Copenhagen Tourist-Attractions

Copenhagen Tourist-Attractions information

Tivoli Garden

Tivoli Garden is easily the best-known attraction in Copenhagen, and is located right next to the main train station for easy access for day-trippers from all over the country. The garden was first established in 1843, inspired largely by the Vauxhall Gardens of Victorian London. However, whereas the Vauxhall Gardens have long gone, Copenhagen's Tivoli still has great appeal. And anyone expecting a recreation of Vauxhall's rather tacky Victorian amusement park are in for a disappointment - the Tivoli is a far classier kind of affair, with the fairground attractions complemented by live music and cultural events. There are loads of venues contained within the park, all offering a range of live performances, many of which are free. There are also a number of highly regarded restaurants offering a range of cuisine covering all price ranges. The garden is especially wonderful at night, when parts of it are lit up by fireworks and thousands of lamps and paper lanterns. Vesterbrogade 3. Open: Sun-Wed 11h00-23h00; Thu & Sat 11h00-00h00; Fri 11h00-01h00 (Apr-Sept). The park opens in November and December for the Christmas Market. Admission: DKK75, adults; DKK35, children. Tel: +45 33-15-1001.

Amalienborg

The city's main palace, Amalienborg, is made up of four identical rococo buildings surrounding the octagonal Amalienborg Square. Designed for four noble families of the 18th century the palaces are known individually as Christian VII's Mansion, Christian VIII's Mansion, Frederik VIII's Mansion and Christian IX's Mansion. The fantastic equestrian centrepiece is as much photographed as the palaces that surround it. Dating from 1771, it depicts Frederik V on horseback and is counted among sculptor Jacques Francois-Joseph Saly's finest work. Reigning monarch Queen Margrethe resides in Frederik VIII's mansion. When the Queen is at home you can see the guards changing in the square below with all the pomp of centuries of tradition. A limited number of the palace's rooms are open to the public. In Christian VIII's Mansion you can see the later parts of the Royal Danish Chronological Collection of artworks and artefacts. The earlier parts are exhibited at Rosenborg Castle.

Christiania (aka the Free State of Christiania)

Since 1971, Christiania has remained a virtually independent community, run along utopian ideals. There are currently about a thousand "citizens" of this bold social experiment, and they are more than happy to welcome tourists to their village, established on an old army base in the Christianshavn area. Inside the community there are numerous restaurants (mostly vegetarian), coffee shops and an eclectic selection of craft shops and art galleries. There are three rules that must be observed: no hard drugs ("soft" drugs are openly sold on Pusher Street - no photographs please), no weapons and no violence. If you are in a group, tours should be arranged in advance.

Boat Tour

With the sea and water always being integral to the city, a water-borne tour of Copenhagen is deeply rewarding, with waterways extending from the harbour and around the centre of the city. Boat tours leave from the Gammel Strand at the end of Nyhaven and a trip will take about an hour. A typical tour passes many of Copenhagen's finest buildings including Christiansborg Castle (located on Slotsholmen Island and the home of the Danish parliament) and Amalienborg. The harbour basin offers some ideal photo opportunities of gabled Danish buildings, and of course you get the closest possible view of the Little Mermaid statue. There are a few companies that operate tours, some a lot cheaper than others, so it's always worth your while to compare current rates before booking - they all follow the same general route. Waterbuses also travel around the city although there is no guide on these. Note that tours only run between Apr-Oct as the canals are frozen in winter.

Vor Frelsers Kirke and Rundetårn

The "City of Beautiful Spires" is aptly named - Copenhagen is blessed with a great number of very attractive churches, most with dizzying steeples or spires. Many of the churches are open to tourists, and the spires offer stunning views over the city. Favourites include the Vor Frelsers Kirke (Our Saviour's Church) with its external staircase that snakes around the steeple. You have to climb over 400 steps to reach the top but the spectacular views are well worth it. Sankt Annægade 29. Open: daily 11h00-16h30 (Apr-Aug); 11h00-15h30 (Sep-Mar). Admission: DKK20. Alternatively the Rundetårn (Round Tower), although not actually part of a church, offers a great view over the city. Koebmagergade. Open: Mon-Sat 10h00-17h00, Sun 12h00-17h00 (Sep-May); Mon-Sat 10h00-20h00, Sun 12h00-20h00 (Jun-Aug). Admission: DKK25, adults; DKK5, children.

