Copenhagen Day Two

Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city in Denmark with a population of more than one million residents. Copenhagen is an old city, founded in the 12th century by Bishop Absalon. His bronze equestrian statue stands in front of Christiansborg Castle, former home of the Danish royal family.

The granite Castle is now the home of the Danish parliament and is used by the royal family for various state functions and events. The Castle is surrounded by canals which are the venue for tourist boat rides and competitive summer swimming events.

Amalienborg Palace is the winter home for the royal family. The four palace buildings, each home to a different member of the royal family, surrounds a square. When a member of the royal family is in residence, the national flag flies atop the building which is guarded by a member of the Royal Guard.

A short walk from Amalienborg Palace and across a narrow body of water is the Copenhagen Opera House. Five of the 14 stories of the opera house are subterranean. It's rooftop could accommodate up to three soccer fields.

Another popular tourist attraction is the 100 year old Little Mermaid statue. She was inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tail about a mermaid who gave up everything to marry her handsome prince only to learn that he was already married. The life sized bronze and granite statue has been vandalized and stolen several times. She is always recovered and restored and continues to draw millions of tourists each year. She is Denmark's most popular tourist attraction.

The bigger than life size statue of her creator is also a popular tourist attraction. With knees of the bronze statue polished golden by touching adoring fans, the statue sits along HC Anderson Boulevard near the Copenhagen City Hall.