Mastekranen — Attraction in Copenhagen Municipality

If you interested in naval history Holmen is worth a visit. During the summer you can go onboard some of the old military vessels like the fregat Peder Schram or the torpedo boat Willemoes class from 11 am to 5 pm.

Mastekranen (English: The Masting Crane) is an 18th-century masting sheer and present landmark on Holmen in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was designed by architect Philip de Lange and built in 1748–51 as part of the Royal Naval Shipyard at Holmen. Under the reign of Frederick III, Holmen was established through a series of land reclamations to replace the naval base and shipyard at Bremerholm. The first ship to be set to sea from Nyholm was Dannebroge in 1692 and in the following years the construction of all major vessels gradually moved there. The facilities at Holmen were constantly expanded over the next centuries. Earlier the building of sailing ships had not required sheers to erect their mast, as it could be lifted into place by ropes and allowed to pivot around its foot. As ships became larger, it was no longer possible to mount their masts, taller and heavier, in this fashion. A crane was needed, tall enough to lift the entire mast vertically and then lower it into the ship. It was as a consequence of this development that the Masting Crane on Nyholm was erected in 1748–51. In the late 19th century, the increasing size and capacity of general harbour cranes began to overlap with the lofty but lightweight masting sheers and so their specialisation was no longer required. In 1918 all shipyard activities at Nyholm were discontinued and moved to...

One of the best sights of the area. You have to ask the ticket office and they will bring a guide to unlock the gates and bring you up the crane. After some stairs you are treated to some of the best aerial views of Copenhagen. And the best part is no one else to trouble you. The guide was an ex danish navy serviceman and we had a really good chat. He was friendly...

La Mastekranen, la grande gru che serviva ad impiantare e sostituire gli alberi dei bastimenti di una volta, è sicuramente uno delle visioni tipiche della città di Copenaghen e certamente anche uno dei suoi simboli. Completamente in legno, e si sente dagli scricchiolii, è rivestita in mattoni solo a scopo di protezione dagli elementi. Presso di essa sono anche alcune navi da guerra non più in servizio e visitabili. L'ho potuta ammirare solo dall'altro lato del canale ma in una prossima visita mi...