The Marble Church

Frederiks Church, always called the Marble Church, Marmorkirken, is the domed church at the heart of Frederiksstaden, the elegant eighteenth-century royal district, and its great copper-green dome is one of the landmarks of the Copenhagen skyline. It stands at the end of a grand axis that runs from the church, through the octagonal square of Amalienborg Palace and its equestrian statue, across the harbour to the Opera House on the far side, so a visit to one naturally leads to the other. The church has an unusual history. King Frederik V laid its foundation stone in 1749, as the centrepiece of the new district named after him, to a design by the court architect Nicolai Eigtved, who planned a magnificent marble church. After Eigtved died in 1754, the project slowed under the weight of its cost, and by 1770 it had been abandoned, leaving a half-built ruin that stood for more than a century in the middle of the city. In the 1870s the government sold the ruin and its site to the financier C.F. Tietgen on the condition that he complete a church in the spirit of the original plans. The architect Ferdinand Meldahl took over, and because the budget did not stretch to marble throughout, the upper parts were finished in limestone. The church was finally consecrated in 1894, a hundred and forty-five years after its first stone was laid. Inside, the round church is bright and calm, and the dome soars above you, carried on twelve columns and painted with figures of the apostles. The church is open to visitors every day outside services and is free to enter; opening hours vary through the week, with later starts on Fridays and Sundays. For the best part of the visit, join a guided climb to the dome, which runs at 13:00 every day in summer and at 13:00 at weekends during the rest of the year. The climb takes you up through narrow stairs to a gallery around the outside of the dome, with views across the rooftops of Frederiksstaden to Amalienborg, the harbour, the Opera House and beyond. A modest fee is charged for the dome tour, and places are limited.

Look out for the statues around the outside of the church, which depict figures from the history of the Danish church and great religious thinkers, among them the philosopher Soren Kierkegaard and the hymn writer N.F.S. Grundtvig. They were added when Meldahl completed the building, and they make a walk around the exterior rewarding before you go in. Inside, the frescoes of the dome and the gilded details stand out against the pale stone, and the acoustics make concerts and services here memorable; if you can, catch a choral service or a concert, which are announced on the church's calendar.

How to visit well: time your visit for the 13:00 dome climb, arriving early to secure a place, as numbers are limited and the tour can sell out at busy times. In winter, the dome is open only at weekends, so plan accordingly. The stairs are narrow and steep, so the climb is not suitable for everyone. Afterwards, walk the few steps down Frederiksgade to Amalienborg, ideally just before noon to watch the changing of the guard, and continue to the harbourfront for the view back along the axis to the dome. The church is a working parish church, so respect services and weddings, which take priority over sightseeing.

Frederiksstaden is one of the finest Rococo districts in Europe, and the Marble Church is its crown. Nearby on Bredgade, Designmuseum Danmark occupies the old Royal Frederik's Hospital, and the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Church, with its golden onion domes, is a few doors along. Kastellet and the Little Mermaid are ten minutes' walk to the north, and Nyhavn is ten minutes to the south. Together, the church, the palace and the design museum make one of the best half-day walks in the city.