Must-see attractions in Copenhagen

  • Tivoli Gardens.

    Tivoli Gardens

    Copenhagen

    Dating from 1843, tasteful Tivoli wins fans with its dreamy whirl of amusement rides, twinkling pavilions, carnival games and open-air stage shows…

  • Detail of unicorn graffiti inside Christiania.

    Christiania

    Copenhagen

    Escape the capitalist crunch and head to Freetown Christiania, a hash-scented commune straddling the eastern side of Christianshavn. Since its…

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    Rosenborg Slot

    Copenhagen

    A 'once upon a time' combo of turrets, gables and moat, the early-17th-century Rosenborg Slot was built in Dutch Renaissance style between 1606 and 1633…

  • Statue inside Statens Museum for Kunst.

    Statens Museum for Kunst

    Copenhagen

    Denmark's National Gallery straddles two contrasting, interconnected buildings: a late-19th-century 'palazzo' and a sharply minimalist extension. The…

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    Nyhavn

    Copenhagen

    There are few nicer places to be on a sunny day than sitting at an outdoor table at a cafe on the quayside of the Nyhavn canal. The canal was built to…

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    Christiansborg Slot

    Copenhagen

    Christiansborg Slot is home to Folketinget (the Danish parliament), the Prime Minister's office and the Supreme Court. Visitor highlights include the…

  • Exterior of Nationalmuseet, Ny Vestergade 10.

    Nationalmuseet

    Copenhagen

    For a crash course in Danish history and culture, spend an afternoon at Denmark's National Museum. It has first claim on virtually every antiquity…

  • Two woman walk a dog in Frederiksberg Garden on a sunny Sunday.

    Frederiksberg Have

    Vesterbro & Frederiksberg

    This is Copenhagen’s most romantic park, with lakes, woodlands and lovely picnic lawns. Guarding the main entrance is 19th-century royal Frederik VI, who…

  • Black Diamond side of Det Kongelige Bibliotek.

    Det Kongelige Bibliotek

    Copenhagen

    Scandinavia's largest library consists of two very distinct parts: the original 19th-century red-brick building and the head-turning 'Black Diamond'…

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    Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

    Copenhagen

    Fin de siècle architecture meets with an eclectic mix of art at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. The collection is divided into two parts: Northern Europe's…

  • Poster on building housing Davids Samling.

    Davids Samling

    Copenhagen

    Davids Samling is a wonderful curiosity of a gallery housing Scandinavia's largest collections of Islamic art, including jewellery, ceramics and silk, and…

  • De Kongelige Repræsentationslokaler entrance with courtyard

    De Kongelige Repræsentationslokaler

    Copenhagen

    The grandest part of Christiansborg, this series of palace rooms and halls was used by the queen to hold royal banquets and entertain heads of state. The…

  • Thorvaldsens Museum interior lower floor

    Thorvaldsens Museum

    Copenhagen

    What looks like a colourful Greco-Roman mausoleum is in fact a museum dedicated to the works of illustrious Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844)…

  • Designmuseum Danmark

    Copenhagen

    The 18th-century Frederiks Hospital is now the outstanding Denmark Design Museum. A must for fans of the applied arts and industrial design, its fairly…

  • Sankt Peders Stræde in the Latin Quarter.

    Latin Quarter

    Copenhagen

    Bordered by Nørre Voldgade to the north, Nørregade to the east, Vestergade to the south and Vester Voldgade to the west, the Latin Quarter gets its…

  • Copenhagen City Hall.

    Rådhus

    Copenhagen

    Completed in 1905, Copenhagen's national Romantic-style city hall is the work of architect Martin Nyrop. Inside is the curious Jens Olsen's World Clock,…

  • Amalienborg Palace in central Copenhagen consists of four mansions, two of which are home to the queen and the crown prince.

    Amalienborg Slot

    Copenhagen

    Home of the current queen, Margrethe II, Amalienborg Slot consists of four austere 18th-century palaces around a large cobbled square. The changing of the…

  • COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - AUGUST 01: Under water glass tunnel in Blue Planet National Aquarium Denmark on August 1, 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark  Den Blå Planet

; Shutterstock ID 316767071; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

    Den Blå Planet

    Copenhagen

    Designed to look like a whirlpool from above, Copenhagen's aluminium-clad aquarium is the largest in northern Europe. The space is divided into climatic…

  • Colorful buildings lining the Grabrodretorv Square in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    Gråbrødretorv

    Copenhagen

    Found just off bustling Strøget pedestrian shopping street, this colourful square is named for the friary that stood here back in the 13th century. It was…

  • Ruinerne under Christiansborg signage and entrance tight shot

    Ruinerne under Christiansborg

    Copenhagen

    A walk through the crypt-like bowels of Slotsholmen, known as Ruinerne under Christiansborg, offers a unique perspective on Copenhagen’s well-seasoned…

  • The majestic Frederik's Church with it's impressive dome, also known as the Marble Church, forms with its rococo architecture a central point of the Frederiksstaden district.

