Discover 35 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Copenhagen (Denmark). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dyrehavsbakken, Rosenborg, and Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Also, be sure to include Botanical Garden in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Copenhagen (Hovedstaden).
Table of Contents
Dyrehavsbakken
Amusement park with 16th-century origins. Dyrehavsbakken, commonly referred to as Bakken, is an amusement park in Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Denmark, near Klampenborg, about 10 km north of central Copenhagen. It opened in 1583 and is the world's oldest operating amusement park.
With 2.5–2.9 million visitors per year, it is the second most popular attraction in Denmark, after the more widely known Tivoli Gardens amusement park. Unlike Tivoli, admission is free.[1]
Address: Dyrehavsbakken 81, 2930 Klampenborg (Northern Suburbs)
Rosenborg
17th-century palace and royal museum. Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects. It was built in the Dutch Renaissance style, typical of Danish buildings during this period, and has been expanded several times, finally evolving into its present condition by the year 1624. Architects Bertel Lange and Hans van Steenwinckel the Younger are associated with the structural planning of the castle.[2]
Address: Øster Voldgade 4A, 1350 København (Indre By)
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Fine-art museum of sculpture and painting. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, commonly known simply as Glyptoteket, is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. The collection represents the private art collection of Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the Carlsberg Breweries.
Primarily a sculpture museum, as indicated by the name, the focal point of the museum is antique sculpture from the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, including Egypt, Rome and Greece, as well as more modern sculptures such as a collection of Auguste Rodin's works, considered to be the most important outside France. However, the museum is equally noted for its collection of paintings that includes an extensive collection of French impressionists and Post-impressionists as well as Danish Golden Age paintings.
The French Collection includes works by painters such as Jacques-Louis David, Monet, Pissarro, Renoir, Degas and Cézanne, as well as those by Post-impressionists such as van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Bonnard. The museum's collection includes all the bronze sculptures of Degas, including the series of dancers. Numerous works by Norwegian-Danish sculptor Stephan Sinding are featured prominently in various sections of the museum.[3]
Address: Dantes Plads 7, 1556 København (Vesterbro - Kongens Enghave)
Botanical Garden
Also known as: Botanisk Have
Museum's expansive plant collection. The University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden, usually referred to simply as Copenhagen Botanical Garden, is a botanical garden located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. It covers an area of 10 hectares and is particularly noted for its extensive complex of historical glasshouses dating from 1874.
The garden is part of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, which is itself part of the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Science. It serves both research, educational and recreational purposes.
The identification code of the University of Copenhagen Botanical Garden as a member of the Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), as well as the initials of its herbarium is C.[4]
Address: Gothersgade 128, 1123 København (Indre By)
National Gallery of Denmark
Also known as: Statens Museum for Kunst
Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. The National Gallery of Denmark is the Danish national gallery, located in the centre of Copenhagen.
The museum collects, registers, maintains, researches and handles Danish and foreign art dating from the 14th century to the present day.[5]
Address: Sølvgade 48-50, 1307 København K (Indre By)
King's Garden
Also known as: Kongens Have
Parkland with pavilions and formal gardens. Rosenborg Castle Gardens is the oldest and most visited park in central Copenhagen, Denmark. Established in the early 17th century as the private gardens of King Christian IV's Rosenborg Castle, the park also contains several other historical buildings, including Rosenborg Barracks, home to the Royal Guards, as well as a high number of statues and monuments. The park also holds art exhibitions and other events such as concerts in the summer.[6]
Address: Øster Voldgade 4A, 1350 København (Indre By)
Copenhagen Zoo
Also known as: København Zoo
