Kilometre Zero

In 1907, the metric system was introduced, replacing the old measurements of miles, ells, and feet with kilometers, meters, and centimeters. This new international system also brought significant changes to the Danish roads. Since the late 18th century, the main Danish roads had been equipped with mileposts that indicated the distance to the nearest town.
These mileposts were now replaced by kilometer posts, and a new measurement of all Danish country roads in kilometers was simultaneously carried out. During the survey of the roads, it was decided that the starting point of the measurements would be marked with a special zero-kilometer stone. This stone was to be placed at a central point in the town, such as the market square, near the town hall, the main church, or similar locations. Normally, the measurements ran from town to town.
Officially, the milepost was replaced by the kilometer post in the summer of 1910, but things took time even then, and the measurements were not completed until around 1913 – and the last kilometer stones were not set up until around 1920.
Zero-kilometer stones (or Kilometre Zeros) have been preserved in several towns. In Copenhagen, for example, the stone, a granite column, stands at the Town Hall Square (additionally, there is one in Christianshavn, and near Nørreport and Østerport Station).
The zero-kilometer stones were either actual stones or a plaque or a flat stone embedded in the pavement. In Odense, the zero-kilometer stone was laid down in the paving at Flakhaven. And yes, it still exists – the small inconspicuous granite stone (30 x 30 cm) can be difficult to spot among the other cobblestones. However, it is approximately located between Oceania (the lying statue in the center square) and the beer booth that stands at Flakhaven in the summer. It is from this stone, the zero-kilometer stone at Flakhaven, that the old highway to Copenhagen was measured.