The National Museum of Denmark showcases and documents the World's intangible cultural heritage; The Vikings who conquered the seas and went on expeditions to remote corners of the globe.
Denmark: Hovedstaden – Copenhagen, visitor’s guide
Home to one of the oldest monarchies in the world with a history tracing back to the Viking Age. History is everywhere in Copenhagen where cobblestone streets, palaces and royal artefacts make for a beautiful backdrop to the modern life lived by the Copenhageners of today.
CONTENTS
1. About Copenhagen
2. Things to do
– Visit Christiania
– Visit Christiansborg Palace
– Climb the twisted tower of Our Saviour
– Check out the Little Mermaid Statue
– Take a walk down the ‘New Canal’ or Nyhavn
– Catch a boat cruise on Copenhagen’s canals
– Watch the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace
– The Marble Church
– Visit Rosenborg Castle
– Explore Copenhagen’s City Hall
– Visit the Copenhagen City Museum
– The National Museum of Denmark
– Visit Tivoli Gardens
3. Getting to and around Copenhagen
4. Copenhagen Card
5. Best time to visit
6. Where to stay
About Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark. It is located on the islands of Zealand (Sjælland) and Amager, at the southern end of The Sound (Øresund).
In 1445 Copenhagen was made the capital of Denmark and the residence of the royal family. In the civil and religious conflicts of the Protestant Reformation, the town was often sacked. During the late 16th century Copenhagen’s trade began to flourish, and the city itself expanded. Among the new buildings erected were the Børsen (Exchange), the Holmens Church, Trinitatis Church, with the adjacent famous Round Tower, and the castle of Rosenborg (now the museum of the royal family). During the wars with Sweden (1658–60) Copenhagen was besieged for two years. Fires in 1728 and 1795 destroyed many houses and buildings, and in 1807 the city was bombarded by the British. The ramparts were pulled down in 1856. Since then the city has expanded still further and incorporated many of the adjacent districts.
For much of the 20th century, Copenhagen and its surrounding areas contained most of Denmark’s manufacturing industry. By 2000, however, the city’s economy was dominated by public and private services, trade, finance, and education. A number of arterial streets carry traffic toward the centre, across the harbour bridges. There are electric railways (S-baner) for commuters and a network of city bus lines. The last streetcars disappeared in 1972. In the late 1990s construction began on a fully automated subway system in Copenhagen, and the first line opened in 2002.
Things to do
Christiania
Freetown Christiania, also known as Christiania or simply Staden, is an intentional community and commune in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. It began in 1971 as a squatted military base. Its Pusher Street is famous for its open trade of cannabis, which is illegal in Denmark.
Christiansborg Palace
This once-splendid pleasure park of palaces, pools and waterways, built between 1758 and 1765, functioned as the playground of the sultan and his entourage. It’s said that the sultan had the Portuguese architect of this elaborate retreat executed, to keep his hidden pleasure rooms secret.
The Church of Our Saviour
This large baroque church in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen is one of Denmark’s major tourist attractions. With its twisted spire, the church is a national treasure, but also a living parish church for about 8000 people. The church was built in the 1680s and consecrated on 19th April 1696. It took 14 years to build and since the whole area consists of a filled-in seabed, the construction of the church foundations took a long time.
The spire of the church was consecrated in 1752, more than 50 years after the building of the church had been completed. It is made from wood and can be felt to shake on a windy day, which it was when we were visiting. The spire consists of an external staircase with four twists, starting from the gallery and continuing all the way up. The dimensions of the spire are considerable. It is 90 metres from the ground to Christ’s banner and there are 400 steps to be climbed, of which, the last 150 wind around the outside of the spire.
A persistent story says that the spire’s architect Lauritz de Thurah committed suicide by jumping from the tower, supposedly because the spire, against King Frederik V’s wishes, twisted to the right. This story is untrue, de Thurah died at home in his bed seven years after the consecration of the church, penniless but also respected by his contemporaries
Check out the Little Mermaid Statue
One of Copenhagen’s most iconic tourist attractions is the Little Mermaid from the fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson.
The statue had its 100th anniversary on August 23, 2013, with celebrations in Copenhagen and around the world. The mermaid statue was created in bronze by Edvard Eriksen and was unveiled in August of 1913. Eriksen had been commissioned by January 1909 by Carl Jacobsen of Carlsberg Breweries to create the statue. Jacobsen had been entranced by a production of H C Anderson’s Little Mermaid performed by Ellen Price de Plane at Copenhagen’s Royal Theatre. Apparently, Price refused to model naked for Eriksen, so he used his wife as the muse with Price’s face being used for the statue’s head, although the face of the Little Mermaid does have more than a passing resemblance to Eriksen’s wife.
