Hire Car Copenhagen Tips, Experiences & Comparison

Discover Copenhagen by Hire Car

Copenhagen is one of the most important metropolises in Northern Europe and is not only the capital of Denmark, but also its economic and cultural centre.

In the Middle Ages, Copenhagen translated simply meant merchant’s port.

Today, just over 5.7 million people live here in 88 square kilometres, which is about one-tenth of the total population of the Kingdom of Denmark.

History and present of Copenhagen

Founded in the 12th century, Copenhagen has been the seat of the Danish kings since 1443. In the 18th century, a third of the population initially died from the plague, and fires in 1728 and 1795 almost completely destroyed Copenhagen.

Only after this did the city emerge in its present form, its townscape dominated by the architectural style of the old town from this period.

With industrialisation in the 19th century, the town grew and parks were created from the former fortifications, including the famous Tivoli opposite the main railway station, which is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world.

Sights in Copenhagen

However, Copenhagen’s landmark is the statue of the “Little Mermaid” in the metropolis’s harbor, erected there in 1913 and developed from a character in Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the same name.

At just 125 centimetres tall, she is one of the world’s smallest landmarks.

But the tourist magnet is still Christiansborg Castle, built on the ruins of the old castle in the north of the city.

The neo-baroque building is the seat of the Danish parliament, the Folketing. Also in the immediate vicinity is one of Europe’s longest pedestrian zones with numerous shopping opportunities, as well as the renaissance building of the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, which was built between 1619 and 1640. The sprawling city of Copenhagen, is best explored with a hire car.