by Xinhua writers Yang Jingzhong, Devapriyo Das
COPENHAGEN, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Some streets are made for walking. Add top name boutiques, a medieval past and historic architecture and you get Stroeget, one of the world's longest and busiest walking streets, in Copenhagen.
Located in the heart of Copenhagen, the Danish capital, Stroeget is a 1,081 meter-long promenade closed to vehicular traffic.
It runs from City Hall, where the capital's official business is carried out, to Kongens Nytorv, a busy public square, winding its way along churches, fountains, open-air book stalls, cafes and luxury stores.
And Stroeget tells many stories to those who care to take a walk along its cobblestones.
The 800-year-old Church of St. Nicholas, for instance, is Copenhagen's third-oldest church, and lies just a few meters off Stroeget.
But it would have lain close to the city's waterfront when it was erected in the 13th century and, unsurprisingly, became a place of worship for sailors, fishermen and traveling merchants.
Expanded and renovated across many centuries, its architecture reflects diverse styles, like the Gothic and Renaissance, depending on the prevailing tendency of the time.
But its role as a place of worship ended with the great fire of Copenhagen, which partly destroyed this building, in 1795.
What remained has since been used as a naval museum, central library and ironically, a fire brigade station. Since the 1960s, it has evolved as a site for contemporary and avant-garde art, craft and sculpture.
A nearby building that still serves its original purpose is the Copenhagen City Court, which was initially built as a city hall, courthouse and jail, all in one.
A neo-classical edifice dating from 1815, its mighty Ionic columns and deeply recessed porches inspire respect in the viewer, whether guilty or innocent.
It stands on a corner of Nytorv, the New Square, which lies on Stroeget, and which was the scene of stern punishments in olden days. From the 1620s to the 1750s, many hangings and beheadings were carried out here in full view of the public.
