Town Hall Square.

Christiansborg -- the Danish Parliament.

The Little Mermaid.

Amalienborg (winter home of the Danish
Royal Family) and Frederiks Church.

Amalienborg and the Danish Royal Guard.

The Royal Guard, an elite force of the Danish Army,
has as its main purpose to protect the Queen.

The Danish Royal Yacht.

Next to Tivoli Gardens is the Town Hall Square, which was recently brought into a more tourist and pedestrian friendly form. In addition, loudspeakers were built into the ground, making artistic performances of more avangardistic kinds possible. This was done in the Copenhagen Cultural City 1996 program.

Christiansborg

A few hundred yards away, right in the middle of the oldest part of Copenhagen, you find Christiansborg, which houses the Danish parliament: Folketinget. This is the center of Danish democracy, which is one of the most protected rights in Danish society.

In the opposite direction you find Amaliehaven's waterfront to the Copenhagen Harbor. The waterfront is a popular promenade for locals and tourists alike.

The Northeastern quay of Copenhagen Harbor is called Langelinie, which means, "long line" due to its long straight build. This is Europe's most visited cruise harbor, with 3-4 cruise ships coming in to the quay, which you can glimpse on the right, every week. If you sail to Copenhagen, this is the view you'll see first.

Port O'Call

On any given day from May through September, sleek ocean liners glide into Copenhagen Harbor and dock a short walk away from the queen's residence at Amalienborg Palace, the colorful old sailors' quarter, Nyhavn, and the wistful Little Mermaid gazing out to sea.  More than 250 ships carrying more than 150,000 passengers call at the port of Copenhagen annually, and it's not unusual - but quite a sight to see several of them docked in a row.  Daily hydrofoils and ferries zip back and forth between Copenhagen and Malmo, Sweden, and tour boats ply the city's canals, supplying close-up views of Danes soaking up the afternoon sun at Nyhavn; the row houses of Christianshavn, the old merchants' quarter; and the city's unique spires, including the three intertwined dragon's tails of the Stock Exchange and the spiral tower of the Church of Our Savior, with 400 outside steps winding to the top.

Amalienborg and the Royal Guard

Amaliehaven is located so that when standing at the right spot, you see the Amaliehaven fountain, Amalienborg (winter home of the Danish Royal Family) and Frederiks Church at one glance.  Amalienborg is made up of four almost identical rococo palais, which were originally built by four noblemen in the years 1750-54, on land granted them by King Frederik the Fifth. The Royal Family lived on Christiansborg until 1794, when it burned down, and the Royal Family decided to buy the four palais, name them Amalienborg, move in and live there from then on.

The Royal Guard, an elite force of the Danish Army, has as its main purpose to protect the Queen. Every day at noon, the guard replacement marches into the square and commences the change of the guard.

Each guard has a two-hour shift, in which he is to alternately stand in front of the very distinctive guard house, and march back and forth in front of the palais to which he is assigned.

After the two hours, the replacement is marched out from the guards' room, located under the colonnade to the South of Amalienborg (except of course at noon), and is relieved. When the change of guard takes place, the officer in charge, as part of the routine, goes to the house and looks inside. This action is based on a very old habit of the royal guards, which is (probably) not taking place any longer, but many, many years ago, a guard could sneak a girlfriend into the house and covertly chat with her during his shift. The officer looks to check for eventual hidden girlfriends!

The whole process of the change of the guard is more elaborate when it takes place at noon - the time when most tourists come to photograph the event. The whole group of guardsmen is marched around to the different guardhouses and all the guard changes. The tourists sometimes try to make one of the guards speak to them, or ask them questions - please don't. They are under strict orders not to speak to anybody but their colleagues in arms!

Most tourists come at summer, and consequently get to see the Royal Guard in their everyday uniforms, which is characterized by the dark blue jacket. At a few specific times, like January 1st., Queen Margrethe IIs birthday, official state visits and royal weddings, the Royal Guard puts on its gala uniform with the red jackets and bright blue trousers. The Bear - the characteristic head gear on the soldiers' heads - is always worn, though.

Practically all of the uniform of the Royal Guard dates back from the middle of the last century, and is actually the original equipment from then - tended and cared for by each new soldier from year to year. The only new thing is the rifle - a few years back the old American Garand rifle was replaced by the German Henschler und Koch G3 rifle used in all of the Danish Army today. But the piece of equipment most dreaded by the guards is the Bear. It is not uncommon for guards to faint during longer marches or drills while wearing it, because of its warmth.