Rosenborg Castle

Now lying in the heart of the city this was once a royal country estate retreat. King Christian IV originally built the castle in the early-17th century. The Renaissance style can clearly be seen in the building's architecture. The castle is notably home to Denmark's Crown Jewels, which are on display in the treasure vaults while the grounds are still well kept and pleasant for wandering around, even if the urban sprawl has encroached upon what was once a countryside setting. The building is now mainly a museum dedicated to the Royal Chronological Collections of paintings and artefacts relating to various periods in the Royal Family's history. The collection here concentrates on the early periods of the Renaissance and baroque, with the latter part of the collection being on show in Amalienborg. Rosenborg Slot. Voldgade 4. Open: Tue-Sun 11h00-14h00 (Jan-Apr & Nov-Dec); 11h00-15h00 (Oct); 10h00-16h00 (May & Sep); 10h00-17h00 (Jun-Aug). Admission: DKK65. Tel: +45 33-15-3286.

State Museum of Art

This is Denmark's national gallery, and contains a huge collection of painting, sculpture, design, ceramics and drawings all housed in a splendid late 19th-century palace. The addition of a new modern annex in 1998 has added greatly to the museum's exhibition space and you'll be overwhelmed by the range of art on offer. Works date from the 14th century, and are of both Danish and international origin. Paintings from the Old Masters through to Monet and Matisse vie for space with literally thousands of busts and fabulous sculptures. Suitably the older part of the collection is contained within the original century-old building and as you move towards the new annex the exhibits become more modern until you reach the contemporary displays. Statens Museum for Kunst. Sølvgade 48-50. Open: Tue-Sun 10h00-17h00; Wed 10h00-20h00. Admission: DKK70, adults; free for children under 16yrs. Tel: +45 33-74-8494.

National Museum

What many commonly refer to as the National Museum is actually only one division, the Prince's Palace, of the whole institution. The Prince's Palace covers the historical and cultural aspects of Denmark, from 13,000BC to the present day, and be warned: the collection is huge. The best advice is to focus your visit on one of the sections, choosing from galleries covering subjects ranging through the prehistory of Denmark, medieval Denmark, Egyptian and classical antiquity. There's also the Children's Museum where history is re-lived through play, and various exhibitions throughout the year. Nationalmuseet. Ny Vestergade 10. Open: Tue-Sun 10h00-17h00. Admission: free. Tel: +45 33-13-4411.

Louisiana Modern Art Museum

If you have a taste for Modern Art, then you can't possibly turn down the opportunity to travel the mere 30km to the coastal town of Humlebæk where one of Europe's finest Modern Art museums is located. Perfectly set in a private park the Louisiana's location is as perfect as the works of art on display. The collection covers all the main schools of Modern Art and works on display here include some from Picasso, Francis Bacon and Henry Moore to name just a few. A series of exhibitions throughout the year highlight a particular artist or movement. Take the train from Copenhagen to Humlebæk/Louisiana station and a 10-minute walk to the museum. Gammel Strandvej 13, Humlebæk. Open: daily 10h00-17h00 (Wed until 22h00). Admission: DKK80, adults. Tel: +45 49-19-0719.

Tycho Brahe Planetarium

Named after one of Denmark's most famous sons (admittedly known mainly to astronomers), the major drawcard here is the massive "Omnimax Theatre", over 1,000 square metres of cinema screen. Shows are in Danish, with English translations provided through headsets (DKR15). The programme is varied enough to appeal to every audience, previous subjects covered include Ancient Egypt, the Antarctic and of course astronomy and space exploration. The exhibition galleries in the building contain a permanent display on astronomy as well as temporary collections that complement the cinema programme. Gammel Kongevej 10. Open: daily 10h30-20h30 (09h30-20h30 Wed). Admission: DKK90, adults; DKK65, children. Tel: +45 33-12-1224.