    Marmorkirken

    Copenhagen

    Consecrated in 1894, the neo-baroque Marble Church (officially Frederikskirken) is one of Copenhagen's most imposing architectural assets. Its grandiose…

  • Konditaget Lüders, a recreational space on top of a multi-storey car park in Copenhagen.

    Konditaget Lüders

    Nørrebro & Østerbro

    Copenhagen's JAJA Architects have turned the multilevel car-park concept on its head with their jaw-dropping Konditaget Lüders. Playfully dubbed 'Park and…

  • Frilandsmuseet entrance

    Frilandsmuseet

    Copenhagen

    The main sight of interest in the Lyngby area is Frilandsmuseet, a sprawling open-air museum of old countryside dwellings that have been gathered from…

  • A tree alley and people walking in Assistens Cemetery in Copenhagen.

    Assistens Kirkegård

    Nørrebro & Østerbro

    You'll find some of Denmark's most celebrated citizens at this famous cemetery, including philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, physicist Niels Bohr, author Hans…

  • Green ski slopes of the Amager Bakke, Copenhill Waste-to-Energy Power Plant in Copenhagen, Denmark.

    Amager Bakke

    Copenhagen

    Renowned Copenhagen architect firm Bjarke Ingels Group is behind this highly ambitious waste-to-energy plant at the northern end of Amager. When completed…

  • Superkilen

    Nørrebro & Østerbro

    This fascinating 1km-long park showcases objects sourced from around the globe with the aim of celebrating diversity and uniting the community. Items…

  • Rundetårn

    Copenhagen

    Haul yourself to the top of the 34.8m-high red-brick 'Round Tower' and you will be following in the footsteps of such luminaries as King Christian IV, who…

  • Kongens Have

    Copenhagen

    The oldest park in Copenhagen was laid out in the early 17th century by Christian IV, who used it as his vegetable patch. These days it has a little more…

  • Rådhuspladsen

    Copenhagen

    The square outside Copenhagen's Rådhus (City Hall) unites the busy thoroughfare of Vestrobrogade and the bustling Strøget pedestrian street. While the…

  • Kunsthal Charlottenborg, outer entrance and signage

    Kunsthal Charlottenborg

    Copenhagen

    Fronting Kongens Nytorv, Charlottenborg was built in 1683 as a palace for the royal family. Home to Det Kongelige Kunstakademi (Royal Academy of Fine Arts…

  • Grundtvigs Kirke

    Copenhagen

    This imposing and distinctive 1920s church – named for Danish theologian NFS Grundtvig – may be a little off the beaten path, but is certainly worth the…

  • Kongernes Lapidarium

    Copenhagen

    Housed in Christian IV's old brewery, an extraordinary building dating from 1608, the Lapidarium of the Kings houses original royal sculptures from…

  • Højbro Plads square.

    Højbro Plads

    Copenhagen

    Højbro Plads connects the Strøget pedestrian shopping street to Slotsholmen, birthplace of Copenhagen and home of Christiansborg Palace. The square…

  • Dansk Jødisk Museum entrance

    Dansk Jødisk Museum

    Copenhagen

    Designed by Polish-born Daniel Libeskind, the Danish Jewish Museum occupies the former Royal Boat House, an early 17th-century building once part of…

  • Teatermuseet signage

    Teatermuseet

    Copenhagen

    Dating from 1767, the wonderfully atmospheric Hofteater (Old Court Theatre) has hosted everything from Italian opera to local ballet troupes, one of which…

  • Amagertorv

    Copenhagen

    This dashing square is the beating heart of the Strøget pedestrian area, where the two main shopping streets diverge. Its centrepiece is the imposing…

  • Christiansborg Slotskirke, church exterior

    Christiansborg Slotskirke

    Copenhagen

    Tragedy struck CF Hansen’s austere, 19th-century neoclassical church on the day of the 1992 Copenhagen Carnival. A stray firework hit the scaffolding that…

  • Operaen

    Copenhagen

    Denmark's behemothic Opera House sits on Copenhagen Harbour, directly across from the Amalienborg Slot. Completed in 2005 and embellished with limestone,…

  • Danmarks Kunstbibliotek, library inner entrance

    Danmarks Kunstbibliotek

    Copenhagen

    Established in 1754 as part of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, the country's National Art Library lies hidden away in Kunsthal Charlottenborg's…

  • Tower of Vor Frue Kirke.

    Vor Frue Kirke

    Copenhagen

    Founded in 1191 and rebuilt three times after devastating fires, Copenhagen's neoclassical cathedral dates from 1829. Designed by CF Hansen, its lofty,…

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