Thorvaldsens Museum

Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll designed the Greco-Roman–style Thorvaldsens Museum (thorvaldsensmuseum.dk; adult/child 100kr/free; free last Wed of month), Denmark's first art museum, to house the work of his close friend, superstar Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844). After four decades in Rome, Thorvaldsen returned to Copenhagen and donated his private collection to the Danish public, and in return the royal family provided this site. The result was this dazzling museum, where Thorvaldsen's bone-white neoclassical sculptures are set against backgrounds of ocher, berry, mustard and royal blue, with zigzagged and patterned tiles, creating perfect tableaux at every turn. Don't neglect upstairs, which has the artist's collection of ancient artifacts.