Rundetårn (Roundtower)

The second full day of this short city break in Copenhagen. The day showed some promise of sunshine, but it proved illusory. The cloud quickly returned, though no rain today.

Yesterday we had a coffee and a cake in a very nice bakery, we decided we could do no better than repeat the experience today, though we both chose different cakes. Yesterday we had also been to the cafe in the Royal Copenhagen shop. It is an impressive cafe though not very large. Needless to say the coffee and (well yes we did have a cake) is served on Royal Copenhagen porcelain.

Today we also visited the Roundtower. It was built as an astronomical observatory for King Christian IV. The tower was completed in 1642, and the adjacent church was completed in 1657. One of its features is the circular corridor leading to the top in 7.5 circuits, though it may seem longer. There are no steps and it could be ascended on horseback, or horse drawn carriage. In 1902 it was ascended by a motor vehicle for the first time. There have been several bicycle races down the tower.

We did not encounter any horses, cars or bicycles, only children racing each other down the slope. At the top there is an observatory which is open for public viewings by appointment. There is also a viewing deck with extensive views over the city. Though today there was some slight haze so the visibility was slightly restricted.