Copenhagen

Hello. Can you see my pretty houses standing in a line. They are painted red, blue, and yellow, just like a rainbow next to the water. Little boats bob up and down, saying hello to the waves. Ding-ding. Do you hear that sound. It is the happy bell of a bicycle going by. Lots and lots of bicycles live here with me. People ride them everywhere, and their bells sound like little songs. I am a place full of happy sounds and bright colors. I am Copenhagen, the happy capital of Denmark.

My story begins a long, long time ago. Before I had tall towers, I was a small fishing village. People sailed in their boats and caught fish in the water. Then, a kind man named Bishop Absalon came. In the year 1167, he built a strong castle to keep everyone safe from harm. It was like a big, stone hug for the whole village. Many years later, I became a very important city, the capital. A king named Christian IV built beautiful castles and tall, twisty towers that reach for the sky. You can still climb them today and see me from way up high.

Now, I am a city of bikes and fairy tales. Vroom. Whoosh. Bicycles zip all around my streets like busy bees buzzing in a garden. They are my favorite thing to see. I also have a very special friend who lives by the water. She is The Little Mermaid. She is a beautiful statue who has been sitting on her rock and watching the ships sail by since August 23rd, 1913. A wonderful storyteller named Hans Christian Andersen imagined her in a fairy tale, and now she is here with me forever, dreaming of the sea.

I am a city where real life and fairy tales live side-by-side. I love it when friends like you come to visit me. You can explore my big castles and wave hello to my mermaid. I will always be here, a place full of color, fun stories, and happy adventures waiting for you. Come and say hello.