96 Best Sights in Denmark

The 19th-century artist Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844) is buried at the center of this museum in a simple, ivy-covered tomb. Strongly influenced by the statues and reliefs of classical antiquity, Thorvaldsen is one of the world's greatest neoclassical artists, having completed commissions all over Europe. The museum, once a coach house for Christiansborg, now houses Thorvaldsen's interpretations of classical and mythological figures, and an extensive collection of paintings and drawings by other artists that Thorvaldsen assembled in Rome, where he lived for most of his life. The outside frieze by Jørgen Sonne depicts the sculptor's triumphant return to Copenhagen after years abroad. A free English audio guide is available.

The museum is free on Wednesday.

Situated at the western end of the lakes that divide Copenhagen, this modern, cylindrical planetarium appears to be sliced at an angle. It's Denmark's most advanced center for popularizing astronomy and space research and promoting knowledge of natural science. The on-site IMAX Theater is devoted to visual odysseys of the natural environment—below the sea, through the jungle, or into outer space. These films aren't recommended for children under age seven.

This Renaissance structure—built by King Christian IV and one of central Copenhagen's oldest—contains impressive displays of uniforms, weapons, and armor in a 600-foot-long arched hall. Children usually like this museum, but it's very much a look-but-don't-touch place. Each artifact has a label in English.

Less than 1 km (½ mile) north of the cathedral, on the fjord, is the modern Viking Ship Museum, containing five Viking ships sunk in the fjord 1,000 years ago. Submerged to block the passage of enemy ships, they were discovered in 1957. The painstaking recovery involved building a watertight dam and then draining the water from that section of the fjord. The splinters of wreckage were then preserved and reassembled. A deep-sea trader, warship, ferry, merchant ship, and fierce 92½-foot man-of-war attest to the Vikings' sophisticated and artful boat-making skills.

The site of Denmark's main cathedral, the Church of Our Lady, has drawn worshippers since the 13th century, when Bishop Absalon built a chapel here. The previous church, consecrated in 1738, was burned to the ground in 1807 during the Napoleonic wars. Despite the country's poverty after the defeat, the city built a new place of worship, in the then-modern neoclassical style. Inside you can see Thorvaldsen's marble sculptures depicting Christ and the 12 Apostles, and Moses and David cast in bronze. The funerals of both Kierkegaard and H. C. Andersen were held here.

Established in 1859, the Copenhagen Zoo blends the old with the new. The elephant house, by acclaimed architect Norman Foster, is an elegant structure topped by two glass domes, providing its inhabitants with plenty of light and stomping ground. Modern glass enclosures for hippos and polar bears also make for spectacular viewing. But children are just as likely to gravitate to the small petting zoo and playground, which includes friendly cows, horses, rabbits, goats, and hens. The indoor rain forest has butterflies, sloths, alligators, and other tropical creatures. On sunny weekends, the line to enter can be long, so come early.

There are often extended weekend and summer opening hours

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