thumb|300px|Strøget, Amagertorv

right|thumb|300px|Strøget seen from [[Gammeltorv/Nytorv ]]

thumb|300px|Aerial view of the street looking West

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&nbsp;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." No. See talk page. -->

Geography

The main street is bound on the west by City Hall Square (), 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
  • Østergade

History

Strøget was known as Ruten until the late 19th century. This collection of streets has been at the heart of the city, and amongst the most fashionable in the city for much of its history. The layout of the streets comprising Strøget has been in place since 1728 when Frederiksberggade was laid out after a fire. Inspired by a number of new pedestrian streets created in Germany after the war, during the 1950s the street had closed to traffic for some of days at Christmas. The 1962 closure was initially a temporary trial, but the change was made permanent in 1964, and the road has remained closed since. The idea was controversial, some people believing that the Danes did not have the mentality for "public life" envisioned by such a street, and many local merchants believed the move would scare away business. and the area soon boasted more shoppers, cafes, and a renewed street life. Building on Strøget's success, the network expanded piecemeal – another street and a few more squares were emptied of cars in 1968, and further closures took place in 1973, and 1992. In 1993 Amagertorv (Amager square) was re-surfaced in a pattern made of granite, designed by artist Bjørn Nørgaard. Nearby areas were also pedestrianised over the years, for example Nyhavn in 1980 and the town hall square (semi-pedestrianised) in 1996 on the occasion of Copenhagen being the European Capital of Culture (the through road was removed although bus traffic remained, and the square is still bounded by traffic). Gehl and Copenhagen's policies have later become influential around the world, encouraging cities such as Melbourne and New York to pedestrianise.

Today

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&nbsp;km. More recently, George Street in Sydney, extends to 2&nbsp;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.

Transport

Many bus lines have stops close to the Strøget area, and at Kongens Nytorv is a Metro station. Also the S-train stations Vesterport and Nørreport are located nearby. (Nørreport is located very close to a pedestrian commercial street which leads to the "real" Strøget). Two metro stations opened on 29 September 2019 at City Hall Square and Gammel Strand. The latter one is located close to the middle of Strøget.

See also

  • Galleri K
  • Tourism in Denmark
  • Copenhagenization (bicycling)
  • Østergade 13, Copenhagen

References

Further reading