour en cuestión de lo que he sacado de una página web, eso sí, aderezado con mis fotitos. He de advertiros, empero, que no lo hicimos exactamente en este orden, pero buno, os servirá...

Así pues... welcome to Copenhage!!!!

This tour is a circular tour taking you around the inner city of Copenhagen. The inner city is the area of the old Copenhagen; a small capital which was surrounded by fortifications to protect it from potential enemies until the middle of the 19th century. By then most of the earth works were levelled and license to build beyond them was given. (Resulting in the adjoining areas described in the other tours).

The tour around the inner city begins at the City Hall Square of today in front of the City Hall created by the Architect Martin Nyrup and built 1892-1905. This is the home of the city council. It is open to the public and you are welcome to take a look inside with or without a guide.

Otherwise cross the street at the big crosswalk on your right, when standing with your back to the City Hall. If there is anything like a main street in Copenhagen it may be "Strøget" the longest pedestrian street in Europe, app. 1,6 kilometers long. Walk down the first stretch of Strøget until you reach the double square Gammel Torv / Nytorv, meaning the "old" and the "new" square. Turn to the left towards the old square. At Gammel Torv the first thing you see is the fountain. It is the oldest in the city and was created in 1607-09. The "old" square is really old. It was once the marketplace of the city Havn, which was located here even before the time of Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen (1160).

Leave the square at the opposite corner by the street Nørregade. In the beginning of Nørregade you find The Cathedral of Copenhagen, also called the Church of Our Lady, or in Danish Vor Frue Kirke. The church you see today was built in 1811-29 and created by the Architect C.F. Hansen, who also created the Law Courts (which you'll pass by the end of this tour). The building rests on the foundations of three preceding churches dating back to 1191. The first two burned down and the English bombed the third in 1807. As you walk by you meet Moses and King David as statues in front of the main entrance. Son de estilo neoclásico, y aunque ya no son católicos aquí en Dinamarca, enfrente tienen un obelisco que recuerda aquellos tiempos.

Across from Sankt Petri you find the side-street Krystalgade, where you turn right. Down the street after crossing the small pedestrian street Fiolstræde, you find the Synagogue on your left. This is the main synagogue of the Jewish Community in Denmark and it was built in 1831-33 or, as it is inscribed in Hebrew above the entrance; in "the year 5593 after the creation of the world".

Follow Krystalgade to its end at Købmagergade, where you face the Round Tower, Rundetaarn, built in 1637-42 as the first state observatory in Europe. It is also the church tower of the later Trinitatis Kirke of 1656. Take a look inside at the extraordinary corridor which spirals the 209 metres to the top.

Todavía no he podido subir, pero nos contaron que por dentro no tiene ni un solo escalón. Como tenía que subir todos los aparatos de astronomía arriba, pues lo de las escaleras no era muy operativo que digamos.

(…) he quitado cosas de aquí porque aún no las he visto!!!

As you follow the square clock-wise you pass the Royal Theatre, Det Kongelige Teater, which is also the national theatre of Denmark. It was built in 1872-74 and is home to The Royal Danish Ballet and Opera as well as staging plays. The statues in front of the main entrance show the poet Adam Oehlen-schläger and the Playwright Ludvig Holberg.

As you pass the theatre turn left and follow the street Holmens Kanal (once a canal now a street), as it curves to the right (on the righthand-side). At the end of the curve you can't help noticing the monumental Functionalistic building, which houses The National Bank of Denmark, Nationalbanken. It was created by the famous Danish Designer and Architect Arne Jacobsen (1902-71) and built in 1965-78. Es cuadrado, moderno y de cristal, una auténtica fortaleza que contrasta tremendamente con la arquitectura de la zona.

Across the street from the bank you will see the Royal Chapel and Naval church Holmens Kirke. The church started out as a converted smithy in 1619, but extra wings and the long chapel along the canal were added over the years. The church was renovated in 1871-72 and because it has survived the many fires of Copenhagen it still holds the original Renaissance inventory.

As you cross the canal by Holmens Bro you access Slotsholmen (Castle Island), the oldest part of Copenhagen. Here you face two major buildings. On your left you have Børsen, the 380-year old Stock Exchange with its famous tower displaying four dragons with intertwined tales.

Chicos, es la foto de la izquierda, y arriba del todo, cabe una persona de ie con los brazos pegados al cuerpo. Es un edificio que tiene mil ventanucos y entradas por donde entrabas las ovejas y demás mercancía, el edificio de al lado, que ahora es el parlamento antes era el Palacio Real, de tal manera que el Rey se pasaba por allí from time to time a ver qué pillaba antes de dejar a los mercaderes que hiceran su trabajo.

On your right is Christiansborg Palace, since 1928 home to the Danish Parliament and placed at the spot where Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen, built his fortress in 1167. Christians-borg is the 5th castle to be built here. The previous castles either burned or were torn down.

Walk through the portal on the left-hand side of the castle. Inside the courtyard you pass the entrance to the parliament on your right and as you turn left you enter through the gates to the peaceful Library Garden, guarded by a statue of the national philosopher Søren Kierkegaard sitting down to your right. In front of you lies the old part of the Royal Library, Det Kongelige Bibliotek, built at the turn of the 19th century. In 1999 a new annexe was added to the old library. As you walk around the old building at the left-hand side you reach the slot, where the new annexe The Black Diamond is linked to the old by a large footbridge.

El jardín, como veréis en la foto de abajo, es precioso. Yo me quedé impresionada. Muy pacífico, además, no se escuchaba ni in ruido. A la derecha de donde yo estoy posando, hay una estatua bastante grande de el existencialista Soren Kierkegaard. La guía, ya que estábamos aquí, aprovechó para contarnos la VERDADERA leyenda de la Sirenita y, ¿sabéis qué? los de Disney son unos mentirosos... ni casamiento, ni bonita historia de amor ni nada!!! el Príncipe pasa de la sirenita, se casa con otra y la Sirenita se ahoga y muere en el mar convirtiéndose en espuma de ola... pobriña... si es que el amoe es muy malo!!!

Follow the street, Christians Brygge, to the right and you walk under the footbridge. You leave Christians Brygge by turning right before you cross the canal, which you follow until the cross street. Here you cross to walk along the left side of the canal. On your way you pass the Marble Bridge, Marmorbroen, built in 1741-45, and actually paved with Norwegan marble, which is still visible. The bridge leads to The Royal Stablesand riding ground preserved from the middle of the 18th century, when it was a part of the first Christiansborg, which burned down in 1794. Take a look inside to admirethe old arcade and the view of the parliament building (The third Christiansborg)from the rear.

Back by the canal you continue across the intersection, where the street turns into Rådhusstræde. As you continue up Rådhusstræde you reach once again the double square Gammel Torv / Nytorv, now entering at the new square, Nytorv. It was laid out in 1606 and during the 16 and 1700's this was where criminals of all sorts were publicly punished.

On your left at Nytorv you see Domhuset, the Law Courts, built in 1805-15 and beautifully restored in the 1990's. Until 1903 it was also used as the City Hall of Copenhagen, but at that time the city administration moved into the new Copenhagen City Hall of today. Before you leave Nytorv, you may notice the raised tiles in the ground; these mark the outline of the old City Hall, which burneddown in 1728.Then turn left and return by Strøget to The City Hall Square hereby completing the circular tour of the inner city.

Espero que os haya gustado y hayáis dsfrutado de las fotitos!!!

Un beso para todos