... and not a tourist trap at all! I am a local, and never, ever “quickly hurry away from the area”. Quite the opposite: if I happen to cross the Dam I usually spend more time than just needed to cross it.

The Dam is great architectural space, surrounded by buildings from different periods: you can’t miss the palace of course, but have a good look around for the variety of buildings from other eras as well.

In summer it’s a great place to sit on a terrace (if you can find a place!) and just sit and relax and watch people. In winter there’s usually less clutter, and a better opportunity to experience the space for what it is – until the ice rink is set up, that is. You might want to join the locals (quite a lot of them) on the ice – skates are for hire – or sit in the specially-erected elevated cafe to watch the people on the ice having fun.