Zoological garden in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Copenhagen Zoo is a zoological garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is a member of EAZA. It comprises 11 hectares and is located in the municipality of Frederiksberg, sandwiched between the parks of Frederiksberg Gardens and Søndermarken. With 1,161,388 visitors in 2008 it is the most visited zoo and 4th most visited attraction in Denmark. The zoo is noted for its new Elephant House designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster. The zoo maintains and promotes a number of European breeding programmes.[7]
Address: Roskildevej 32, 2000 Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg Gardens
Also known as: Frederiksberg Have
18th-century palace's landscaped gardens. Frederiksberg Gardens is one of the largest and most attractive greenspaces in Copenhagen, Denmark. Together with the adjacent Søndermarken it forms a green area of 64 hectares at the western edge of Inner Copenhagen. It is a romantic landscape garden designed in the English style.[8]
Address: Frederiksberg Runddel 3E, 2000 Frederiksberg
Kastelskirken
Lutheran church in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Citadel Church is located in the Kastellet in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. The church was originally reserved for the garrison of the castle, but in 1902 also incorporated a civil parish. The Citadel Church celebrated its 300th anniversary in 2004.[9]
Thorvaldsens Museum
Museum dedicated to a single artist. The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish neoclassicistic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life. The museum is located on the small island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen next to Christiansborg Palace. Designed by Michael Gottlieb Bindesbøll, the building was constructed from 1838 to 1848 following a public collection of funds in 1837.[10]
Address: Bertel Thorvaldsens Plads 2, 1213 København (Indre By)
Marmorkirken
Church in Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark. Frederik's Church, popularly known as The Marble Church for its rococo architecture, is an Evangelical Lutheran church in Copenhagen, Denmark. The church forms the focal point of the Frederiksstaden district; it is located due west of Amalienborg Palace.[11]
Address: Frederiksgade 4, 1265 København (Indre By)
Jægersborg Dyrehave
Also known as: Dyrehaven
Park in Kongens Lyngby, Kingdom of Denmark. Dyrehaven, officially Jægersborg Dyrehave, is a forest park north of Copenhagen. It covers around 11 km2. Dyrehaven is noted for its mixture of huge, ancient oak trees and large populations of red and fallow deer. In July 2015, it was one of the three forests included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed as Par force hunting landscape in North Zealand.
All entrances to the park have a characteristic red gate; one of the most popular entrances is Klampenborg gate, close to Klampenborg station. All the entrance gates have an identical gate house attached to them, which serve as the residences of the forest wardens. Dyrehaven is maintained as a natural forest, with the emphasis on the natural development of the woods over commercial forestry. Old trees are felled only if they are a danger to the public. It has herds of about 2100 deer in total, with 300 Red Deer, 1700 Fallow Deer and 100 Sika Deer. Dyrehaven is also the venue for the Hermitage road race (Eremitageløbet) and the yearly Hubertus hunt (Hubertusjagten) which is held on the first Sunday in November. In former times it was home to the Fortunløbet race, later known as Ermelundsløbet, but this race was discontinued in 1960.[12]
Church of Our Saviour
Also known as: Vor Frelsers Kirke
Baroque edifice with a corkscrew spire. The Church of Our Saviour is a baroque church in Copenhagen, Denmark, most famous for the external spiral winding staircase that can be climbed to the top, offering extensive views over central Copenhagen. It is also noted for its carillon, which is the largest in northern Europe and plays melodies every hour from 8 am to midnight.[13]
Address: Sankt Annægade 29, 1416 København (Christianshavn)
Amalienborg
The Queen's winter residence, with tours. Amalienborg is the home of the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors around an octagonal courtyard; in the centre of the square is a monumental equestrian statue of Amalienborg's founder, King Frederick V.
Amalienborg was originally built for four noble families; however, when Christiansborg Palace burned on 26 February 1794, the royal family bought the palaces and moved in. Over the years various monarchs and their families have resided in the four different palaces.[14]
Address: Amalienborg Slotsplads, 1257 København (Indre By)
Hirschsprung Collection
Also known as: Den Hirschsprungske Samling
Museum of work by Danish artists. The Hirschsprung Collection is an art museum located on Stockholmsgade in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in a parkland setting in Østre Anlæg, near the Danish National Gallery, and houses a large collection of Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century. The emphasis is on the Danish Golden Age, from 1800 to 1850, but also the Skagen Painters and other representatives of the Modern Breakthrough are well represented.
