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Bus #1, #6, #9, #10, #29 or #650S. For most Copenhageners Strøget ends, rather than begins, at Kongens Nytorv . This is where the shopping spree finishes and the search for a place to sit down and rest the feet starts. In summer, weary shopaholics head for the outdoor seats of the square's high-ceilinged, glass-fronted cafes; in winter, for the cosy dens selling gløgg and aebleskiver (warm mulled wine with nuts, raisins and spices served with round dough balls that are supposed to have slices of apple in them, but never do). At the centre of Kongens Nytorv is an equestrian statue of Christian V, who completed the square by ordering the owners of land bordering it to erect houses of a certain regal standard or sell up, which is why the square is entirely surrounded by pompous-looking buildings from the seventeenth century, such as the swish Hotel d'Angleterre . In more recent times it has become the tradition for newly graduated high-school students to celebrate by dancing around the king's statue in a ring - watch out for cheery, white-clad youngsters in late spring. In winter, the square is transformed into a free open-air ice-skating rink; a stall nearby hires out skates. Turning right as you leave Strøget, you pass the Magasin du Nord - after Illums, the city's most exclusive department store - before reaching Det Kongelige Teater (Royal Theatre; guided tours every Sun Aug-May; 50kr (book in advance on 33 69 69 77)). Hans Christian Andersen supposedly tried his luck here as a ballet dancer while attempting to court the prima ballerina. True to his reputation, he failed miserably - whereupon he wrote yet another fairy tale with a rosy ending. The present theatre is one of the few in the world where ballet, opera and drama are performed under one roof. An extension, Staerekassen , was added in 1931 in Danish Art Deco style, its plain surfaces and clean decoration in sharp contrast to the Italianate "old stage", as the main building is now called. The front of the main entrance is adorned by statues depicting poet Adam Oehlenschlager and playwright Ludvig Holberg, both prominent in eighteenth-century Danish cultural life. Next door to Det Kongelige Teater is Charlottenborg Palace (daily 10am-5pm, Thurs until 7pm), built by an illegitimate son of Frederik III in 1677 and now the oldest building on the square. It was handed over to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in 1754, since when many prominent artists, such as Thorvaldsen, have lived here. It's still home to the Royal Academy, and though there are no specific public displays, it's worth dropping in just to glimpse the palace's elegant interior. The spacious, light rooms of the exhibition hall (20kr) at the back, in a separate building from 1883, provide a perfect setting for eclectic exhibitions of contemporary art, architecture and decorative art.
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