| Introduction
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Introduction
Copenhagen (København) is where the European experience becomes Scandinavian. This is a magnificent city, far more a “Wonderful
Copenhagen” than even the Danny Kaye song implies. It is a city of towers and steeples that are elegant and sculptural, as
well as monumental. It is a city that draws you in along pedestrian-only streets that lead in and out of delightful squares.
It is a city with museums and attractions, restaurants, cafés and entertainment that place it among the finest of European
capitals.
Copenhagen originated, like so many other Scandinavian towns and cities, as a small fishing village, its occupants taking
advantage of the sheltered waters around Slotsholmen Island, the island that is now home to the Danish National Parliament
(Folketing), and the Christiansborg Palace (Christiansborg Slot). By the 12th century Slotsholmen had been fortified in keeping
with the settlement's growing commercial status, a status signified by its name, Kømandshavn, the “port of the merchants,”
later amended to København. By the middle of the 15th century, Copenhagen was the recognized capital of Denmark.
The city's status was enhanced by the construction of many fine buildings during the reign of Christian IV of Denmark in the
17th century, and by the 19th century Copenhagen had emerged as a major European capital. Development continued during the
20th century, and at the start of the new millennium Copenhagen stood as a mature and hugely successful city.
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