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Strøget in Copenhagen

Tuesday, 15 August 2023 - 11:00 am (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: European Union / Europäische Union
Category/Kategorie: General Reading Time:  4 minutes

🔊 Listen to this Post Strøget is a pedestrian, car free shopping area in Copenhagen, Denmark. This popular tourist attraction in the centre of town is one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe at 1.1 km. Located at the centre of the old city of Copenhagen, it has long been one of the most high-profile streets in the city. The pedestrianisation of Strøget in 1962 marked the beginning of a major change in the approach of Copenhagen to urban life; following the success of the initiative the city moved to place a much greater emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle access to the city at the expense of cars. This approach has in turn become internationally influential.

The main street is bound on the west by City Hall Square (Danish: Rådhuspladsen), the central town square by Copenhagen City Hall, and on the east by Kongens Nytorv (“The King’s New Square”), another large square at the other end. But the Strøget area is actually a collection of streets that spread out from this central thoroughfare. Components of the pedestrianised network are: Frederiksberggade, Gammel Torv / Nytorv, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Fiolstræde, Jorcks Passage, Købmagergade (connects to Nørreport Station via Kultorvet), Amagertorv and Østergade.

The street is often credited as the oldest and longest pedestrian street in the world; in fact neither claim is true, although it was the longest pedestrian street at the time of its conversion in 1962. Rue Sainte-Catherine in Bordeaux is longer, while Lijnbaan in Rotterdam was pedestrianised in 1953. And Laisvės Alėja in Kaunas, Lithuania is longer– stretching to 1,6 km.

About 80,000 people use Strøget every day at the height of tourist season in summer, and about 48,000 do so on a winter’s day. On the last Sunday before Christmas as many as 120,000 may use Strøget. Jan Gehl believes that Strøget is now roughly at its handling capacity on a summer’s day, given its width at 10–12 metres and space for roughly 145 people/minute.

Many of the city’s most famous and expensive stores are located along the strip, as well as some of the most famous and expensive luxury brand chain stores in the world. It also features a multitude of souvenir shops and fast food outlets.

The Lonely Planet travel guide noted as of 2014 that although Strøget is “a fun place to stroll,” bustling with musicians and people, it seemed to be stagnating, “offering the same old international brand names” and “a scrappy mix of budget clothing stores, tourist shops and kebab houses.” They advised that visitors should, “walk down it once, but after that you’ll find the side streets far more productive in terms of independent shops and more interesting design.”

Read more on VisitCopenhagen.com – Strøget and Wikipedia Strøget (Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State - Weather report by weather.com - Johns Hopkins University & Medicine - Coronavirus Resource Center - Global Passport Power Rank - Democracy Index - GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank - Global Competitiveness Report - Corruption Perceptions Index - Press Freedom Index - World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index - UN Human Development Index - Global Peace Index - Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index). Photos by Wikimedia Commons. If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at comment@wingsch.net. Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.

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