With a Suitcase and a Plan: 07-03 Copenhagen Kastellet and City Hall

Out of the door at 9:15 today. It’s supposed to rain this afternoon, so we want to make the best of the morning sun. Yes, I said sun, in Copenhagen. We walked over to the Kastellet (Citadel), the star-shaped fortress, north of downtown. The grass-covered ramparts are in the shape of a star surrounded by a moat. Construction was initiated in the 1620's by King Christian IV (there's that guy again) and was finished 20 years later.

We walked around on top and it's very windy. There are cannons around the edges and they are out mowing the lawn this morning (via remote control - how cool was that?).

There are active guards patrolling around the top and we passed two sets of two on our walk around.

Windmills were dotted around the fortification in the old days to supply flour and rolled oats in case of a siege.

The buildings are used for administrative offices now.

Next we walk by the church on our way to the Little Mermaid statue. It's very crowded just like it was our first day here. After a couple of pictures, we sat down on a bench in the sun.

We walked through Amalienborg Palace courtyard and back down the Stroget (pedestrian-only street) again on our way to a store that advertised in one of the tourist brochures. It had paper cut items and Christmas items. Found nothing here, mostly cheap stuff.

Just as we were about to leave here it started pouring down rain. Fortunately, it didn't last long. We found a burger place on the Stroget; Friends & Burgers. Seating was upstairs with a view up and down the Stroget. Great tasting burger.

Karen has plans to tour City Hall and looking at her cheat sheet it begins in 15 minutes. My phone tells me it is a 6 minute walk to City Hall. Off we go.

City Hall is right across the street from Tivoli. Since there is not a tower in Tivoli, then this is the best place to get aerial pictures of Tivoli. Great location actually for pictures of Tivoli and ALL of Copenhagen.

On the tour we saw and heard of the construction of this building that was completed in 1904. Saw how the builder paid tribute to all the craftsmen who worked on the building by carving woodcarvers, glass workers, tile layers and such in the banisters going up to the second and third floors.

Also, he had heads of workers carved into the banquet hall walls.

The Fresco paintings were beautiful going up the same staircase. One is of Copenhagen at the time and one is of the country side. He told the story of a couple of painters. One did the city of Copenhagen and the harbor on the stairway wall.

He got done first, so they told him to do around the door at the top of the stairs.

When he finished that, the other guy still wasn't done, so they told the first guy to paint four scientists in the corners.

The second guy STILL wasn't done. So the first guy painted the bricks to look like bricks all around the paintings he had just finished. He had a lot more details in his paintings even though he was faster.

Council Chambers: They meet at night after their regular jobs.

The grand hall at City Hall

There was some really great craftsmanship in the wood in the library. Person's name and their birth and death year.

A tour to the top of the City Hall Tower was available within a few minutes of us finishing the City Hall tour, so we signed up. The view was worth it, because you are right in the heart of town here. And it's even better that we get to see all of Tivoli.