Kongens Nytorv

Kongens Nytorv, in Copenhagen

Kongens Nytorv, the "New Square of the King", is one of the central and most animated squares of Copenhagen. The Copenhagen audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this vast esplanade willed by Christian V in the image of the place Vendôme in Paris, lined with the palace of Charlottenborg and the Royal Theatre, and adorned in its centre with the oldest equestrian statue of Scandinavia.

History

This great square is one of the main ones of Copenhagen. Linking the most touristic monuments and sites, it is an obligatory passage of any visit of the city. On its left stand two major historic buildings: the palace of Charlottenborg, former royal castle that you recognise by its dark colour, and, just after, the Royal Theatre, whose monumental façade dates from the nineteenth century. They contribute to making this central square one of the most animated of the city, the arrival point of the canal since the seventeenth century. In its centre rises a sculpture representing Christian V, the oldest equestrian statue of all Scandinavia, realised in 1688. It is this king who launched the project of this square, drawing inspiration from the place Vendôme in Paris. Surrounded by fine buildings, Kongens Nytorv constitutes one of the finest squares of Copenhagen. Nicknamed "the horse" by the inhabitants, in reference to its statue, it is also a high place of the end-of-year student celebrations.

What to see

Here you discover one of the finest and most animated squares of Copenhagen, willed by Christian V in the image of the place Vendôme; lined with the palace of Charlottenborg and the Royal Theatre, it bears in its centre the oldest equestrian statue of Scandinavia, that of Christian V, realised in 1688. Kongens Nytorv is a major crossroads of the city. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Kongens Nytorv lies in the heart of the historic centre of Indre By, at the extremity of the Nyhavn district, in Copenhagen, reachable on foot and served by the metro. It is a square in free access, lined with monuments, that you discover during a walk in the centre.

What to see on the Kongens Nytorv square in Copenhagen?

Here you admire two major historic buildings, the palace of Charlottenborg, former dark royal castle, and the Royal Theatre with its monumental nineteenth-century façade, as well as, in the centre, the equestrian statue of Christian V of 1688, the oldest of Scandinavia; the square was willed by this king in the image of the place Vendôme in Paris.

Where is Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen?

In the heart of the historic centre of Indre By, at the extremity of Nyhavn, in Copenhagen, in Denmark.