Parks and open spaces in Copenhagen
Encyclopedia
Copenhagen is a green city well endowed with open spaces. It has an extensive and well-distributed system of Parks that act as venues for a wide array of events and urban life. As a supplement to the regular parks, there are a number of congenial public gardens and some cemeteries doubling as parks. It is official municipal policy in Copenhagen that all citizens by 2015 must be able to reach a park or beach on foot in less than 15 minutes.
, the garden of Rosenborg Castle
, is the oldest and most visited park in Copenhagen. Its landscaping was commenced by Christian IV
in 1606. Every year it sees more than 2,5 million visitors and in the summer months it is packed with sunbathers, picknickers and ballplayers. It also serves as a sculpture garden with a permanent display of sculptures as well as temporary exhibits during summer. Just north of King's Garden a series of parks that make up a green strand running right through the centre of the city centre. These are constructed on the old ramparts of the city and include Østre Anlæg and Ørsted Parks as well as the Botanical Gardens
particularly noted for their large complex of 19th century greenhouses donated by Carlsberg founder J. C. Jacobsen.
Fælledparken
in the northern part of the city is with its 58 hectars the largest park in Copenhagen. It is popular for sport
s and hosts a long array of annual events like a free opera concert at the opening of the opera season, other open-air concerts, carnival
, Labour Day
celebrations and Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix which is a race for antique car
s. Another popular park is the Frederiksberg Garden
which is a 32 hectares romantic
landscape park. It houses a large colony of very tame grey herons
along with other waterfowl
s. The park also offers views of the elephants and the elephant house designed by world-famous British architect Norman Foster
of the adjacent Copenhagen Zoo.
Some of Copenhagen's newer parks draws from its position by the water. Havneparken
established in 1995 covers 2,8 hectares of dockland in the Islands Brygge
neighbourhood and has a bandstand
with an upside-down old wooden ship as a roof and the first of Copenhagen's harbour baths
. Amager Beach Park was founded in 1934 but in 2005 a 2,4 km artificial island was added, separated from the original beach by a lagoon
crossed by three beaches.
It is official municipal policy in Copenhagen that all citizens by 2015 must be able to reach a park or beach on foot in less than 15 minutes. In line with this policy, several new parks are under development in areas poor in green spaces. Langelinie
double as parks, though only for the more quiet activities such as sunbathing, reading and meditation. Assistens Cemetery, the burial place of Hans Christian Andersen
among others, is an important green space for the district of Inner Nørrebro
and a Copenhagen institution. The lesser known Vestre Kirkegård is with its 54 hectares the largest cemetery in Denmark and offers a maze of dense groves, open lawns, winding paths, hedges, overgrown tomb
s, monuments, tree-lined avenues, lakes and other garden feature
s.
, with the aim to facilitate fast, safe and pleasant bicycle transport from one end of the city to the other. The network will cover more than 100 km and consist of 22 routes when finished.
Parks
King's GardenRosenborg Castle Gardens
Rosenborg Castle Gardens is Copenhagen's oldest and most visited park with 2.5 million visitors per year.-The Renaissance gardens:...
, the garden of Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects...
, is the oldest and most visited park in Copenhagen. Its landscaping was commenced by Christian IV
Christian IV of Denmark
Christian IV was the king of Denmark-Norway from 1588 until his death. With a reign of more than 59 years, he is the longest-reigning monarch of Denmark, and he is frequently remembered as one of the most popular, ambitious and proactive Danish kings, having initiated many reforms and projects...
in 1606. Every year it sees more than 2,5 million visitors and in the summer months it is packed with sunbathers, picknickers and ballplayers. It also serves as a sculpture garden with a permanent display of sculptures as well as temporary exhibits during summer. Just north of King's Garden a series of parks that make up a green strand running right through the centre of the city centre. These are constructed on the old ramparts of the city and include Østre Anlæg and Ørsted Parks as well as the Botanical Gardens
University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden
The University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden , usually referred to simply as Copenhagen Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark...
particularly noted for their large complex of 19th century greenhouses donated by Carlsberg founder J. C. Jacobsen.
