Højbro Plads

A historic square at the heart of old Copenhagen

Højbro Plads sits right in Copenhagen’s historic centre, a broad, open rectangle that feels almost theatrical after the surrounding maze of narrow medieval streets. The square takes its name from Højbro, the “High Bridge” that connects this side of the canal with Slotsholmen, the island crowned by Christiansborg Palace. Stand here and you are effectively on a hinge between royal power, commercial streets and the city’s waterways. The square itself is relatively young by Copenhagen standards. It was formally laid out after the catastrophic city fire of 1795, when a swathe of densely packed timber houses between today’s Strøget and the canal was destroyed. City architect Jørgen Henrich Rawert used the disaster as an opportunity to create a wide firebreak that would slow any future blaze while also bringing light, air and open space into the centre.

Bishop Absalon and the city’s watery origins

At the centre of Højbro Plads rises its defining landmark: the equestrian statue of Bishop Absalon, the warrior-cleric credited with founding Copenhagen in the 12th century. Cast in bronze and inaugurated in the early 1900s, it shows Absalon armoured and resolute, a reminder that this began as a fortified outpost guarding the Øresund. Look closely at the statue’s base and you will spot sculpted shoals of herring. These little fish once meant big business: medieval exports of salted herring transformed a modest fishing settlement into a prosperous trading town. That wealth justified the construction of Absalon’s fortress on nearby Slotsholmen and ultimately set Copenhagen on the path to becoming Denmark’s capital.

Neoclassical facades and quieter architectural details

Most of the buildings around Højbro Plads date from the turn of the 19th century, when the fire-scarred area was rebuilt in a neoclassical style. Their calm, pale facades, regular rows of windows and modest ornamentation create a unified, almost stage-set quality around the square. If you take a moment away from the bustle and look up, you can see typical details from the period: windows framed by shallow pilasters, triangular pediments, friezes with Greek key patterns and subtly recessed joints in the plaster. Some corners sport small turrets or decorative gables added later, hinting at changing tastes but still respecting the overall rhythm of the square.

Everyday life, markets and seasonal colour

Today Højbro Plads functions as one of the city’s outdoor living rooms. Its broad paving stones accommodate everything from flower stalls and buskers to small art stands and ad‑hoc performances. Office workers cut across the square on their way to meetings, cyclists weave past, and shoppers spill out from Strøget with bags and takeaway coffees. In the run‑up to Christmas, the square often transforms into a festive market with wooden stalls, lights and the scent of roasted almonds drifting through the chill air. At other times of year it may host smaller events or simply serve as a generous pause between the denser streets around it, a place to linger on a bench and watch the city move.

Canal edges and views to Copenhagen’s landmarks

Walk toward the canal side of Højbro Plads and the space opens again, this time onto water. From here you gain rewarding views along the Slotsholmen Canal, with its stone embankments, moored boats and distinctive copper-green rooftops in the distance. The profile of Christiansborg Palace rises just across the water, underlining how close you are to Denmark’s political centre. Turn back to the square and you see how Højbro Plads stitches together different layers of Copenhagen: medieval street patterns, post‑fire neoclassical planning, royal and parliamentary institutions, and a contemporary city that uses its public spaces intensely. It is not a monumental attraction in itself so much as a finely balanced urban room where the city’s history and daily life quietly intersect.