Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
road on Slutterigade. The words inscribed above the courthouse steps, 'Med Lov Skal Man
Land Bygge' (With Law Shall One Build the Land), are taken from the Jutland Code that
codified laws in Denmark in 1241. You can take a peek inside, although casual visitors are
not encouraged.
Slotsholmen
A small island separated from the city centre by a moat-like canal, Slotsholmen is the seat
of national government and a veritable repository of historical sites. Its centrepiece is im-
posing palace
Christiansborg Slot
, home to Folketinget (the Danish parliament) and vari-
ous government offices.
Several short bridges link Slotsholmen to the rest of Copenhagen. If you walk into Slot-
sholmen from Ny Vestergade, you'll cross the western part of the canal and enter Christi-
ansborg's large main courtyard, which flanks the royal stables. The courtyard's equestrian
feel is further enhanced by a
statue of Christian IX
(1863-1906) on horseback.
The stables and buildings surrounding the main courtyard date back to the 1730s when
the original Christiansborg palace was built by Christian VI to replace the more modest
Copenhagen Castle that previously stood there.
The grander west wing of Christian VI's palace went up in flames in 1794, was rebuilt
in the early 19th century and was once again destroyed by fire in 1884. In 1907 the corner-
stone for the third (and current) Christiansborg palace was laid by Frederik VIII and, upon
completion, the national parliament and the Supreme Court moved into new chambers
there.
Thorvaldsens Museum
MUSEUM
free, Wed free; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun; 1A, 2A, 11A, 26, 40, 66)
What looks like a colourful Greco-Roman mausoleum is in fact a museum dedicated to the
works of illustrious Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Heavily influenced
by mythology after four decades in Rome, Thorvaldsen returned to Copenhagen and
donated his private collection to the Danish public. In return the royal family provided this
site for the construction of what is a remarkable complex housing Thorvaldsen's drawings,
