Copenhagen

Can you picture a place where tall, skinny houses painted in bright yellow, blue, and red stand right next to the water. The gentle sound of bells from bicycles ding-dongs in the air as happy people pedal by. Boats bob up and down in the canals, and the air smells fresh and salty from the sea. This wonderful place is me. I am a city full of stories and smiles. I am Copenhagen, and I want to tell you my story.

I wasn't always a big, busy city. A very long time ago, I was just a small Viking fishing village named Havn. Fishermen would sail their boats from my shores to find fish in the sea. But around the year 1167, a kind bishop named Absalon decided I needed protection. He built a strong castle to keep me safe from pirates. People felt safe here, and soon, more and more merchants came with their ships to trade. My little village grew and grew. I became so busy with ships and traders that people started calling me København, which means 'merchants' harbor'. Later, in the early 1600s, a wonderful king named Christian IV added even more beauty to my streets. He built grand castles with pointy towers and even a special round tower with a winding ramp inside, so people could ride horses all the way to the top to look at the stars.

As I grew older, I became a home for magical stories. In the 1800s, a famous writer named Hans Christian Andersen lived here. He would walk my cobblestone streets and dream up wonderful fairytales about princesses, mermaids, and brave tin soldiers. His stories became so famous that the world fell in love with them. To honor his stories, a beautiful statue of The Little Mermaid was made. She came to sit on a rock in my harbor on August 23rd, 1913, and she still looks out at the water today, dreaming. Another magical place was born here, too. On August 15th, 1843, the amazing Tivoli Gardens opened. It’s a wonderful amusement park filled with sparkling lights, exciting rides, and flower gardens where families have come to laugh and play for a very, very long time.

Today, my life is full of happiness and adventure. My streets are filled with more bicycles than cars, and people say I am one of the happiest cities in the world. I even have a giant bridge that stretches across the sea like a big, friendly arm. It's called the Öresund Bridge, and it opened on July 1st, 2000, connecting me all the way to my neighbor, Sweden. I love being a city where old castles from long ago stand near amazing modern bridges. I am a place where fairytales and real-life adventures live side-by-side, and I hope you will come visit me someday to create your own happy story.