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In Copenhagen’s Christianshavn neighborhood sits — or perhaps stands proudly — the Church of our Saviour (Vor Freslers Kirke). The church is beautiful inside and out: its impressive Dutch Baroque design is adorned with gold accents and inside visitors and worshippers will find a beautifully detailed altarpiece and an organ with more than 4,000 pipes. Inside also features 40 carved elephants, which are subtle nods to the absolute monarchy and the Order of the Elephant, Denmark’s most prestigious decoration. If visitors feel up to the tusk, they try to find all 40 elephants!
The church is known citywide for chiming in (literally!) with its delicate melodies of daily bell concerts. Its historic organ still rings with the same bold sound it carried centuries ago, faithfully preserved. Vienna may be known as the “City of Music,” but the Church of our Saviour makes Copenhagen a musical city of note, too. Though Vienna holds that title, Copenhagen is known as the “City of Spires,” and the Church of our Savior certainly helped to in-spire this nickname!
: Perhaps the most iconic feature of the Church of our Saviour is its 86 meter (282 feet) tall spire adorned with its famous external staircase that wraps around the outside. The staircase is open to all, and in fact, more than 200,000 people make the climb every year, met with a sweeping, panoramic view of Copenhagen. A great way to uplift spirits!
According to a long-standing urban legend, upon realizing that the spiral turns anticlockwise rather than clockwise, the architect met his demise by jumping from the top of the spire. Luckily this is just a (very) tall tale! The spire does play a role in a different story, though: Jules Verne’s film A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), in which the character Axel is forced to climb the spire for five days to cure his fear of heights before a descent into a volcano.
Between its scenic spire, special decorations, and the sound of daily bells, it’s easy to see how this spiraling landmark earned its place in the city’s storybook skyline.
