Søtorvet 2, Copenhagen
An ornate 19th‑century lakeside residence where French‑inspired façades, poetic café lore and everyday Copenhagen life meet at the city’s watery front door.
Søtorvet 2 forms part of Copenhagen’s grand 19th‑century lakefront ensemble, an ornate residential block that anchors the inner‑city end of Queen Louise Bridge. Raised between 1873 and 1876 in a French‑inspired neo‑Renaissance style, the building once housed the celebrated Café de la Reine, a lively haunt for writers and musicians. Today its turrets, bay windows and lake views make it a characterful urban backdrop, blending everyday life with layers of cultural and architectural history.
A brief summary to Søtorvet 2
- Søtorvet 2, Copenhagen Municipality, København K, 1371, DK
- Duration: 0.5 to 1 hours
- Free
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Outdoor
- Mobile reception: 5 out of 5
Local tips
- Visit around golden hour to see the ornate façade of Søtorvet 2 glow in low sunlight and reflect in the lake, ideal for photography.
- Walk a short stretch along the Lakes on either side of the building to appreciate how Søtorvet 2 fits into the symmetrical ensemble framing Queen Louise Bridge.
- Bring a light jacket: the open lakeside position can feel cooler and breezier than nearby streets, especially outside summer.
- Look up at the roofline and corner turrets from across the water to fully appreciate the French‑inspired neo‑Renaissance detailing.
- If you enjoy urban history, read in advance about Café de la Reine and its poet gatherings to add context as you stand by the ground‑floor windows.
For the on-the-go comforts that matter to you
- Restrooms
- Drink Options
- Drinking Water
- Food Options
- Seating Areas
- Sheltered Areas
- Trash Bins
- Information Boards
Getting There
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Metro and walk
From Nørreport Station, take the M1, M2, M3 or M4 metro lines to Nørreport if you are not already there, then walk about 10–15 minutes along Frederiksborggade toward the Lakes until you reach the Søtorvet buildings. Metro trains run frequently throughout the day, and a standard single city ticket typically costs around 20–30 DKK depending on your starting zone. The walk is flat, busy but well lit, and suitable for most visitors.
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City bus
Several city bus routes run along Nørre Voldgade and Frederiksborggade between central Copenhagen and Nørrebro, stopping close to Queen Louise Bridge. From the central area, the ride usually takes 10–20 minutes, depending on traffic, plus a short walk of a few minutes to Søtorvet 2. A single bus ticket within the city generally costs about 20–30 DKK. Buses are frequent during the day and early evening, with reduced service late at night.
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Bicycle
Cycling is one of the most convenient ways to reach Søtorvet 2 from inner Copenhagen or Nørrebro, typically taking 10–20 minutes from most central districts. Well‑marked cycle lanes lead over Queen Louise Bridge, which is heavily used by local cyclists. You can use public bike‑share systems or rental shops; expect to pay roughly 75–150 DKK for a day’s rental depending on the provider. The route is flat but can feel busy at peak commuting times.
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Taxi or ride‑hail
A taxi ride from central Copenhagen locations such as the City Hall area to Søtorvet 2 usually takes 10–15 minutes outside rush hour. Fares typically range between 120 and 200 DKK, varying with traffic and time of day. Taxis can drop passengers near the intersection by Queen Louise Bridge, from where it is a short, level walk to the building. At peak commuter times, allow extra time for congestion around the inner lakes.
