Københavns Rådhus

Description:

• We have never been able to work up much enthusiasm for this towering monument, the City Hall of Copenhagen. It was said to have been inspired by the main tower at the Piazza del Campo in Siena. The original is magnificent, the one in Copenhagen a bit dull. The architect, Martin Nyrop, wanted to create a building that would "give gaiety to everyday life and spontaneous pleasure to all." We're not so sure he succeeded, but check it out anyway. Statues of Hans Christian Andersen and Niels Bohr (the Nobel Prize-winning physicist) are worth a look. Jens Olsen's World Clock is open for viewing Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday at 1pm. Frederik IX set the clock on December 15, 1955. The clockwork is so exact that it's accurate to within half a second every 300 years. Climb the tower for an impressive view, but it's not for the faint of heart -- 300 steps with no elevator.

  To the east of the Rådhus is one of Copenhagen's most famous landmarks, the Lurblæserne (Lur Blower Column), topped by two Vikings blowing an ancient trumpet called a lur. There's a bit of artistic license taken here. The lur actually dates from the Bronze Age (ca. 1500 B.C.), while the Vikings lived some 1,000 years ago. But it's a fascinating sight anyway.

• © Frommer's 2013