Copenhagen
Cities

Facts about Copenhagen

We found 26 facts about Copenhagen

The capital of Denmark

It is considered the happiest city in the world. It is a paradise for cyclists, whom you can meet a lot here as they travel along the countless bicycle paths. It also has the best restaurants in the world and tons of tourist attractions. Although Copenhagen lost more than half of its medieval monuments during the great fire of the 18th century, it is still a very attractive place for tourists.

Copenhagen
1
Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark and its largest city.
2
The city's population exceeds 520.000 people.
3
The first traces of human activity in the area of today's city date back 12.000 years.
4
The city was founded in 1167 by Absalon, bishop of Roskilde.

Previously, there was a market and a fishing village in this place.

5
Copenhagen has a maritime climate, which means that the winters are quite mild and the summers are cool.
6
Copenhagen obtained city rights in 1254.
7
In 1479, the University of Copenhagen was founded, and until 1771 it had its court, law, and prison.

Only in the 18th century did the university submit to municipal jurisdiction.

8
In 1711, the plague swept through Copenhagen and killed 20.000 of the city's inhabitants.
9
In 1728, a fire broke out in Copenhagen that lasted 3 days and consumed approximately 28 percent of the city.

Almost half of the city's buildings from the Middle Ages were destroyed. In addition to destroying buildings, the fire consumed over 35.000 texts in the library of the University of Copenhagen and the observatory in the Round Tower.

10
In Copenhagen's harbor, there is a statue of the Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen.

The sculpture depicts a character from Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale and was unveiled on August 23, 1913. In 2003, someone used explosives to blow up the monument and it fell from its pedestal. Fortunately, the mermaid did not suffer much damage and after a short repair, she returned to her rock, where she can still be admired.

11
In Copenhagen, the Amalienborg Palace dates from 1794, which is the residence of the Danish monarchy.

The palace complex includes 4 identical Rococo palaces surrounding an octagonal square. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Copenhagen, visited by over 77.000 tourists every year.

12
There is the second-largest bridge in the world here. The so-called Öresund Bridge is 7845 meters long and connects Copenhagen with Malmö, Sweden.

The first concepts for the construction of the bridge were created in the mid-1930s, but construction began on October 18, 1995. The bridge was completed on August 14, 1999, and the investment cost was over DKK 30 billion. The investment is expected to pay off only around 2030.

13
Copenhagen is one of the greenest cities on earth and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025.

Over the last 10 years, the city has managed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1/3, mainly thanks to investments in photovoltaics and wind farms.

14
There is a wind farm at the city's waterfront that supplies 4 percent of the city with electricity.
15
Many city residents ride bicycles.

Residents, entrepreneurs, and politicians alike choose this means of transport. It's hard to park a car in Copenhagen because the sidewalks are full of bicycles.

16
There are over 400 kilometers of bicycle paths in Copenhagen. Recently, a bicycle highway connecting Copenhagen with the nearby city of Albertslund was launched.
17
Copenhagen has the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world.
18
The oldest amusement park is located on the outskirts of Copenhagen.

The Bakken amusement park was created in 1583. The second oldest park in the world is Tivoli, also located in Copenhagen.

19
The Tivoli Gardens amusement park, which has been operating since 1843, became the inspiration for the creation of Disneyland.

In 1951, Walt Disney visited, taking notes on the park's smallest details. Then he said that he wanted to build a park that would reflect the peaceful and joyful atmosphere of Copenhagen park.

20
There is a Carlsberg brewing museum in the city.

One of the museum's attractions is a collection of 20.000 unopened beer bottles donated to the museum by Leif Sonne, who has been collecting bottles since 1968. When his collection no longer fit in his home, he decided to donate the collection.

21
The city hosts a historic car Grand Prix, during which old racing cars are presented and their races are organized.
22
The mermaid statue in Copenhagen has not had an easy life. She was repeatedly covered with graffiti, lost an arm and her head twice, was blown up, and had a sex toy attached to her body.

She even fell victim to censorship when one of the MPs posted her photo on Facebook, but it was censored and taken down for showing nudity. Only after the surprised MP warned that the blockade was completely absurd did Facebook moderators apologize and post the photo on the social networking site.

23
The city is home to the largest aquarium in northern Europe. 20.000 fish are swimming in over 7 million liters of water.

The first city aquarium was established in 1939, but it was much smaller, so a new one was built and all the specimens were moved there in 2013.

24
Hans Christian Andersen rests in the Assistens Kirkegård cemetery in Copenhagen.
25
Copenhagen has 5 partner cities: Paris, Prague, Reykjavík, Berlin and Marseille.
26
In 2020, the world's first Museum of Happiness opened in Copenhagen.

In 8 exhibition halls, visitors can learn about the idea of happiness and how it was perceived in the past. Museum director Meik Wiking says about the new facility as follows: "We hope that our guests will leave the museum a little wiser, happier, and a little more motivated to change the world for the better."

Hungry for more facts?

Latest topics

42 facts about Kyshtym disaster
42 facts about Kyshtym disaster
The first nuclear accident in Earth's history
Before information about it saw the light of day, the Soviets hid it for over 30 years. The explosion at the Mayak combine was the first nuclear accid ...
37 facts about Saint Petersburg
37 facts about Saint Petersburg
A city of many names
It was a dream and a matter of prestige for the Romanov dynasty to gain access to the Baltic Sea and build a metropolis to testify to Russia's emergin ...
32 facts about Peter the Great
32 facts about Peter the Great
The first Emperor of all Russia
Peter the Great is considered one of Russia's greatest rulers. He was a great reformer, strategist, and builder who was the first of the tsars to trav ...
39 facts about Dyatlov Pass incident
39 facts about Dyatlov Pass incident
Mysterious tragedy in the Ural mountains
The case of a group of students at the Ural Polytechnical Institute in Sverdlovsk continues to arouse great interest and raise many questions. A group ...
11 facts about Brooklyn Bridge
11 facts about Brooklyn Bridge
The first steel suspension bridge in the world
It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the world. It connects Brooklyn with Manhattan, runs over the East River, and was completed in 1883. ...
31 facts about Brazil
31 facts about Brazil
South America's largest country
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America and one of the largest and most populous countries in the world. A former Portuguese ...
44 facts about Ghent
44 facts about Ghent
City of three towers
Ghent is one of Belgium's most visited cities by tourists. This beautiful old Flanders city combines dignity, beauty, culture, and creativity. It is a ...
31 facts about Thailand
31 facts about Thailand
A country on the Indochinese Peninsula
Thailand is an Asian country located in its south-eastern part, famous for its interesting culture and religious architecture. This exotic country, wh ...

Similar topics