Zealand

Denmark’s largest island offers much more than the dazzle of Copenhagen. North of the city lie some of the country’s finest beaches and most impressive castles. Here you’ll find dazzlingly ornate Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød and the hulking Kronborg Slot at Helsingør, Shakespeare's Elsinore. Helsingør also features the excellent Maritime Museum of Denmark. En route don't miss Louisiana, the superb modern/contemporary art gallery, not the US state.

West of Copenhagen awaits history-steeped Roskilde, home to a World Heritage–listed cathedral, Scandinavia’s classic rock music festival and a tremendous Viking Ship Museum. History also comes to life at nearby Sagnlandet Lejre, an engrossing, hands-on archaeology site.

Further west stands the millennia-old Trelleborg ring fortress, while Zealand’s southern assets include medieval charm in Køge and the World Heritage–listed cliff geology of Stevns Klint, plus a nearby Cold War fortress-museum.

Explore Zealand

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Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Zealand.

  • Castle

    Kronborg Slot

    Best known as the Elsinore Castle of Shakespeare's Hamlet, this Unesco World Heritage Site is a vast Renaissance masterpiece topped by baroque green…

  • Castle

    Frederiksborg Slot

    One of Denmark's most impressive buildings, this gigantic, Dutch Renaissance–styled fortress-palace rises proudly out of photogenic moat-lake Slotsø…

  • Museum

    M/S Museet for Søfart

    Ingeniously built into a dry dock beside Kronborg Slot, this subterranean museum merits a visit as much for its design as for its informative multimedia…

  • Museum

    Viking Ship Museum

    Five original Viking ships, discovered at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord, are displayed in the main hall of this must-see museum. A short walk away, the…

  • Cathedral

    Roskilde Domkirke

    The crème de la crème of Danish cathedrals, this twin-spired giant was started by Bishop Absalon in 1170, but has been rebuilt and tweaked so many times…

  • Museum

    Louisiana

    This extraordinary museum of modern and contemporary art should be high on your 'to do' list even if you're not normally a gallery-goer. Along with its…

  • Museum

    Ragnarock

    Within a startling architectural statement of a building, this spirit-lifting, highly interactive museum delivers a multisensory, experiential and often…

  • Bridge

    Storebælts-forbindelsen

    Some 18km long and incorporating a suspension bridge that's arguably as elegant as the Golden Gate, the Storebælt link is a remarkable piece of…

  • Archaeological Site

    Fugledegård Visitor Centre

    This new centre provides access to the world's richest Viking gold-find site, at what was an important ritual centre a millennium ago. Of course the…

  • Church

    Sankt Bendts Kirke

    Justifying a visit to otherwise forgettable Ringsted, this huge church is packed with fascinating features, which the remarkably knowledgeable caretaker…

  • Church

    Sorø Kirke

    Interring several Danish royals, this church within the Sorø Akademi grounds has a simple, harmonious interior brightened by medieval frescoes and…

  • Archaeological Site

    Trelleborg

    One of Zealand's most important Viking Age sites, this large ring fortress dates to AD 980. It is essentially a perfectly circular raised earthwork, 300m…

  • Museum

    Sagnlandet Lejre

    In this fascinating experimental archaeology centre, enthusiastic re-enactors use ancient technology to test out various theories: how many people does it…

  • Museum

    Karen Blixen Museet

    Best known as the writer of (and Meryl Streep character in) Out of Africa, Karen Blixen grew up in a 400-year-old coaching inn at Rungsted. She returned…

  • Museum

    Koldkrigsmuseum Stevnsfort

    This fascinating museum was a secret subterranean fortress used in the 20th-century Cold War era, when nuclear war was a feared possibility in the…

  • Palace

    Fredensborg Slot

    Supposedly the Queen of Denmark's favourite abode, the 1720 Fredensborg Slot is a grand palace in Italian baroque style. Getting inside is only possible…

  • Castle

    Vallø Slot

    Red-brick Vallø Slot ticks all the ‘proper castle’ boxes, with pointed metal-capped turrets and a moat filled with lily pads and croaking frogs. The…

  • Gardens

    Fredensborg Slotshave

    Fredensborg Slot has around 120 soothing hectares of parkland crossed by an arc of long riding avenues that radiate from the palace. The majority of the…

  • Museum

    Køge Museum

    Occupying a half-timbered 17th-century abode, the revamped Køge Museum uses state-of-the-art technology to bring to life its local-history artefacts. One…

  • Museum

    Rudolph Tegners Museum & Statuepark

    If you wander through this rare patch of lonely, untamed moorland heath, you'll come across a series of 14 classically styled monumental bronze sculptures…

Top experiences

Whether it’s a guided tour of a historic landmark, private tasting of local delicacies, or an off-road adventure — explore the best experiences in Zealand.

  • Activities