Strøget

What it is, underneath the shops

The street that took cars out of a European city centre in 1962 and proved the idea worked. At 1.1 km it was the longest pedestrian street in Europe then, and Jan Gehl's study of what happened on it went on to shape how Copenhagen treats walking and cycling generally. The shopfronts are the least interesting thing about it.

The two squares it crosses

Gammeltorv has the Caritas Well on it, erected by Christian IV in 1608, and it lost its town hall to fire in 1728 and again in 1795. Nytorv, immediately beside it, carried a permanent execution scaffold from 1627 to 1761, a pillory, and public branding and whipping until 1780, and then the courthouse built between 1803 and 1815. People eat ice cream on both. See the Nytorv page and the fire of 1795.

Walking it

It is flat, it is paved, and it is the spine of any walking day in the centre, which makes it the answer to a lot of practical questions — see how walkable Copenhagen is and getting around. It also costs nothing to walk down, which matters more than it sounds: the costs question.

The self-guided Round Tower murder mystery uses Strøget as part of its route, from Rundetårn by way of Gråbrødretorv and Købmagergade to Vor Frue Kirke, Gammeltorv and Vor Frue Plads. It is fully analogue: no phone needed, just a pen.

Frequently asked questions