Copenhagen
Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, is Denmark’s largest city, with around 650,000 people in the city and around 1.4 million in the greater Copenhagen area. Copenhagen is located on Denmark’s eastern coast and on the largest island, Zealand. Zealand holds around 2.3 million, or close to 40% of Denmark’s total population of around 6 million.
Copenhagen is linked to Sweden’s third largest city, Malmo, by the Øresund Bridge, a 16 km long combined road and rail bridge and tunnel that stretches across the Øresund Strait. Opened to traffic in July 2000, the bridge and tunnel allow a 35-minute train ride between Copenhagen and Malmo. Malmö is much closer to Copenhagen than Sweden’s capital, Stockholm.
Copenhagen has strong climate change ambitions and aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2025, although the city has not fully reached carbon neutrality in 2025 yet; Copenhagen’s climate change actions are well known and respected around the world. Copenhagen has a very strong cycling culture. The cycling lanes in the city are almost as wide as car lanes. It is said that there are more bicycles than cars in Copenhagen city.
Copenhagen is a beautiful city that spans islands and waterfronts, with canals, harbours, lakes, parks, gardens, and green spaces woven into its urban fabric. A visitor in Copenhagen is never far from the water.
Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, is Copenhagen’s historic amusement park, cultural landmark and top iconic tourist attraction. Its design mixes fairy‑tale charm with contemporary creativity, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and vibrant. Walt Disney visited Tivoli Gardens in 1951 and was so deeply inspired that he wanted his park to capture the same charm and warmth he felt in Tivoli Gardens. The Little Mermaid is Copenhagen’s another iconic tourist attraction, named after Danish Hans Christian Andersen’s world-famous fairytale of the same name.
Kastellet Fortress
Kastellet Fortress was a 17th‑century star‑shaped fortress built between 1662 and 1665 as part of Copenhagen’s defensive ring protecting the harbour and city. Its five bastions form a perfect pentagon, a military layout for optimal defensive angles. The moat forms a continuous ring of water around the distinctive star-shaped fortress. Kastellet has 2 entrances: King’s Gate Bridge, the southwest entrance, and Norway Gate Bridge, the northeast entrance.
Today, Kastellet remains an active military area but also serves as a beautifully maintained public park. Parts of Kastellet are used by the Danish Defence, including offices in the historic barracks. Inside its pentagonal ramparts are red barracks, the Citadel Church, a historic windmill, former prison buildings, and tree‑lined paths ideal for walking or jogging.
Kastellet’s atmosphere blends military heritage with peaceful green spaces, offering visitors a vivid sense of Denmark’s past while remaining fully integrated into modern Copenhagen.
Kastellet’s ramparts reach up to around 12 m high as part of the fortress walls, giving visitors good top-down views of Copenhagen Harbour waterfront from the fortress’s eastern bastion. From here, the Little Mermaid statue is literally just about 200m away.
The Walk
From Østerport Subway Station, it is a short 12-minute walk to either of Kastellet’s 2 entrances: King’s Gate Bridge and Norway Gate Bridge.
Once inside Kastellet, walk on the tree-lined walking paths surrounded by grassy embankments along the perimeters of the fortress. Walk to the top of each of the 5 ramparts to the tip of the star and complete the star-shaped loop.
On 2 of the eastern ramparts, visitors will have good top-down views of Copenhagen Harbour waterfront.
The total distance of the complete star-shaped loop is approximately 2.5 km.
Want to discover more great walking locations? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Kastellet Fortress was a 17th‑century star‑shaped fortress built between 1662 and 1665 as part of Copenhagen’s defensive ring protecting the harbour and city. Its five bastions form a perfect pentagon, a military layout for optimal defensive angles.