Once a no-go area of drugs and prostitution, Vesterbro, the 'red' quarter of Copenhagen, has become one of the city's most vibrant and dynamic attractions . . . 
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Originally built to house factory workers and their families, the Vesterbro quarter of Copenhagen has been famous (or rather infamous) as the city's red-light district since the 1960s and perhaps one of the most notorious urban areas in Europe. Drugs, prostitution and violence were rampant in this part of the city and it was ill-advised to venture here alone, especially at night. Red was always the dominant colour, not only the red of the sex shops lights, or of the last rays of sunshine which accompanied the factory workers heading home in the evening, but also the red of animals' blood as one of Europe's largest slaughterhouses sprawled through the area east of the railway station. Today, however, following the mass 'gentrification' which has taken place in this part of Copenhagen during the past ten years, Vesterbro has undergone a fundamental transformation, becoming the most fashionable quarter of the city in which ever more people choose to live. Under the influx of students, immigrants, media-types and bohemians the area has completely turned around its reputation, becoming associated with great nightlife, bars, cafes, boutiques and art galleries. The Copenhagen Civic Museum, based in Vesterbro, recently undertook an ambitious project in which six young Danish artists were asked to create itineraries in the quarter. The results are the so-called 'audiowalks' which aim to stimulate a new appreciation and awareness of this part of the city. In this project, using a combination of sound and spoken word, the streets of Vesterbro become a kind of open-air extension to the museum itself. Visitors are supplied with an MP3 player and a map with the itineraries marked out. Each of the six audiowalks provides a different approach and different insights, mixing personal memories, thoughts and historical events to bring the history of the streets around you alive. The Danish Tourist Board now promotes the Vesterbro audiowalks as one of the highlights of Copenhagen.
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