Børsen (Stock Exchange)

Børsen (Stock Exchange) Review

This masterpiece of fantasy and architecture is Europe's oldest stock exchange. Børsen was built between 1619 and 1640, with the majority of the construction in the 1620s. Christian IV commissioned the building in large part because he wanted to make Denmark the economic superpower and crossroads of Europe. Rumor has it that when it was being built he was the one who twisted the dragons' tails on the spire that tops the building. When it was first opened, it was used as a sort of medieval mall, filled with shopping stalls. Though parts of Børsen still operate as a stock exchange, the bulk of the building houses the chamber of commerce, and therefore the interior isn't open to the public. Across the canal, look for a square, modern building: the Nationalbanken (the Danish National Bank), designed by the famed Danish designer and architect Arne Jacobsen, is another key financial building.