Kongens Nytorv
Copenhagen
Kongens Nytorv, the King's New Square, is the largest square in Copenhagen, where the pedestrian streets of the centre end. King Christian V opened it in 1670.
A square like those in Paris
At first this place was a muddy field outside the city walls. King Christian V had it levelled and paved with cobblestones. He wanted a grand royal square, like the ones in Paris.
Wealthy citizens were given plots of land around it to build on.
The statue and the garden
In the middle stands the statue of the king riding his horse, from 1688. It was made by Abraham-César Lamoureux, a sculptor who came from Paris. In the 1940s it was remade in bronze.
Around the statue is an oval garden, Krinsen, with its rows of trees. Its shape holds together a square whose sides are all different. Krinsen is an old Danish word: it means “circle” or “wreath”.
The buildings
Charlottenborg was built between 1672 and 1683. It is named after Queen Charlotte Amalie, who lived there as a widow. The Thott Palace dates from 1683-1686.
The square is also home to a large historic hotel and to the house of Danish ballet and opera.