Fælledparken
Fælledparken
The park Fælledparken in Copenhagen, Denmark, was created 1906–1914 by landscape architect Edvard Glæsel in cooperation with the Copenhagen Municipality on the commons previously named Nørrefælled and Østerfælled....
in the northern part of the city is with its 58 hectars the largest park in Copenhagen. It is popular for sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
s and hosts a long array of annual events like a free opera concert at the opening of the opera season, other open-air concerts, carnival
Carnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
celebrations and Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix which is a race for antique car
Antique car
In the United States, an antique car is generally defined as a car over 45 years of age, this being the definition used by the Antique Automobile Club of America. However, the legal definition for the purpose of antique vehicle registration varies widely. The antique car era includes the veteran...
s. Another popular park is the Frederiksberg Garden
Frederiksberg Park
Frederiksberg Park is one of the largest and most attractive greenspaces in Copenhagen, Denmark. Together with the adjacent Søndermarken it forms a green area of 64 hectares at the western edge of Inner Copenhagen...
which is a 32 hectares romantic
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
landscape park. It houses a large colony of very tame grey herons
Grey Heron
The Grey Heron , is a wading bird of the heron family Ardeidae, native throughout temperate Europe and Asia and also parts of Africa. It is resident in the milder south and west, but many birds retreat in winter from the ice in colder regions...
along with other waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
s. The park also offers views of the elephants and the elephant house designed by world-famous British architect Norman Foster
Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank
Norman Robert Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, OM is a British architect whose company maintains an international design practice, Foster + Partners....
of the adjacent Copenhagen Zoo.
Some of Copenhagen's newer parks draws from its position by the water. Havneparken
Havneparken
Havneparken is a public park located directly on the waterfront in the district of Islands Brygge in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the most lively and popular places along the Copenhagen harbourfront...
established in 1995 covers 2,8 hectares of dockland in the Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge
Islands Brygge is a harbourfront area in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located on the north-western coast of Amager. The neighbourhood is noted for its waterfront park Havneparken, which is one of the most popular areas along the Copenhagen harbourfront and the location of one of the Copenhagen...
neighbourhood and has a bandstand
Bandstand
A bandstand is a circular or semicircular structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts...
with an upside-down old wooden ship as a roof and the first of Copenhagen's harbour baths
Copenhagen Harbour Baths
Copenhagen Harbour Baths is a system of recreational bathing facilities along the waterfront of Copenhagen, Denmark. There are currently three harbour baths, the first and most well-known of which is located at Islands Brygge...
. Amager Beach Park was founded in 1934 but in 2005 a 2,4 km artificial island was added, separated from the original beach by a lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
crossed by three beaches.
It is official municipal policy in Copenhagen that all citizens by 2015 must be able to reach a park or beach on foot in less than 15 minutes. In line with this policy, several new parks are under development in areas poor in green spaces. Langelinie
Langelinie
Langelinie is a pier, promenade and park in central Copenhagen, Denmark, and home of the statue of The Little Mermaid. The area has for centuries been a popular destination for excursions and strolls in Copenhagen...
Public gardens
Besides the regular parks a number of gardens open to the general public serve as important green spaces in central Copenhagen. These include- The Library Garden. The garden of the Royal Library on SlotsholmenSlotsholmenSlotsholmen is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. Bishop Absalon constructed the city's first castle on the island in 1166-67 at the site where Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament lies today...
located between the library and Christiansborg PalaceChristiansborg PalaceChristiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
. - The Glyptoteque Garden. The small garden behind the Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekNy Carlsberg GlyptotekThe Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
. - Grønnegården, the inner courtyard of the Museum of Art & Design
- The Carlsberg Academy Garden, Carlsberg DistrictCarlsberg (district)Carlsberg is an area straddling the border of Valby and Vesterbro districts in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers an area of 33 hectares and is the former industrial site of the Carlsberg Breweries, which decommissioned their Valby brewery at the end of 2008, concentrating their production of...
