Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Denmark's territory. He took Kalmar from Sweden and captured strategic
points in northern Germany. The king was a large man who also lived
large. A skilled horseman and avid hunter, he could drink his companions
under the table. He spoke several languages and gained a reputation as
outgoing and humorous. His lavish banquets were legendary, and his ro-
mantic affairs were numerous.
But Christian's appetite for war proved destructive. In 1626, Denmark
again attacked northern Germany, but was beaten back. In 1643, Sweden
launched a sneak attack, and despite Christian's personal bravery (he lost
an eye), the war went badly. By the end of his life, Christian was tired and
bitter, and Denmark was drained.
The heroics of Christian and his sailors live on in the Danish national
anthem, “King Christian Stood by the Lofty Mast.”
Self-Guided Tour: Buy your ticket, then head back out and look for
the castle sign. You'll tour the ground floor room by room, then climb to the
third floor for the big throne room. After a quick sweep of the middle floor,
finish in the basement (enter from outside) for the jewels. Begin the tour on
the palace's ground floor (turn right as you enter), in the Winter Room.
Ground Floor: Here in the wood-paneled Winter Room, all eyes were
on King Christian IV. Today, your eyes should be on him, too. Take a close
look at his bust by the fireplace (if it's not here, look for it out in the corridor
by the ticket-taker). Check this guy out—earring and fashionable braid, hard
drinker, hard lover, energetic statesman, and warrior king. Christian IV was
dynamism in the flesh, wearing a toga: a true Renaissance guy. During his
reign, Copenhagen doubled in size. You're surrounded by Dutch paintings
(the Dutch had a huge influence on 17th-century Denmark). Note the smaller
statue of the 19-year-old king, showing him jousting jauntily on his corona-
tion day. In another case, the golden astronomical clock—with musical works
and moving figures—did everything you can imagine. Flanking the fireplace
(opposite where you entered), beneath the windows, look for the panels in the
tile floor that could be removed to let the music performed by the band in the
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