A second series followed and, before you knew it, the world
had gone crazy for the show, which stormed up the ratings
across 21 countries, even leading to an American re-make.
For the Danish capital, it’s had an unexpected effect:
rather than putting people off, this warts-and-all crime
drama has led to a tourism boom, as fans arrive in record
numbers to see the moody locations. Indeed, last year, the
number of nights spent here by UK visitors alone rose by
50,000 –
an increase of 16% – and themed tours have sprung
up to cater for a growing demand.
As fans get ready for the third series, I’ve come for just
this reason – a whistle-stop trip round the behind-the-scenes
sights. A
Killing
spree, if you will. I meet my guide for the day,
self-proclaimed super-fan Lise-Lotte Frederiksen, from Peter
and Ping walking tours (
peter-og-ping.dk
),
at the kiosk of
Vesterport station. She clearly means business and even has
the trademark Sarah Lund jumper with her – looped over her
arm because it’s too warm a day to wear. “My friend knitted
it for me,” she confesses with a laugh. “You can also order one
fromGudrun & Gudrun, who are halfway between Scotland
and Denmark, in the Faroe Islands, but they are €280.”
She tells me this part of the city, unlike the charming east-
ern harbourside, is a very recent addition to tourists' to-do
lists. Once home to much of the city's agricultural
industry and red-light activities, its journey from no-go
area to must-visit hipster zone has been as insidious as it has
been swift. Then came
The Killing,
filmed largely in this part
of town, which immortalised its unadorned landscape and
shone an interrogating light into its darkest corners.
Our tour begins innocuously enough, in the foyer of the
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, where many of the interior scenes
are filmed. “It’s typical of Danish design,” Frederiksen says.
“
The Swan and Egg chairs are by Arne Jacobsen, and the
lamps shaped like pine cones by Poul Henningsen.”
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