The Round Tower

The Round Tower was finished in 1642 for Christian IV as an observatory for the university, and its oddity is the way up: a brick spiral ramp winding seven and a half turns around a hollow core, wide and gentle enough that a horse and cart could be driven to the top, with only a short flight of steps at the very end. Halfway up, the old university library hall now takes exhibitions and concerts. The platform gives a close view over the old roofs and spires of the centre. The observatory above is still in use and opens to the public on winter evenings.

What you actually see

• The spiral ramp - the brick helix that climbs the tower without stairs.
• The observatory - the working dome, open to visitors on winter evenings.
• The library hall - the old university book hall, now an exhibition space.
• The roof platform - the view over the spires and tiled roofs of the old city.

When to go

Year-round. Winter evenings are the only time the telescope is open to visitors, which is the reason to come in the cold months. Summer afternoons bring queues that back up onto the street. Early opening is the quiet hour, and clear weather matters for both the platform and the dome.

Honest expectations

It is a short visit, twenty minutes if you do not stop, and the ramp is longer than it looks at 209 metres of gentle climb. The platform is small and hemmed by a railing and netting, which frustrates photographers. Entry is charged for what amounts to a view. In rain it is simply a wet stone platform.

Nearby

Kobmagergade shopping street runs past the foot; the cathedral and the university quarter are around the corner.