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

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…
Frederiksborg Slot
One of Denmark's most impressive buildings, this gigantic, Dutch Renaissance–styled fortress-palace rises proudly out of photogenic moat-lake Slotsø…
M
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…
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…
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…
R
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…
R
Ragnarock
Within a startling architectural statement of a building, this spirit-lifting, highly interactive museum delivers a multisensory, experiential and often…
S
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…
F
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…

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…
Frederiksborg Slot
One of Denmark's most impressive buildings, this gigantic, Dutch Renaissance–styled fortress-palace rises proudly out of photogenic moat-lake Slotsø…
M
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…
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…
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…
R
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…
R
Ragnarock
Within a startling architectural statement of a building, this spirit-lifting, highly interactive museum delivers a multisensory, experiential and often…
S
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…
F
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…

Top attractions

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

See
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…
See
Frederiksborg Slot
One of Denmark's most impressive buildings, this gigantic, Dutch Renaissance–styled fortress-palace rises proudly out of photogenic moat-lake Slotsø…
See
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…
See
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…
See
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…
See
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…
See
Ragnarock
Within a startling architectural statement of a building, this spirit-lifting, highly interactive museum delivers a multisensory, experiential and often…
See
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…
See
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…

Guidebooks

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