Kongens Nytorv

Copenhagen's largest square

Kongens Nytorv – the "King's New Square" – is Copenhagen's largest square and one of its most stately. It sits at the heart of the old town, where the shopping street Strøget arrives from the west and the colourful harbour canal of Nyhavn branches off to the east. That makes the square less a destination in its own right than a hub: almost every walking route through the centre crosses it.

The square is a public space, open around the clock and free to enter. You only pay to enter the individual buildings around it. At its centre lies a neat, oval green area with the equestrian statue of Christian V – a place to sit in summer, and the heart of the Christmas action, complete with ice rink, in winter.

Christian V's grand square

King Christian V had the square laid out and developed as a showpiece in the late 17th century. The plots around it were subject to strict building rules, requiring solid, multi-storey façades so the square would present a dignified face to the city. That's why a continuous row of imposing baroque and neoclassical buildings still lines Kongens Nytorv today.

At its centre stands the equestrian statue of Christian V, known to Copenhageners as Krinsen. It was erected in 1688 and is considered the oldest equestrian statue and the oldest royal sculpture in the city. The original figure was cast in lead; because the soft metal suffered over the centuries, it was later replaced with a bronze cast.

The buildings around the square

The appeal of Kongens Nytorv lies in the ensemble of buildings that line it:

• Kunsthal Charlottenborg – the exhibition hall of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, housed in the baroque Charlottenborg Palace, with changing contemporary art shows. More on the page for Charlottenborg Palace.
• Det Kongelige Teater (the Old Stage, from 1874) – the Royal Theatre, today used mainly for opera and ballet. It regularly runs guided tours (also in English) through the auditorium, backstage area and costume workshop.
• Magasin du Nord – the historic department store on the eastern side of the square (Kgs. Nytorv 13), open daily and reachable directly from the metro station.
• Hotel d'Angleterre – the city's oldest grand hotel. You don't need to be a guest to visit: the Balthazar Champagne Bar, the Marchal Bar and the Michelin-starred restaurant Marchal are all open to the public.
• The French Embassy, housed in a palace on one side of the square (not open for visits).

Kunsthal Charlottenborg is open Tue–Fri 11:00–19:00 and Sat–Sun 11:00–17:00, closed on Mondays; admission is around 90 DKK (students 50 DKK, children free), and free from 17:00 on Wednesdays. For the theatre tours and the department store's exact hours, it's worth checking the relevant official website.

Ice rink and Christmas market in winter

The square is at its most atmospheric in winter. From mid-November to early January, a circular ice rink of around 1,300 square metres is set up around the equestrian statue, framed by Christmas lights and a small market. Skating costs around 70 DKK per hour, including skate hire. Exact seasonal dates change every year, so it's worth checking in advance.

For the rest of the year, Kongens Nytorv is mainly a place to pass through and take in the view: once you've seen the row of façades, the statue and the theatre, you're done in 20 to 40 minutes. Add an exhibition at Charlottenborg or a theatre tour, and you'll stay considerably longer.

Getting there & combining with other sights

Kongens Nytorv metro station is a major interchange: all four lines – M1, M2, M3 and M4 – stop here, making it the only station where you can change between all four (fare zone 1). A direct exit leads into the Magasin du Nord department store.

The square is so central that it fits into almost any walking route. From here it's just a few steps to Nyhavn and its colourful gabled houses, and Strøget runs straight from the square to the town hall square through Indre By, Copenhagen's old town centre. To go deeper into royal Copenhagen, combine Kongens Nytorv with the nearby residential palace of Amalienborg and Rosenborg Castle.

For further trip planning, see the overview of Copenhagen's top attractions and the guide to the Copenhagen Card.