The museum is built around the personal art collection of Heinrich Hirschsprung, a tobacco manufacturer and patron of the arts who founded his art collection in 1865. Almost four decades later, in 1902, he donated it to the Danish state. It is displayed in a purpose-built Neoclassical museum building designed by Hermann Baagøe Storck and completed in 1911.[15]
Address: Stockholmsgade 20, 2100 København Ø (Østerbros)
Glass Hall
Performing arts theater in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Glass Hall is a 957-seat theatre venue located inside the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark.[16]
Copenhagen Opera House
Also known as: Operaen på Holmen
Waterside home of the Royal Danish Opera. The Copenhagen Opera House is the national opera house of Denmark, and among the most modern opera houses in the world. It is also one of the most expensive opera houses ever built at a cost of 2.5 billion DKK. It is located on the island of Holmen in central Copenhagen.[17]
Address: Copenhagen, Ekvipagemestervej 10, 1438 København K
Star Flyer
Also known as: Himmelskibet
Amusement ride. Star Flyer is a carousel-meets-watchtower style amusement ride in Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark. At 80 metres, it is one of the world's tallest swing rides and affords sweeping views of the city's historical centre. It was manufactured by Funtime and opened in May 2006.[18]
Dæmonen
Roller coaster in Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark. Dæmonen is a floorless steel roller coaster at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard, it reaches a height of 28 metres, is 564.0 metres long, and reaches a maximum speed of 77 kilometres per hour. The roller coaster features a vertical loop, an Immelmann loop, and a zero-gravity roll. Dæmonen replaced Slangen, a family roller coaster, and officially opened on 16 April 2004. A record number of guests attended the park that year, but the public has since given the ride mixed reviews.[19]
Kastellet
Star-shaped military fortress and ramparts. Kastellet is a citadel located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in Northern Europe. It is constructed in the form of a pentagon with bastions at its corners. Kastellet was continuous with the ring of bastioned ramparts which used to encircle Copenhagen but of which only the ramparts of Christianshavn remain today.
A number of buildings are located within the grounds of Kastellet, including the Citadel Church as well as a windmill. The area houses various military activities but it mainly serves as a public park and a historic site.[20]
Address: Center of Churchill Park, Copenhagen (Østerbros)
Nationalmuseet
Museum of Danish history and culture. The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world, from Greenland to South America. Additionally, the museum sponsors SILA - The Greenland Research Center at the National Museum of Denmark to further archaeological and anthropological research in Greenland.
The museum has a number of national commitments, particularly within the following key areas: archaeology, ethnology, numismatics, ethnography, natural science, conservation, communication, building antiquarian activities in connection with the churches of Denmark, as well as the handling of the Danefæ (the National Treasures).[21]
Address: Frederiksholms Kanal 12, 1220 København K (Indre By)
Equestrian statue of Frederick V
Also known as: Frederik V
Sculpture by Jacques Saly. An equestrian statue of King Frederick V of Denmark stands in the center of Amalienborg Square, Copenhagen, framed by the four symmetrical wings of the Amalienborg palace. The statue portrays the king in classic attire, crowned with laurels and with his hand outstretched, holding a baton. Commissioned by the Danish East India Company, it was designed in Neoclassical style by Jacques Saly in 1768 and was cast in bronze in 1771. The apparent dignity and tranquility in the depiction of the king is typical of Danish representations of monarchs. It is considered to be one of the notable equestrian monuments of its time.[22]
Address: Amalienborg Slotsplads, 1457 Copenhagen (Indre By)
Charlottenborg Palace
Also known as: Charlottenborg
Contemporary art in a baroque palace. Charlottenborg Palace is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts since its foundation in 1754. Today it also houses Kunsthal Charlottenborg, an institution for contemporary art, and Danmarks Kunstbibliotek, the Royal Art Library.[23]
Address: Nyhavn 2, 1051 København K (Indre By)
Christiansborg Palace
Also known as: Christiansborg
Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. Christiansborg Palace is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also, several parts of the palace are used by the Danish monarch, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel and the Royal Stables.
The palace is thus home to the three supreme powers: the executive power, the legislative power, and the judicial power. It is the only building in the world that houses all three of a country's branches of government. The name Christiansborg is thus also frequently used as a metonym for the Danish political system, and colloquially it is often referred to as Rigsborgen ('the castle of the realm') or simply Borgen ('the castle').
The present building, the third with this name, is the last in a series of successive castles and palaces constructed on the same site since the erection of the first castle in 1167. Since the early fifteenth century, the various buildings have served as the base of the central administration; until 1794 as the principal residence of the Danish kings and after 1849 as the seat of parliament.
The palace today bears witness to three eras of Danish architecture, as the result of two serious fires. The first fire occurred in 1794 and the second in 1884. The main part of the current palace, finished in 1928, is in the historicist Neo-baroque style. The chapel dates back to 1826 and is in a neoclassical style. The showgrounds were built from 1738–46, in a baroque style.
