Kongens Nytorv & Charlottenborg

Kongens Nytorv — the King's New Square — was carved out of the eastern edge of old Copenhagen in 1670 by Christian V as the grandest public space in the city. At its centre stands an equestrian statue of the king himself, cast in lead because Denmark couldn't afford bronze at the time. The statue, created by French sculptor Abraham-César Lamoureux, has stood on the square since 1688, and every year on the last day of classes, graduating students from the nearby Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts run around it in a tradition that has persisted for centuries.

Charlottenborg Palace anchors the south side of the square. Built in 1683 for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, the illegitimate son of King Frederik III, it is one of the finest Dutch Baroque buildings in Denmark. Since 1754, it has housed the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, making it one of the oldest art academies in Northern Europe. The exhibition hall, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, now shows contemporary art in what was once a royal residence — a transition that Copenhagen handles with characteristic pragmatism.

The square itself is octagonal, echoing the shape of Amalienborg, and its grandeur was designed to rival the great European piazzas. The Hotel d'Angleterre, on the north side, has been Copenhagen's most prestigious hotel since 1755, and the Royal Danish Theatre's original building — the Old Stage — faces the square from the south. Together, these buildings create a concentration of cultural institutions that makes Kongens Nytorv the intellectual epicentre of the city.

In winter, the square is flooded and frozen into a public ice rink — possibly the most elegant setting for ice skating in Europe. In summer, the gardens return and the square fills with café tables. It is the hinge point of Copenhagen: Nyhavn opens from one corner, Strøget from another, and the rest of the city radiates outward.