About this experience
This tour will appeal to all history enthusiasts, lovers of beautiful architecture, and urban landscapes. You will learn many legends from Danish history and what modern Denmark is like. I will tell you about the country's origins, who the Danes are, who the Vikings were, how Copenhagen developed and evolved over the centuries, where authentic buildings, squares, and sculptures have been preserved.
We will walk through the streets of Copenhagen and travel from the modern city to the 12th century, the time of Bishop Absalon when the future capital was just a small fishing village. I will guide you through the pages of history and tell you what happened to the village, how the power in Scandinavia was consolidated in the hands of the Danish king by the end of the 14th century, and who Martin Luther was, thanks to whom all Danish churches are Lutheran today. Get ready for fascinating stories about King-Builder Christian IV, the longest-reigning Danish monarch, Peter the Great's visit to Copenhagen with a 40,000-strong army, the marriage of Danish Princess Dagmar to the Russian Tsar Alexander III, and other interesting aspects of Danish-Russian relations.
Route
Our journey will begin at one of Copenhagen's oldest squares, home to the oldest city fountain, Charity, and the Cathedral of Our Lady, standing here thanks to the efforts of Bishop Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen.
We will then travel back in time to the structures built for scientific purposes by Christian IV. This complex has survived to this day! We will tour the Danish Parliament Christiansborg.
I will reveal to you what the Hanseatic merchants envied so much that they decided not to leave a stone standing of Absalon's fortress. I will talk about Denmark's existence as a slaveholding nation and the prosperity achieved by the Danes: without their own sugar production, they became one of the largest sugar exporters in Europe in the 18th century.
Guiding you through the pages of Copenhagen's history, I will show you where the Pillory was located for public humiliations and executions, and unveil interesting aspects of the modern Danish justice system. We will explore the former debtors' prison where theoretically a person could sit forever.
At the end of the tour, we will approach the present day and reach the Town Hall Square – the very heart of modern Copenhagen. Here, I will introduce you to the main features of Danish society through the metro and the Town Hall building. We will visit the zero kilometer point, learn the legend of the battling bull and dragon, greet the storyteller Andersen, and I will try to explain why Danes have been recognized as the happiest nation on the planet for several years.
Are you ready to embark on a historical journey through Copenhagen? Let's go!
