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CopenhagenDenmark
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark. The Danish language name for the city is København, a corruption of the Danish Købmandshavn, which means Merchants' Harbour. The Latin name is Hafnia. Geography Copenhagen is located on the eastern shore of the island of Zealand (Sjælland) and partly on the island Amager, facing the strait known as the Øresund, with the Swedish towns of Malmöand Landskrona on the opposite side. 1.7 million people live in the Greater Copenhagen Area. The Øresund region, consisting of Eastern Zealand and Western Scania (in Sweden), has a population of 2.8 million inhabitants. Culture Copenhagen has consistently been rated one of the best cities in the world in which to live by international surveys, though it also has a high cost of living. Strøget, a pedestrian shopping street in central Copenhagen, is the longest of its kind in the world. History Copenhagen was a fishing village until the middle of the 12th century when it grew in importance after coming into the possession of Bishop Absalon, who fortified it in 1167. The excellent harbour encouraged Copenhagen's growth until it became an important centre of commerce (hence its name). It was repeatedly attacked by the Hanseatic League. 1658-59 it withstood a severe siege by the Swedes under Charles X. In 1801 a British fleet under Horatio Nelson fought a major battle, the Battle of Copenhagen, with the Danish navy in Copenhagen harbour. When British naval vessels bombarded Copenhagen in 1807, to prevent Denmark from surrendering its fleet to Napoleon, the city suffered great damage and hundreds of people were killed. During World War II Copenhagen was occupied by German troops as the rest of the country from April 1940 until May 1945. The city has grown greatly since the war. Since the summer 2000, the cities of Copenhagen and Malmö have been connected by a toll bridge/tunnel (Øresund Bridge), which allows both rail and road passengers to cross. It was inaugurated in July 2001 by the King of Sweden and Queen of Denmark. As a result, Copenhagen has become the center of a larger metropolitan area which spans both nations. The construction of the bridge has led to a large number of changes to the public transportation system and the extensive redevelopment of Amager, south of the main city. However, the bridge has not been as widely used as was originally hoped, likely due to the high tolls, slowing the planned integration of the region. Places of note in or near Copenhagen Tivoli Gardens Christiania Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Kronborg Christiansborg Amalienborg Palace National Museum Copenhagen Zoo Rosenborg Kongens Have Louisiana Modern Art Museum Strøget The Little Mermaid Nyhavn The Deer Park Frederiksberg Castle. People of note connected with Copenhagen Ludvig Holberg Hans Christian Andersen Tycho Brahe Niels Bohr Søren Kierkegaard External Links This page was retrieved and condensed from
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen)
November 2005 Hui Chin and I enjoyed our stay in Copenhagen, although it was raining for a time on our first day of sightseeing. With the help of the Sightseeing Tour Bus, we managed to see everything that was worth seeing and as usual we did some foot work to fill in the gaps. You can click on
these photos for an enlargement.
2003
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