The poor statue had been vandalised on several occasions including losing its head twice, once in 1964 and again in 1998. She also lost her arm in 1984 and was blown up in 2003. In 2023 the rock she sits on was daubed with the colours of the Soviet Union, in apparent support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Luckily, there are copies of the original Little Mermaid statue which means repairs can be made that are faithful to the original.
Take a walk down the ‘New Canal’ or Nyhavn
Along this short section of the canal are some of the most picturesque buildings in Copenhagen. One of these is a house that was once occupied by Hans Christian Anderson (or H C Anderson as the Danes know him).
One bank of the canal is full of restaurants,bars and most importantly (in our opinion) ice cream parlours.
Catch a boat cruise on Copenhagen’s canals
Copenhagen’s harbour is twice the size of Central Park in New York and from this radiates several canals that link areas of the city. Across these canals are 24 bridges so you can easily around on foot and by bicycle.Â
A great way to tour the city is by boat, and you will not be surprised to hear that there are numerous options!
Watch the changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg is the official residence of the Danish royal family and is where Queen Margrethe ll resides during winter and autumn. 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. It 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.
The ceremony takes place daily with the guard leaving Rosenborg Castle at 11:30 to arrive at Amalienborg Palace for the ceremony at noon. When the Queen is in residence the guard is accompanied by the Royal Guards music band.
The Marble Church
Marble Church, or more correctly Frederik’s Church, with its characteristic copper green dome is one of the most impressive churches of the city. It is called the Marble Church, but it is not made from marble, which was the original plan. King Frederik V supervised the laying of the foundation stone in 1749 as part of a grand plan to make a new city district called Frederiksstaden. Most architectural projects have a few hiccups along the way. This one suffered more than most. The original architect, court architect Nicolai Eigtved, died in 1754 while the project was incomplete, and by 1770 the original plans had been abandoned completely. For over a hundred years, the building stood as a half-finished ruin.
In the late 1800s, Denmark’s Finance Minister sold the ruins of the church and its square to Carl Frederik Tietgen on the condition that he built a church in the style of the original plans. Ferdinand Melhdahl took over the design and, due to a tight budget, was forced to swap from marble to limestone blocks in its construction. The church finally opened in 1894, 145 years after the first stone was laid.
Despite its difficult early history, the church is stunning, and we were very impressed with the décor. The inside of the dome roof was particularly beautiful.
Visit Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen houses some of Denmark’s greatest cultural treasures. The castle was built 1606-34 by Christian IV as a pleasure palace. In the basement you will find the Danish crown jewels and royal crowns.
Copenhagen’s City Hall
The City Hall is located in Radhuspladsen, Copenhagen’s main square.
The City Hall’s tower is one of the tallest structures in the city at 107m, but sadly for us, it was closed for restoration.
As we passed through the entrance door and looked back we could fully appreciate the stained-glass window above the doorway that dates to 1905 that portrays Copenhagen’s Coat of Arms alongside Bishops Absalon’s Castle from 1167.
Once inside the is a second entrance that takes you into the Great Hall. This entrance was beautifully decorated with a scene depicting Jesus and the disciples. We stepped into the Grand Hall, which is a vast space where events are held. The building is open to the public so you can largely wander where you like, but we were a little pushed for time, so we curtailed our exploring. I think if we come again, we’ll have to take one of the tours on offer.
Just inside the entrance to the City Hall is an interesting gallery. Jens Olsen’s World Clock or Verdensur is an advanced astronomical clock. The clock was designed and calculated by Jens Olsen (1872–1945), who was a skilled locksmith, and later learned the trade of clockmaking. He also took part in the beginning of the clock’s construction, and died in 1945, 10 years before the clock was completed. The clock consists of 12 movements which together have 15,448 parts. The clock is mechanical and must be wound once a week. Displays include lunar and solar eclipses, positions of the stellar bodies, and a perpetual calendar, in addition to the time. The fastest gear completes a revolution every ten seconds and the slowest every 25,753 years. The clock was started on 15 December 1955 by King Frederick IX and Jens Olsen’s youngest grandchild Birgit.
It was fascinating to look at the clock itself which was beautiful, and the room also has displays about the history of the clock and how it was designed and constructed. We were so pleased we had seen this on the way out as it was easy just to walk by.
The City Museum
On the ground floor of the museum, they had a temporary exhibition to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the death of Danish poster artist Ib Antoni, who put Denmark and Danish products on the map. His work was colourful and fun. The exhibit has on display some of his famous and less famous works and shows the process of how he developed his designs.
The upper floor exhibits in the museum are permanent and covers the history of the city from Viking times to the present day. The exhibition uses 14 key sites around Copenhagen; famous squares and buildings that have played a central role in the city’s history. One of the most impressive displays is a large scale, interactive model of Copenhagen which you can explore the various districts of the city and how they interconnect.