Søtorvet 2 location weather suitability
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Any Weather
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Clear Skies
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Mild Temperatures
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Cold Weather
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Rain / Wet Weather
Discover more about Søtorvet 2
A lakefront gate into historic Copenhagen
Søtorvet 2 stands at one of Copenhagen’s most atmospheric thresholds, where the dense streets of the inner city open onto the still waters of the Lakes. The building is part of the Søtorvet complex, a symmetrical quartet of blocks framing the city end of Queen Louise Bridge. From here you look both ways at once: inward to towers and spires, outward to broad water, runners and cyclists tracing the shore. The address may appear modest, but the setting is anything but. Ornate façades, pointed turrets and busy café terraces combine to create a sense of a small urban stage facing the lake. At ground level trams have long since given way to bikes and buses, yet the rhythm of people crossing the bridge and pausing by the railings still gives Søtorvet 2 a constant, low‑key energy.From demolished ramparts to bourgeois showpiece
Until the mid‑19th century this was defensive terrain, occupied by Copenhagen’s northern fortifications and moat. When the ramparts were removed and the area opened for development, a group of prominent citizens saw the chance to create a prestigious new quarter with views across the water. Between 1873 and 1876 the Søtorvet buildings rose on newly available land, symbolising the city’s shift from fortified stronghold to confident modern capital. Søtorvet 2 was conceived as part of a carefully choreographed composition flanking what would later become Queen Louise Bridge. The idea was not merely to provide spacious apartments, but to announce arrival in the inner city with architecture that felt urbane and international. In this way the building helped recast a military edge as a cultural and residential front door.French inspiration in brick and stone
Architecturally, Søtorvet 2 wears its ambitions openly. The complex was designed in a French‑inflected neo‑Renaissance style, with mansard roofs, decorative dormers and playful corner turrets. The façade toward the lakes is richly articulated with bays, pilasters and balconies that catch the changing light off the water. Look up and you will see how the roofline rises and falls in a theatrical silhouette, echoing Parisian boulevard architecture of the period. Yet the materials are firmly Nordic: brick, stone detailing and steep roofs built for northern weather. This blend of continental form and local substance gives the building its distinctive character—at once cosmopolitan and rooted in Copenhagen’s own building traditions.A café where poets sang through the rain
Around 1900 the ground floor of Søtorvet 2 became home to Café de la Reine, a lakeside establishment with a covered pavement terrace. Its canopy allowed guests to linger outdoors while showers passed across the water, earning it the playful nickname “Café let it rain.” The sight of people sitting under shelter, watching the reflections ripple on wet cobblestones, added a romantic note to the square. In the 1930s the café evolved into a gathering place for poets and musicians. Verses were declaimed from tabletops, accompanied by piano, as smoky evenings blurred into night. When the occupation of Denmark began in 1940, this chapter drew to a close, but the stories of those bohemian years still cling to the ground floor frontage and its generous windows onto the lake.Everyday life behind grand façades
Behind its elaborate exterior, Søtorvet 2 has always been a residential address. Large, high‑ceilinged apartments were created for the city’s prosperous middle class, including actors and professionals attracted by the light and the lake views. Over time, interior layouts and finishes have shifted with changing tastes, yet the building’s role as a lived‑in city home has remained constant. From the street, details hint at this domestic life: bicycles leaned against railings, soft light in upper‑floor windows, the faint sound of music drifting out when windows are ajar on mild evenings. The result is a building that feels both stately and intimate—part architectural landmark, part everyday backdrop to commutes, dog walks and conversations on the bridge.Pausing to read the city from the lakeside
For visitors, Søtorvet 2 offers less a checklist of sights than a chance to read Copenhagen’s history in one compact scene. You can trace the line from vanished ramparts to modern promenades, from bourgeois splendour to creative café culture, from defensive edge to social meeting place. The lake mirrors the façade by day and the glow of streetlights by night, tying architecture and water into a single composition. Take a moment to notice how the building anchors perspectives: trams and traffic replaced by continuous streams of cyclists, joggers skimming past the railings, the gentle chop of wind‑ruffled water beyond. Standing before Søtorvet 2, you are looking at a fragment of the city that has reinvented itself more than once, yet still wears its 19th‑century elegance with quiet confidence.Iconic landmarks you can’t miss
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Essential places to dine
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The Olive Kitchen & Bar
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Markets, malls and hidden boutiques
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PRAG Nørrebro
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Exotic Mix
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Fjällräven
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Souvenir Gifts shop
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Essential bars & hidden hideouts
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For the vibe & atmosphere seeker
- Scenic
- Unique
- Casual
- Romantic
For the design and aesthetic lover
- Vintage Styles
For the architecture buff
- Historic
- Landmarks
- Viewpoints
- Heritage Neighborhoods
For the view chaser and sunset hunter
- Iconic Views
- Waterfront
- Sunset Spots
- Panoramas
For the social media creator & influencer
- Photo Spots
- Architectural Shots
- Instagrammable
For the eco-conscious traveler
- Public-Transport Accessible
- Low Impact
For the kind of experience you’re after
- Cultural Heritage
- Photowalk
- Adventure Photo Shoot
- Day Trip
- Roadtrip Stop
For how adventurous you want the journey to be
- Easy Access
Location Audience
- Family Friendly
- Senior Friendly
- Child Friendly
- Teen Friendly
- Solo Friendly
- Couple Friendly
- Solo Female Friendly
- Business Friendly
- LGBT Friendly
