The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

bite travel Other places to consider visiting is Rosenberg Castle, a renais- sance castle built in 1606-34 that holds the Danish Crown Jew- els and Royal Regalia; The Round Tower, formerly Stellaburgis Hafniens, a 17-century tower that houses an astronomical ob- servatory; Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum containing the personal collection of Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the Carlsberg Breweries; and Christiansborg Palace, a palace and government building located on the islet of Slotsholmen. Copenhagen is known for its love of mermaids. Inspired by Hans Christian Anderson’s famous fairy tale, The Little Mer- maid, Danish brewer Carl Jacobsen commissioned sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture of the character and gave it as a gift to the capital city in August 2013. The four feet tall statue is made of bronze and granite and sits by the shore of the Langelinie cruise harbour in the old port district of Ny- havn, a short walk to the main pier. You can also visit Hans Christian Andersen’s home, a tiny yel- low house on a cobbled street in the centre of Odense, where he was born in 1805. Today, it serves as one of the oldest poet museums in the world and a great place to start a Hans Chris- tian Andersen tour through the town. Take a photo next to the author’s statue in the Fairy Tale Garden, or of the dramatic 12-metre high mural of his face at Bangs Boder. There is even a statue of a mermaid by Jens Galshiøt at the entrance of the Comwell Odense Hotel. Other symbolism of mermaids and mermen can be found in the city such as Marie Carl-Nielsen’s mermaid statue outside the Black Diamond library which dates back to 1921; Suste Bonnen’s sculpture hidden underwater in the Slotsholm Canal that celebrates the Danish fairy tale of Agnete, a woman who left her children behind on land to become the wife of a merman; Han, the merman statue created by Elmgreen and Dragset in polished steel, which sits in Helsingør and has the same pose as the Little Mermaid . For decades, Denmark has been a frontrunner in innovative design and architecture. It started in the 1950s when the post-war period experienced a lack of materials, and therefore durability and high-quality were in demand. From this, ‘design made for living’ was characterised in Denmark by simplicity, functionality, and minimalism. Prominent Danish designers like Georg Jensen, Hans J. Wegner, Finn Juhl, and Arne Jacob- sen made Danish design popular on the international scale. Another art form, although not as popular as in other cities like Berlin, London, or New York or even the innovative de- signs the Danes are renowned for, is street art. Whilst visiting the capital city, you may see some artistic murals covering the entire side of a building which is said to add significant value to the neighbourhood. Most of the street art murals can be found in the districts of Vesterbro and Nørrebro, as well as in Christianhavn and across the city of Copenhagen. For a mix of culture, history, art, iconic designs, bike riding, wonderful cuisine, and hygge, visit Copenhagen when the lockdown is over and the world is safe again. Christianshavn Street Art