121 Best Sights in Denmark

The yacht harbor is the biggest attraction in Marstal, a small town with a long, maritime history. The town itself is not as pretty as Ærøskøbing, but the museum dedicated to documenting the island’s seafaring history (Marstal Søfartsmuseum) makes it worth a visit. South of town you’ll find Eriks Hale, a narrow tongue of land with beach on either side. The isthmus is home to a long row of incredibly photogenic beach houses, and there’s a bathing bridge popular with young families.

While most of Odense's attractions are dedicated to the city's most famous son, Hans Christian Andersen, this museum explores the history of the city itself. The museum consists of several buildings, most of them quaint old half-timbered houses, as well as an atmospheric cobblestoned courtyard. There are permanent as well as changing exhibitions, all dedicated to Odense's and Funen's history and art scene.

The Ribe Viking Museum chronicles Viking history with conventional exhibits of household goods, tools, and clothing. There's a multimedia room with an interactive computer screen where you can search for more Viking information in the form of text, pictures, and videos.

Its location in the south Baltic has drawn settlers and traders to Bornholm since prehistoric days, and much of that 10,000-year history is recorded and displayed at this centrally located museum. It pays special attention to the island's clock-making past and its role during the occupation by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. The museum also manages three other historical sights within Ronne: a 19th-century farmhouse with attached flower and herb garden, a farm museum, and a ceramics factory.

Though the green spire of the imposing Nicholas Church—named for the patron saint of seafarers—appears as old as the surrounding medieval streets, it's actually relatively young, and the church houses a contemporary art gallery with excellent exhibitions focusing on Danish and international contemporary artists.

Entry is free on Wednesday.

City Hall Square is dominated by the 1905 mock-Renaissance Rådhus (City Hall). Architect Martin Nyrop's creation was popular from the start, perhaps because he envisioned that it should give "gaiety to everyday life and spontaneous pleasure to all." A statue of Copenhagen's 12th-century founder, Bishop Absalon, sits atop the main entrance.

Besides being an important ceremonial meeting place for Danish VIPs and a popular wedding hall for locals, the intricately decorated City Hall contains the first world clock. The multi-dial, highly accurate, astronomical timepiece has a 570,000-year calendar and took inventor Jens Olsen 27 years to complete before it was put into action in 1955.

Topped by two Vikings blowing an ancient trumpet called a lur, the Lurblæserne (Lur Blower Column) displays a good deal of artistic license—the lur dates from the Bronze Age, 1500 BC, whereas the Vikings lived a mere 1,000 years ago. City tours often start at this landmark, which was erected in 1914.

A protected heathland, the park was purchased with funds raised by a group of Danish-Americans and hosts the biggest Fourth of July celebrations outside the United States, a tradition that dates back to 1912 as a salute to the US for welcoming some 300,000 Danish immigrants.

Ribe Cathedral stands on the site of one of Denmark's earliest churches, built around AD 860. The present structure, which dates from the 12th century, is built of a volcanic tufa stone, transported by boats from quarries in Cologne, France. Note the Cat Head Door, said to be for the exclusive use of the devil. The 14th-century brick bell tower once clanged out flood and fire warnings to Ribe's citizens and today affords sweeping views of the town's red-slate rooftops and surrounding marshes. A museum dedicated to the story of the church, as well as to religious life in the area before and after the Reformation, is part of the church.

This outdoor exhibit, 2 km (1 mile) south of the Ribe railway station, details how the Vikings lived day to day, with demonstrations about homes, food, and crafts.

The artists Hans Krull and Andrzej Kowalczyk have decorated this stunning casino with reliefs and paintings from floor to ceiling, making it Denmark's most beautiful casino. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and slot machines are all available at this exclusive casino, the only one in town. 

Instead of climbing the stout Round Tower's stairs, visitors scale a smooth, 600-foot spiral ramp. Supposedly, Peter the Great of Russia once ascended this ramp on a horse alongside his wife, Catherine, who took a carriage. From its top, you enjoy a panoramic view of the twisted streets and crooked roofs of Copenhagen. The unusual building was constructed as an observatory in 1642 by Christian IV and is still maintained as Europe's oldest such structure.