, one of two historuc gardens at the former brewery site. Now open to the public during daytime.
Cemeteries
Characteristic of Copenhagen is that a number of cemeteriesCemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
double as parks, though only for the more quiet activities such as sunbathing, reading and meditation. Assistens Cemetery, the burial place of Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
among others, is an important green space for the district of Inner Nørrebro
Nørrebro
Nørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
and a Copenhagen institution. The lesser known Vestre Kirkegård is with its 54 hectares the largest cemetery in Denmark and offers a maze of dense groves, open lawns, winding paths, hedges, overgrown tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s, monuments, tree-lined avenues, lakes and other garden feature
Garden feature
Garden features are physical elements, both natural and manmade, used in garden design.*Avenue*Cascade*Belvedere*Deck*Duck Island, Duck house, or Duck Canopy*Duck pond*Feengrotten*Folly*Fountain*Gazebo*Grotto*Hedge*Herbaceous border*Lawn...
s.
Greenways
Copenhagen Municipality is developing a system of interconnected green bicycle routes, greenwaysGreenway
-People:* Barney Greenway , British death metal vocalist* Brian Greenway , Canadian guitarist and vocalist* Chad Greenway , American football player* Francis Greenway , Australian architect...
, with the aim to facilitate fast, safe and pleasant bicycle transport from one end of the city to the other. The network will cover more than 100 km and consist of 22 routes when finished.
Semi-natural areas
Some open spaces in the outskirts of Copenhagen have a more informal and semi-natural character, having originally been countryside areas protected against surrounding urbanisation. They include:- Kalvebod CommonKalvebod FælledKalvebod Fælled , also known as Vestamager , takes up roughly one fourth of the island of Amager near Copenhagen, Denmark....
is a 2000 hectares protected area right next to the new business district of ØrestadØrestadØrestad is a developing city area in Copenhagen, Denmark, on the island of Amager. It is expected that 20,000 people will live in Ørestad, 20,000 will study, and 80,000 people will be employed in the area...
. Nature type slightly maintained parkland featuring a range of nature types, from young forests to tidal marshTidal marshA tidal marsh is a type of marsh that is found along coasts and estuaries of which the flooding characteristics are determined by the tidal movement of the adjacent estuary, sea or ocean . According to the salinity of the flooding water, freshwater, brackish and saline tidal marshes are...
es; some areas are prevented from developing into forests by grazing livestock and game.
- Utterslev Mose is a 221 hectares area in the northwestern part of Copenhagen. Three lakes with extensice reed bedsPhragmitesPhragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
cover a total of 91 hectares and are surrounded by parkland.
- Deer Garden Forest ParkJægersborg DyrehaveDyrehaven , officially Jægersborg Dyrehave, is a forest park north of Copenhagen. It covers around 11 square kilometres...
is a 110 hectares nature area north of Copenhagen. The area is noted for its mixture of huge, ancient oak trees and large populations of redRed DeerThe red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
and fallow deerFallow DeerThe Fallow Deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. This common species is native to western Eurasia, but has been introduced widely elsewhere. It often includes the rarer Persian Fallow Deer as a subspecies , while others treat it as an entirely different species The Fallow...
.
- Vestskoven is a 130 hectares forested area located west of Copenhagen mainly in Albertslund Municipality.
- Hareskoven is a 485 hectares forested area to the northwest of Copenhagen situated in FuresøFuresø municipalityFuresø Kommune is a municipality in Denmark. It has a population of 37,667 and an area of 55.68 km² . The municipality belongs to the Copenhagen Capital Region and lies 20 km northwest of Copenhagen. Its mayor is Ole Bondo Christensen, a member of the Social Democrats political party...
and Gladsaxe Municipalities.