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Easy · 5 km · 45 min

Historic Centre Mini Tour

A thousand years of Copenhagen in five kilometres.

Sights & culture Food & drink Your route, stop by stop

Short, slow and packed: City Hall Square, the power island of Christiansborg, the dragon-spired Børsen, the Black Diamond on the waterfront and the Round Tower's spiral ramp. Cobbles and crowds mean an unhurried pace - with natural wine by the canal and the city's best almond croissant as rewards.

Surface: Paved; cobbles in the old town Traffic: Medium Better without small kids

Turn by turn

Directions

Street-by-street cues for the whole ride - the numbered stops match the pins on the map.

  1. Head north-east on Jernbanegade 142 m
  2. Continue onto the path 70 m
  3. Turn right onto Vester Voldgade 470 m
  4. Turn left onto Ny Vestergade 245 m
  5. Turn right onto Christiansborg Ridebane 272 m
  6. 1 Christiansborg Palace 2 m
  7. Turn right onto the path 55 m
  8. Turn right onto Christiansborg Ridebane 6 m
  9. Turn left onto the path 134 m
  10. Turn right onto Christiansborg Slotsplads 68 m
  11. Turn left onto Christiansborg Slotsplads 17 m
  12. Turn left onto Rigsdagsgården 48 m
  13. Turn right onto Slotsholmsgade 50 m
  14. Bear right onto the path 110 m
  15. 2 Børsen 138 m
  16. Turn right onto Slotsholmsgade 12 m
  17. Turn right onto Christians Brygge 311 m
  18. Make a U-turn onto Christians Brygge 35 m
  19. 3 The Black Diamond 68 m
  20. Turn left onto Proviantpassagen 233 m
  21. Turn right onto Rigsdagsgården 20 m
  22. Turn left onto Christiansborg Slotsplads 17 m
  23. Turn right onto Christiansborg Slotsplads 61 m
  24. 4 Ved Stranden 10 61 m
  25. Turn left onto Christiansborg Slotsplads 17 m
  26. Turn left onto Rigsdagsgården 269 m
  27. Turn left onto Havnegade 795 m
  28. Turn left onto Landemærket 188 m
  29. Turn left onto Købmagergade 32 m
  30. 5 The Round Tower 3 m
  31. Turn right onto Købmagergade 31 m
  32. Turn left onto Krystalgade 162 m
  33. Turn left onto Fiolstræde 59 m
  34. 6 Democratic Coffee 52 m
  35. Turn right onto Frue Plads 107 m
  36. Turn left onto Nørregade 20 m
  37. Turn right onto Studiestræde 433 m
  38. Turn left onto H.C. Andersens Boulevard 115 m
  39. Turn right onto Jernbanegade 112 m
  40. 1 City Hall Square (back at the start)

Along the way

Stops worth making

sight

1 City Hall Square

Rådhuspladsen - the city's front door, with the dragon fountain and lur blowers.

Rådhuspladsen 1
attraction

2 Christiansborg Palace

Parliament, royal reception rooms and a free tower view - all on one island.

Prins Jørgens Gård 1
sight

3 Børsen

The old stock exchange with the dragon-tail spire, under careful restoration after the 2024 fire.

Børsgade 1
sight

4 The Black Diamond

The Royal Library's glossy granite extension leaning over the harbour.

Søren Kierkegaards Plads 1
bar

5 Ved Stranden 10

Canal-side natural wine bar opposite Christiansborg - quietly one of the best in town.

Ved Stranden 10 kr kr
Website →
attraction

6 The Round Tower

Europe's oldest functioning observatory - the spiral ramp was built for a horse and carriage, not bikes.

Købmagergade 52A
cafe

7 Democratic Coffee

Specialty coffee and a famously good almond croissant, tucked into the main library.

Krystalgade 15 kr