COPENHAGEN
COPENHAGEN
202
203
Copenhagen carries its
history in its name. The
original Danish name
meant “merchants’ harbor,”
and through German
translations, became the
popular name Copenhagen.
The tallest building in
downtown Copenhagen,
the Radisson Blu Royal
Hotel, was Copenhagen’s
first skyscraper when it was
built in 1960 and remains
the sole high-rise in
the city center.
FACTS
In the 19th century
small man-made islands
were constructed in the
Copenhagen harbor as
a defense system. After
World War II, the artificial
islands evolved from
military fortresses and now
feature restaurants, ghost
hunts and walking tours.
The famous Tivoli Gardens
opened in 1843. The urban
fairy tale park may have
inspired Walt Disney’s
theme park.
FACTS
The Stroget is the
longest pedestrianonly shopping route in
Scandinavia. In the 1960s,
the city created this mile
long vehicle-free area with
shops, dining and street
entertainment. The design
idea was so popular that
it spread to other cities
around the world.
Author Hans Christian
Andersen published a fairy
tale about a little mermaid.
About 70 years later, a
Danish brewer attended
the “Little Mermaid” ballet
and commissioned the
waterfront statue.
The Little Mermaid statue
is Copenhagen’s most
famous landmark.