Gammel Strand is a street and public square

Public Square

Public Square is the central plaza in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It takes up four city blocks; Superior Avenue and Ontario Street cross through it. Cleveland's three tallest buildings, Key Tower, 200 Public Square and the Terminal Tower, face the square...

 in central

Indre By

Indre By , also known as Copenhagen Center or K or Downtown Copenhagen or City, is one of the 15 administrative, statistical, and tax city districts comprising the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark...

 Copenhagen

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. On the south side it borders on the Slotsholmens Canal while the north side is lined by a row of brightly coloured houses from the 18th and 19th century. Across the canal, Thorvaldsens Museum

Thorvaldsens Museum

The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish neoclassicistic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen , who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life . The museum is located on the small island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen next to...

 and Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...

 are seen on the island Slotsholmen

Slotsholmen

Slotsholmen is an island in the harbour of Copenhagen, Denmark, and part of Copenhagen Inner City. Bishop Absalon constructed the city's first castle on the island in 1166-67 at the site where Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament lies today...

.

The art gallery Kunstforeningen

Kunstforeningen

Kunstforeningen , now officially called Gammel Strand after its address, is an exhibition space and non-profit membership organization located at Gammel Strand in Copenhagen, Denmark...

 and the Ministry of Culture

Ministry of Culture of Denmark

The Ministry of Culture of Denmark is a department of the Danish Government, with responsibility for culture, sport and media.-History:...

 are the most notable institutions facing the street.

History

Copenhagen's cradle

Gammel Strand used to be the site of a natural harbour, sheltered by a few small islets later to develop into Slotsholmen. It was around this harbour that Copenhagen was founded as a small fishing and trading settlement in the 11th century. However, archeological finds show that the beach at that time was located considerably further inland. The area was dominated by moist beach meadows and boats were berely pulled up on the beach. Later land reclamation

Land reclamation

Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...

s moved the coastline and a proper harbour developed.

The fish market

Later Gammel Strand became the site of a fish market, known for the women who would sit in the square at all seasons to sell their fish. Also known as Skovserkoner (English: Skovser Women) because they would buy their fish in the small fishing village Skovshoved north of Copenhagen and walk the long way to Gammel Strand to sell them in the market. They were recognized by their characteristic white scarves. In the end space became too scarce and in 1958 a new fish market opened in South Harbour

Kongens Enghave

Kongens Enghave , also known as Sydhavnen , is a district in southern Copenhagen. The area has historically been one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Copenhagen, dissected by major transport corridors and characterized by social problems as well as industry along the harbour-front.Since the turn...

.

Destroyed by fire

Most of the buildings along Gammel Strand was completedly destroyed in the Copenhagen Fire of 1795

Copenhagen Fire of 1795

The Copenhagen Fire of 1795 started Friday the June 5, around 3 p.m. at the Navy’s old base at Gammelholm in the fleets warehouse for coal and barrels...

. It began in a coal and timber storage at Gammelholm

Gammelholm

Gammelholm is a predominantly residential neighbourhood in the city centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is bounded by the Nyhavn canal, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Kanal, Niels Juels Gade and the waterfront along Havnegade...

, and spread to the area around St. Nicolas' Church before moving along Gammel Strand to the area around Gammeltorv

Gammeltorv

Gammeltorv is the oldest square in Copenhagen, Denmark. With adjoining Nytorv it forms a common space along the Strøget pedestrian zone. While the square dates back to the foundation of the city in the 12th century, most of its buildings were constructed after the Great Fire of 1795 in...

 and Nytorv

Nytorv

Nytorv is a public square in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. Together with the adjoining Gammeltorv it forms a common space, today part of the Strøget pedestrian zone...

. In the following years the houses were rebuilt.

Buildings

Most of the houses have been rebuilt and extended with an extra story over the years and exhibit a mulitutde of different styles. In spite of this the overall impression is very harmonic and Gammel Strand is today considered one of the pret delightful urban spaces in Copenhagen.

The oldest house in the street is No. 48. Built in 1750 to the design of Philip de Lange

Philip de Lange

Philip de Lange was a leading Dutch-Danish architect who designed many different types of building in various styles including Dutch Baroque and Rococo.-Early life and family:...

, it survived the fire of 1795 without severe damage. In 1796 it was extended with an extra story. Today it houses the Kunstforeningen art gallery.