Niels Juel statue

That’s Niels Juel standing in front of you. In statue form, silly! A Danish admiral from the 17th century, he has permanently marked Denmark’s history after winning many battles to defend his country. Notably, the Nothern Wars from 1658 to 1660, then the Scanian War from 1675 to 1679. His undeniable talent and brilliant decision-making was of great help against the Swedish, who they were in war against for a long time. Over time, he improved and enlarged the Royal Danish Navy, becoming one of the most important in Europe. Installed right next to the church where he was buried, on your left, this bronze statue was sculpted by Theobald Stein and inaugurated in 1881. His exploits are known to all of Europe, so this was a way to honour him and his victory from the Battle of Køge Bay, considered Denmark’s greatest victory in naval history. If we pay attention to this sculpture, we see Juel in front of a mortar cannon, raising his command rod as an indication for the battle to commence. All decorations on his pedestal remind us of his ship. Enough for the statue! Now on to the more modern building behind, the National Bank of Denmark. Built in the early 60s, it’s quite different from the building opposite that’s behind you. This one, constructed in 1798, used to belong to a wealthy merchant who gave this property his own name, Pierre Peschier. It used to be part of the Danish Bank. Come on now, let’s get to our next stop!