PHILOSOPHERS AND PLAYWRIGHTS
One can spend days shopping on Stroeget, but even if you are short on cash, a walk around this cobble-stoned street would leave you rich with the area's history.
Denmark's best-known philosopher, Soeren Kierkegaard, lived on the corner of Stroeget and Nytorv, in a building which today houses a branch of Denmark's biggest bank.
Kierkegaard would have appreciated the irony: he was more interested in ethics than money.
Born in 1813, he helped formulate the philosophy known as existentialism over the course of his short life, which ended at the age of 42.
Existentialism suggests that the individual has sole responsibility for giving meaning to his or her own life, and of living with passion and sincerity, no matter what obstacles stand in the way.
While Kierkegaard peered into the human soul, others gazed toward the heavens from the nearby Round Tower, which is today Europe's oldest functioning observatory.
Stroeget eventually stops on Kongens Nytorv, the King's New Square, whose most prominent feature is the Royal Theatre.
It has played a central role in the artistic life of Denmark for the past 250 years, and many musicians, actors, singers, dancers and playwrights have aspired to perform here. But not all have succeeded.
One notable failure who went on to become a literary superstar is the 19th century Danish author, poet and playwright Hans Christian Andersen.
At the age of just 14, Andersen tried to find work as a singer, dancer and actor at the Royal Theatre, but the authorities refused him, saying he lacked talent.
He later found his real genius as a writer, and is world famous today as the author of fairy tales such as the Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor's New Clothes.
Andersen spent several periods of his life, including his final years, in Nyhavn, a harbor side quarter of Copenhagen, which lies just off Kongens Nytorv.
And here, with one eye toward the nearby theatre, which initially rejected his talents, and the other looking toward the sea and the wider world, he found the kind of inspiration that makes a great writer.
But the Nyhavn that Andersen knew is almost unrecognizable today. At the time, it was a notorious red-light district, home to prostitutes, tattoo artists, and drunken sailors.
Today it is one of Denmark's most exclusive areas. With its 17th century houses, gourmet restaurants and waterside bars, it is a favorite with tourists and city residents alike.
And after a stroll down Stroeget, Nyhavn is a good place to find a cool beer, soak-up the historical surroundings and watch the world sail by.
