Twelve colossal marble apostles line the nave of Copenhagen's cathedral, leading the eye toward Bertel Thorvaldsen's serene Christ figure above the altar - a sculptural programme so dominant that the building is sometimes described as more Thorvaldsen's church than the architect's. The site on Norregade has carried a church since the late 1100s, when Bishop Absalon's successors raised a chalk-stone Church of Our Lady that was completed around 1209. Fire and war treated its successors brutally: the medieval church burned repeatedly, and in September 1807 British shells aimed at its tall spire during the bombardment of Copenhagen set the whole building ablaze beyond repair. The church that stands today is the neoclassical masterwork of C.F. Hansen, Denmark's leading architect of the age. King Frederik VI laid the foundation stone in 1817, and the finished building was consecrated on Whitsunday, 7 June 1829. Hansen modelled the exterior on Greek and Roman temple fronts, with a severe pillared portico facing the street; the square tower with its low pitched roof and gilded cross was a concession to public opinion, since antique temples had no towers but Copenhageners expected one. Inside, a coffered barrel vault runs the length of a calm, monumental hall roughly 86 metres long, seating just under 1,200 people. Thorvaldsen worked on the interior decoration from 1820 to 1840, carving the Christ, the apostles (with St Paul standing in for Judas) and the kneeling-angel baptismal font, which he made entirely with his own hands and donated to the church. The Golden Age of Danish culture flowed through the building: composer C.F.E. Weyse served as organist, Soren Kierkegaard attended Friday communion here, and the funerals of both Thorvaldsen and Hans Christian Andersen were held in the church. It became Copenhagen's cathedral in 1924, when the diocese of Zealand was divided, and has hosted royal occasions ever since - including the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson in 2004. The cathedral remains a working parish and diocesan church with daily services, and the Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir (Kobenhavns Drengekor) has sung here since the 1950s. Entry is free outside services, and the quiet, austere interior offers one of the city's best escapes from the shopping streets a block away.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Norregade 8, Copenhagen, Denmark, 1165

Website: https://www.domkirken.dk

Capacity: 1184

Opening Date: 07/06/1829