Christiansborg Palace is owned by the Danish Government, and is run by the Palaces and Properties Agency. Several parts of the palace are open to the public.[24]
Address: Christiansb Ridebane 27, 1218 Copenhagen (Indre By)
Frederiksberg Palace
Also known as: Frederiksberg Slot
Italianate palace built for Danish kings. Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands an impressive view over Frederiksberg Gardens, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style. Constructed and extended from 1699 to 1735, the palace served as the royal family’s summer residence until the mid-19th century. Since 1869, it has housed the Royal Danish Military Academy.[25]
Address: Roskildevej 28 A, 2000 Frederiksberg
Amaliehaven
Garden in Copenhagen, Kingdom of Denmark. Amaliehaven is a small park located between Amalienborg Palace and the waterfront in the Frederiksstaden neighbourhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was established in 1983 as a gift from the A.P. Møller and the Chastine McKinney Møller Foundation. The park is part of the so-called Frederiksgade axis, the shorter but more distinctive of the two axes on which Frederiksstaden is centred.[26]
Address: Larsens Plads, 1257 København K (Indre By)
Frilandsmuseet
Museum in Kongens Lyngby, Kingdom of Denmark. Frilandsmuseet is an open-air museum on the northern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. The museum is located in Lyngby on Kongevejen in North Zealand. The museum can be reached directly by bus number 184 from Nørreport Station in central Copenhagen or by S-train to Sorgenfri station.[27]
Grundtvigs Kirke
Massive church with unique architecture. Grundtvig's Church is located in the Bispebjerg district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is a rare example of expressionist church architecture. Due to its unusual appearance, it is one of the best known churches in the city.[28]
Address: Pa Bjerget 14B, 2400 Copenhagen (Bispebjergs)
Gefion Fountain
Also known as: Gefionspringvandet
Bronze fountain depicting Norse goddess. The Gefion Fountain is a large fountain on the harbour front in Copenhagen, Denmark. It features a large-scale group of oxen pulling a plow and being driven by the Norse goddess Gefjon. It is located in Nordre Toldbod area next to Kastellet and immediately south of Langelinie.[29]
Memorial Anchor
Historical landmark in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Memorial Anchor, located at the base of the Nyhavn canal, adjacent to Kongens Nytorv, is a maritime memorial in Copenhagen, Denmark, commemorating the civilian sailors who lost their lives at sea during the Second World War.[30]
Parken Stadium
Also known as: Parken
Stadium in Copenhagen, Denmark. Parken Stadium, also known simply as Parken and as Telia Parken, is a football stadium in the Indre Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark, built from 1990 to 1992. The stadium, which features a retractable roof, currently has a capacity of 38,065 for football games, and is the home of FC Copenhagen and the Denmark national football team. The capacity for concerts exceeds the capacity for matches – the stadium can hold as many as 50,000 people with an end-stage setup and 55,000 with a centre-stage setup.
Parken was announced as one of 12 host venues of the UEFA Euro 2020 and it hosted three group stage matches, as well as a round of 16 match.
Geranium, a three Michelin star restaurant, is located on the eighth floor of the stadium.[31]
Address: Per Henrik Lings Allé 2, 2100 København (Østerbros)
Maritime Monument
Monument in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Maritime Monument, located at Langelinie, close to Langelinie Marina, is a maritime memorial in Copenhagen, Denmark, commemorating civilian Danish sailors who lost their lives during the First World War. The monument consists of a bronze sculpture of a winged female figure, representing Memory, placed on a rhombus-shaped podium with a series of narrative reliefs on its side.[32]
Royal Stables
The Royal Stables is the mews of the Danish Monarchy which provides the ceremonial transport for the Danish Royal Family during state events and festive occasions. The Royal Stables are located at Christiansborg Palace on the island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. In 1789, the number of horses reached a peak with 270 horses stabled. Nowadays, there are about 20 horses in the Royal Stables.
The Royal Stables are regularly open to the public and include a small museum. The state coaches and other carriages are kept there, along with about 20 horses.[33]
Krøyers Plads
Krøyers Plads is a waterfront mixed-use development in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located between Wilders Plads to the south and Grønlandske Handels Plads to the north. The current buildings were completed in 2016 and are inspired by the historic warehouses that dominate the waterfront.[34]
Holmen Church
Also known as: Holmens Kirke
Church built for Christian IV in 1619. The Holmen Church is a Parish church in central Copenhagen in Denmark, on the street called Holmens Kanal. First built as an anchor forge in 1563, it was converted into a naval church by Christian IV. It is famous for having hosted the wedding between Margrethe II of Denmark, current queen of Denmark, and Prince Henrik in 1967. It is the burial site of such notabilities as naval heroes Niels Juel and Peter Tordenskjold, and composer Niels Wilhelm Gade, and contains artwork by, among others, Bertel Thorvaldsen and Karel van Mander.[35]
Address: Holmens Kanal, Copenhagen (Indre By)