Copenhagen City Map Poster

About Copenhagen

Copenhagen's name reflects its origin as a harbour and a place of commerce. The original designation, from which the contemporary Danish name derives, was Køpmannæhafn, meaning "merchants' harbour". The natural conditions that have shaped Copenhagen are plentiful and well documented. Beginning in the first millennium CE there were settlements on the island of Zealand but not necessarily where Copenhagen is located today (the exact area has not been established). Archaeological excavations suggest that you find traces of human activity everywhere on Zealand between 9600 BCE and 5200 BCE such as at Vedbæk on Amager Island where one finds traces from both Stone Age hunter-gatherers 8700–6200 BC) to Bronze Age farmers c 1800–500 BC). During this period some settlers moved inland to found temporary agricultural settlements while others stayed behind near water sources.[5] In ancient times Møns Klint was an important location for trade with Jutland; it also offers evidence of combat during Harald Bluetooth's wars in his unification attempt.