The National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark showcases and documents the World’s intangible cultural heritage; The Vikings who conquered the seas and went on expeditions to remote corners of the globe.
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens, also known simply as Tivoli (Danish pronunciation is an amusement park and pleasure garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world.
Getting to and around Copenhagen
Metro
You can use Copenhagen’s 4 metro lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
On all three metro lines you can expect to wait a maximum of 4 minutes during rush hour, and 3-6 minutes outside rush hour and during the weekends.
Friday and Saturday night (after 01:00) trains arrive with a 7-15 minutes interval and a 20 minutes interval after midnight on weekdays (Sunday through Thursday).
Check out all metro lines with the Metro-line map.
Metro tickets and prices
When using public transportation in Copenhagen, all members of the family must have a valid ticket.
S-Trains
S-trains connect the city centre with greater Copenhagen. The electric-powered red trains are fitted with plenty of seating and a hand railing for stability. At either end of the train, you’ll find a special compartment reserved for silent travelling.
Most S-train stations are above ground, with a few exceptions in the city centre. Look for the large S-train ‘S’ logo when locating a nearby station. All stations are either equipped with stairs, elevators, or some form of step-free access.
Trains
Regional and InterCity trains connect Copenhagen with the rest of Denmark, as well as Sweden. You’ll find Regional or Intercity trains at larger stations like Østerport, Nørreport, and other select stations between Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen Airport.
Local trains
Local trains offer an easy and comfortable ride through scenic landscapes across the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand. The trains are clean with ample seating and big windows, and you can bring your bicycle free of charge – perfect if you want to explore attractions outside of Copenhagen City Centre.
Most local train stations connect with buses, regional trains and/or s-trains. Please note that some trains only stop at certain stations if you press a stop button in the train or at the train station. The train driver will let you know if you have to press the button to stop.
Buses
Buses are convenient for travelling throughout Copenhagen and Zealand, and many buses connect with the metro and train stations. The goal is to run all buses fossil fuel free by 2030 in Copenhagen and Zealand, and in line with that aim, diesel buses are replaced by C02-neutral buses. The buses are clean and well-maintained, and there is plenty of standing room if you travel during rush hours.
Look for a yellow sign with a ‘bus-shaped’ logo when locating a bus stop. When you see a bus approaching the bus stop, take care crossing the cycle path and wait for the bus to stop. Make sure cyclists have seen you before stepping towards or off a bus. Cyclists are supposed to stop allowing passengers to embark and disembark buses.
Buses will only stop if the driver sees someone waiting at the bus stop or if a passenger rings the bell to get off.
Taxi
Taxis are one of the most expensive ways to get around Copenhagen. Meters start at about 39 kroner ($6) and you’ll be charged by both the kilometre and the minute for your ride. Keep in mind, that charges for distance and minutes will vary by company. Rides from the airport to central Copenhagen are just as pricey:
On Foot & By Bike
Copenhagen is really just a small town wearing the britches of a big city. Surrounding districts are all within walking or biking distance of Indre By, making the city center a great place to explore on foot or by bike. In fact, many of the downtown streets are pedestrian-only, and several attractions (such as Tivoli Gardens, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the National Museum of Denmark) sit a few blocks from one another.
One option is Donkey Republic, which lets you rent a bike from one of 20-plus locations through its mobile app. Rates start at 26 kroner ($3.80) for 30 minutes.
The best time to visit Copenhagen
Reflecting its geographical position in Northern Europe, the city of Copenhagen aligns near-perfect with the Cfb Köppen climate classification, which implies a Marine west coast climate with warm summers. This designation characterizes areas where moderate temperatures prevail throughout the year, with no month dipping below -3°C (26.6°F), to balance the warmest month sitting below 22°C (71.6°F).
The best time to visit Copenhagen
The finest time to visit Copenhagen would be between May and August. This period boasts the highest average temperatures, from 15.5°C (59.9°F) to 21°C (69.8°F), alongside appreciable hours of daylight, from 16.3 hours in May to 16.9 hours in July. These months also provide suitable conditions for outdoor pursuits with relative humidity averaging 72-73% and the sea temperature comfortably exceeding 14.9°C (58.8°F). Even though June and July are admittedly on the wetter end of the spectrum, with rainfall measures of 50mm (1.97″) and 51mm (2.01″), it is counterbalanced with longer daylight hours and higher temperatures.
The worst time to visit Copenhagen
The least attractive time to visit Copenhagen is arguably the winter months, from December to February. During this phase, the city grapples with bitter cold temperatures, plummeting between -1.7°C (28.9°F) and 2.8°C (37°F). Adding to the chilly conditions, Copenhagen sees decreased daylight hours, from 7.1 hours in December to 9.6 hours in February, and an increase in snowfall days with 5.9 in December and 4.4 in January. Moreover, the harsh marine influence is felt with sea temperatures dropping to as low as 2.3°C (36.1°F) in February.
