*Click on the photos to open up their full-sized view.

Højbro Plads (Højbro Square) is a small square in Denmark’s capital city, Copenhagen, located near the tiny island of Slotsholmen; actually, it derives its name from the Højbro Bridge, to which it is adjacent, leading to Slotsholmen from the city center across the Slotsholmen Canal. The Højbro Square is a popular one for tourists, as I found out on my recent trip to Copenhagen; I don’t blame them, either – the area is quite lovely.

In the center of the square, facing the street, is the most memorable landmark, an equestrian statue – Absalon mounted on his horse as he wields an axe from his right hand. While the statue might be memorable, there are actually dozens of similar ones around the city, all of Denmark’s great historical figures oxidized to green mounted on equally-oxidized green horses. Absalon, though, is intended to be regarded above the rest – he is considered to be the founder of Copenhagen.