Christianshavn (lit. '[King] Christian's Harbour') is a neighbourhood inCopenhagen,Denmark. Part of theIndre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands ofZealand andAmager and separated from the rest of the city centre by theInner Harbour. It was founded in the early 17th century byChristian IV as part of his extension of thefortifications of Copenhagen. Originally, it was laid out as an independent privileged merchant's town with inspiration fromDutch cities but it was soon incorporated into Copenhagen proper. Dominated by canals, it is the part of Copenhagen with the most nautical atmosphere.
For much of the 20th century a working-class neighbourhood, Christianshavn developed a bohemian reputation in the 1970s and it is now a fashionable, diverse and lively part of the city with its own distinctive personality.[1] Businessmen, students, artists, hippies and traditional families with children live side by side.
Administratively, Christianshavn has been part of Indre By since 2007, but it still has its own local council.[citation needed]
Christianshavn covers an area of 3.43 km2, and includes three minor islands to the north, jointly referred to asHolmen. It has a population of 10,140 and a population density of 2,960 per km2.
To the south and east Christianshavn is defined by its old ramparts. To the west Christianshavn borders on the Inner Harbour that separates it fromSlotsholmen and the rest of Copenhagen'scity centre.
In 1612, Christian IV initiated an ambitious programme to fortify Copenhagen. During the period 1618–1623, he erected earthen embarkments with fivebastions in the marshy area between Copenhagen and the island ofAmager. At the same time the idea was hatched of creating a new merchant town in the area. In 1639 the little merchant and fortress town of Christianshavn was established. However, competition from Copenhagen soon proved too strong for the little town, and by 1674 it was incorporated into its larger neighbour.
The fortifications were further developed with six more bastions in the 1660s, and seven more bastions between 1682 and 1692. Additional reinforcements occurred between 1779 and 1791, and again in 1810–1813. Even though the fortifications around the Inner City were being dismantled in the late 19th century, Christianshavn's fortifications continued in use into the 20th century. Some areas were opened up in the late 1910s-1920s, and the final areas were made public space in 1961.
The fortifications are a part of the total fortification system around the old part of Copenhagen, and are one of Denmark's best preserved fortifications from the 17th century. Today the area around the fortifications is a park area.
Christianshavn is a lively, primarily residential area. It is quartered by theChristianshavn Canal, running north–south along its length, and Torvegade, the main thoroughfare of Christianshavn, running east–west, connecting Amager Side Copenhagen to the city centre acrossKnippelsbro. Where the canal and the street intersects, at the geographical centre of Christianshavn, lies the squareChristianshavns Torv. Along the eastern shoreline of the island runs Christianshavns Vold which now serves as the principal greenspace of the neighbourhood.
The Lower City Side of Christianshavn, also known as Christiansbro, is the most affluent part of the neighbourhood, with several modern residential developments built on the grounds of the formerBurmeister & Wain / B&W Shipyard. Several headquarters are also found in the area, including most notably the former Danish headquarters ofNordea (now repurposed as Hotel NH Collection Copenhagen) along its entire harbourfront, while its most important historic building isChristian's Church. On the other—Rampar Side—side of the canal, the area is dominated by historic residential buildings and institutions.[2]
Christianshavn's Upper City Side, stretching along Strandgade from Torvegade to the Trangaven Canal, is dominated by old renovatedwarehouses and merchant's houses. A number of large institutions are located in the area, including theMinistry of Foreign Affairs. Cultural institutions includeDanish Architecture Centre and theNorth Atlantic House. On the other side of the canal, Christianshavn's Upper Rampart Side is the densest and most neglected part of the neighbourhood with around half of Christianshavn's 10,000 inhabitants living in that area.[2] It is in this area that the Church of Our Saviour and Christiania are found.
Holmen is characterized by a mixture of old military buildings and new residential developments and is the home of manycreative business likeadvertising agencies andarchitectural practices as well as creative educational institutions likeThe Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture andNational Film School of Denmark.
Freetown Christiania, a partially self-governing neighborhood which has established semi-legal status as an independent community in an area of abandoned military barracks, appears as a "city within the city". It has a considerable population and is a venue for many cultural events as well as the experimental and idiosyncraticArchitecture Without Architects.
Christianshavn metro station is located at Christianshavns Torv at the intersection of Christianshavn Canal and Torvegade. The station serves both theM1 andM2 lines of theCopenhagen Metro.
The901 & 902 lines of theCopenhagen Harbour Buses have a stop at Christianshavn at the end of Knippelsbro.
Christianshavn travel guide from Wikivoyage55°40′25″N12°35′35″E / 55.67361°N 12.59306°E /55.67361; 12.59306
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