Where to stay in Copenhagen
Indre By (Inner City)
Indre By is the historic and tourist heart of the city (with prices to match), and it’s a great place to stay. Nyhavn’s colourful harbour is an inevitable first stop; then take in the National Museum and its Viking treasures, the refreshed Designmuseum Danmark, and Glyptoteket, a museum of marble sculptures with a divine winter garden. With the culture box ticked, you can relax at one of the area’s harbourside bars, including Apollo Bar, a chic spot in the Charlottenborg Art Gallery, Ruby, one of the city’s coolest cocktail bars, and wine bar Ved Stranden. You’re spoilt for choice in terms of restaurants too: Høst and Vækst offer a taste of Nordic cuisine, or dine at Selma for one of the most beautiful sandwiches of your life.
Vesterbro
Copenhagen’s reformed red light district, Vesterbro is lively and central with plenty going on. Boutique hotels abound, including Grand Joanne, Coco and newcomer Hotel Bella Grande. The area’s Meatpacking District is a key foodie centre, an area still used by the food industry during the day, with bustling restaurants such as Paté Paté, Magasasa and Kødbyens Fiskebar and nightclubs including Jolene in the evening. Tip: Ismageriet, its newest ice cream parlour, is worth the trip. Tivoli Gardens sits between Vesterbro and Indre By and is the city’s amusement park, full of surprisingly good restaurants as well as rollercoasters, and is the area’s must-visit.
Nørrebro
One of Time Out’s former Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World, Nørrebro fuses urban cool with pop-up restaurants and bars, the city’s best nightlife, and unique shopping opportunities, particularly down the independent mecca Jægersborggade, with its consignment stores, coffee shops and fantastic off licence Den Sidste Dråbe. The dining scene changes fast in this part of town, but current hot picks would be Italian trattoria Paesano, and the Guldbergsgade triangle of bar Brus, pizza joint Bæst and another Italian, Mirabelle Spiseria. Look out too, for a rising trend in plant-based food, led by bistro Baka d’Busk.
Christianshavn
If you find somewhere to stay in grand old Christianshavn, book it fast! This desirable, central, history-rich neighbourhood is lined by marinas and canals, with cobbled streets, coloured buildings and an array of independent shops to trawl, Ganni Postmodern included. It’s also an easy walk from a few harbourside areas with limited accommodation options, namely Holmen, Refshaleøen and freetown Christiania. Take a dip at Islands Brygge swimming pool, stroll the new Opera Park gardens, or grab a Go Boat and explore the waterfront by solar-powered boat.
1.  Luxury – Copenhagen Admiral Hotel
Set in a heritage-listed 1780s building, this waterfront hotel is next to Amalienborg Royal Palace and opposite Copenhagen Opera House. It offers a gourmet restaurant, breakfast buffet with organic foods, plus in-room tea/coffee facilities.
Two hundred-year-old Pomeranian pine beams, brickwork and archways add a distinct charm to Copenhagen Admiral. Most rooms include exposed wooden beams in their design. All rooms have a seating area, mini-bar and multi-channel TV.
The elegant, 5-star Hotel H15 Francuski Old Town – Destigo Hotels is located only 400 metres from the Main Market Square in Kraków. It offers stylish rooms with free internet, tea and coffee-making facilities and a minibar.
All rooms at the Francuski are decorated in Art Nouveau style with period details and furniture. Each comes with satellite TV and a bathroom with a bathtub or shower, toiletries and a hairdryer.
A buffet breakfast is served every morning in the hotel restaurant. The bar is a great place to relax with a drink. The hotel also has a restaurant serving French cuisine, as well as completely gluten-free dishes.
2. Mid-Range – Go Hotel Ansgar
This cozy hotel is just a 3 minute walk from Central Station and is found close to Copenhagen’s main street, Strøget. It offers a furnished courtyard and free Wi-Fi.
Housed in an impressive 1880s building, Go Hotel Ansgar today provides neatly presented guest rooms with modern comforts.
All rooms have a fresh bathroom with a shower, as well as a work desk and a flat-screen TV.
The fashionable Vesterbro quarter is on Ansgar’s doorstep and offers an excellent mix of shopping, restaurants, nightlife and cultural attractions.
3. Budget – Steel House Copenhagen
Steel House Copenhagen is a fresh and modern hostel, located 5 minutes’ walk from Tivoli Gardens and Copenhagen Central Station. It offers a café, bar and indoor pool. Free WiFi is available throughout the property.
Steel House offers private rooms and dormitory rooms. Dormitory rooms come with lockers and convenient power sockets by each bed, and has access to shared bathroom facilities. The private rooms has its own bathroom with a shower.
You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property. Guests can also make use of a shared kitchen, and rent a bicycle to explore Copenhagen.
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