The art gallery has changing exhibits, and occasional concerts are held within its massive stone walls. An observatory and telescope are open to the public evenings mid-October through mid-March, and an astronomer is on hand to answer questions.

Constructed between the 13th and 15th century, this is Denmark's only purely Gothic cathedral. The intricate wooden altar covered with gold leaf was carved by German sculptor Claus Berg. Beneath the sepulcher are the bones of St. (King) Knud, killed during a farmers' uprising in 1086, and his brother.

On the corner of Stengade and Sankt Annægade near the harbor is Sankt Olai Kirke, worth a peek for its elaborately carved wooden altar. Also in downtown are whole streets of medieval-era merchants' and ferrymen's houses—they're now modern shops.

Completed in 2008, the newest addition to the Royal Theater focuses mainly on drama. While theater stagings are primarily in Danish, more accessible dance and music performances are also featured. A beautiful wooden ramp extends in front of the striking glass building. In summer, the café and restaurant move onto this deck and offer one of the best views of the Copenhagen harbor. Behind the theater a new square and public beach, Ofelia Plads, has been created; there are frequent events and it's a popular place to while away a summer evening.

It's fitting that the first building most people see when arriving by ship is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers. Dominating the skyline, the Lutheran St. Nikolai Church dates back to the 12th century, but has been extensively remodeled and refurbished over the centuries. 

The workspace in this 1887 factory building overlooking the harbor is still being put to good use by regional lithographers and designers, who create and display their artwork in the spacious studio. Exhibitions in visual art by artists like Peter Carlsen occur regularly, as do book and poetry readings and live music.

Originally built for military drills, this cobbled square has since become the main town center of Rønne and the hub of its cultural and business life. In addition to the numerous shops, cafés, and restaurants surrounding the space, there are often booths set up where locals sell handicrafts, farm produce, and fish. The large neoclassical building at the top of the square is the former town hall, courthouse, and jail.

Aalborg has made it its mission to attract street artists from all over the world, and at the time of this writing there were more than 65 murals giving the city a pop of color. Some of them are found along busy intersections on the highway, others are hidden in residential courtyards, while a few are found along the pedestrian streets in the city. Stop by the tourist information office for an updated list and map of the murals.

This photogenic public park is the stuff that city planning dreams are made of. Designed by Superflex and Bjarke Ingels Group, the urban park has skate ramps, barbecue grills, a green park, and much more, making it popular among skaters, young parents with kids, dog walkers, and retired people going for a stroll.

This town is known for its pretty houses, which are dressed in hollyhocks and painted the same shade of yellow. The area between the bustling harbor and the small main square is packed with ice-cream parlors, cute cafés, small restaurants, design shops, and a number of artisan candy shops producing everything from caramel to licorice. There's also a brewery with a restaurant and a very ambitious and creative bakery with a flower shop attached to it. Walk south through the idyllic streets and pass the lighthouse to reach a small beach, a peaceful camping spot, and one of Denmark’s best beach bars.

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. A free English audio guide is available.

The museum is free on Wednesday.

Ever since opening in 2011, this covered marketplace with vendors selling culinary specialties has been busy. Vendors range from natural wine bars to stalls selling Vietnamese sandwiches, Danish licorice, raw food, and specialty coffee. There are many stalls selling delicacies to go and fresh vegetables, fish, meat, and poultry as well.

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. Admission includes access to an IMAX movie and a 3-D movie.

The village of Ladby, 16 km (10 miles) east of Odense, is best known as the home of the 1,100-year-old remains of this ship, which belonged to a Viking chieftain and is now the centerpiece of the Viking Museum. The chieftain was buried here, along with the hunting dogs and horses he would need for Valhalla—the afterlife.

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 museum café serves excellent Nordic Viking-inspired meals.

These cliffs, leading down to Ærø’s southern coast, are some of the most spectacular nature to be found on the island. The grassy, terrace-like giant steps link the rolling hills of Ærø’s heartland with one of Denmark’s southernmost coastal areas, and it’s an excellent place to go for a hike.

With one of the most beautiful spires puncturing the sky over Copenhagen, Our Savior Church is one of the city’s most beloved landmarks. It’s possible to scale the 398 steps leading up to the top of the spire, which has stunning views over Copenhagen’s harbor and Christiania.

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.