Nyhavn

What to do in the Danish capital of Copenhagen

Spending 2 days in Copenhagen

As the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen is the most popular tourist destination in the country. Many people come to see the little mermaid, but this Scandinavian capital has much more to offer. Denmark is one of the more expensive European countries to visit, so adjust your budget accordingly. Luckily there are some good deals to get. One thing we would advise all visitors who will be visiting at least a couple of sites, is to buy the Copenhagen Card. It offers free entry to almost all sites in Copenhagen, its surrounding area and free public transport including local trains.

Day one

We did most of our exploration on foot, but Copenhagen has an excellent public transport network to help you out if you’re getting tired. There is a lot to see, so get up as early as possible for you. The first six sites are always open, so ideally you would do this all before ten o’clock when the SMK opens.

Nyhavn

Nyhavn

Besides the little mermaid, Copenhagen’s Nyhavn is its most recognizable spot. Start your day here, just to get it over with, but also since the early morning light and the lack of huge crowds will enhance your experience.

Amalienborg

Just up the road towards the little mermaid is Amalienborg, the residence of the Danish Kings and Queens. Amalienborg isn’t just one palace but four built around a central square. The current buildings were built in the Roccoco style in the 18th century.

Marble Church

If you turn your back to the water, you have a nice vista towards Frederik’s Church or the Marble Church. This rococo building has the largest dome in Scandinavia and was inspired by St Peters Church in Rome.

Kastallet

Further north lies Kastallet, a 17th-century fortress built to protect the city and the harbour. The fortress is in excellent condition since it is still partly used as a military base. But a large part can be visited and, moreover, it forms a nice park for quiet walks.

Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid

So, as you make your way around the outer ramparts, you’ll see the most disappointing tourist attraction in the world, The Little Mermaid. Go here if you’re a completist and want to see it with your own eyes, or go here for the fun of it, the crowds swarming the little statue, doing strange poses and making their Instagram posts.

Nyboder

As you complete your walk around Kastallet, you enter the Nyboder district with its historic row houses. Originally built to house the families of the navy personnel.

Nyboder Houses

Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK)

The SMK, or National Gallery, has a good collection of European art from 1300 onwards. The best parts of the collection are the Danish and Nordic art from 1750 until 1900 not often seen outside of the Nordic countries.

Rosenborg Castle

Just across the road lies the Rosenborg Castle, surrounded by the lush Kongens Have, the royal gardens. These gardens are always busy with people escaping the bustling city and enjoying the green surroundings.

The castle itself is built in Dutch Renaissance style, by the same architects who also worked on the famous Kronborg Castle. The castle was mostly used as a summer house for the royal family but has been used as their residence also. The castle is in great condition and besides the contemporary interior, you can also see the Danish crown jewels here.

Rosenborg Castle and Kongens Have

David Collection

Just outside the park lies a wonderful relatively small private museum which has free admission. The David Collection houses three separate collections, the most beautiful and largest is its Islamic Art collection. The European art collection is nothing special, and the Danish modern art collection is small but interesting.

Round Tower

As you walk into the modern city centre you’ll find the Round Tower. This 17th-century tower can easily be climbed to the top for some nice views over the city. There are some expositions in the tower and the tower also has an observatory to watch the night sky.

Borse

Don’t forget to pass the beautiful 17th century Borse or commodity exchange. It’s a private building but it’s worth to look at the outside.

The National Museum

If you’re into history don’t forget to stop at the National history museum. They have some beautiful prehistoric treasures and bog bodies and a good section on the Vikings.   

Food

For dinner, try one of the street food places, the latest hip one is Reffen.

Day two

We opted to leave the city to see a bit of the countryside, the famous castle of Hamlet at Kronborg, and the outstanding Louisiana Modern Art Museum. We finished our day back in Copenhagen. There is enough to do to stay in the city but with limited time, this way you’ll optimize your time in Denmark. If you or your children are into Vikings, you can go to Roskilde instead. There, you’ll find a beautiful medieval church and an excellent Viking museum complete with original Viking Longboats.

Helsingør

Kronborg castle

Kronborg Castle

Since the Copenhagen card includes transport and sites outside the city, we choose to optimize our stay by visiting the castle at Kronborg. This UNESCO world heritage site lies at the entryway to the Oresund and controls its access. There have been earlier castles on this site, but the present-day one is in the same Dutch Renaissance style as Rosenborg castle. The castle in pretty good shape, sadly much of its interior has been lost to the Swedes who captured this castle in one of the many wars between the Kingdoms. Read our UNESCO World heritage site review of Kronborg Castle for more info.

Humlebæk

Louisiana Modern Art Museum

On your way back to Copenhagen you’ll pass the Louisiana Modern Art Museum. Get off at Humlebæk station and from there it’s a 10-minute walk to the museum. This museum is beautifully located in a sculpture park overlooking the sea. The sculpture garden has works by greats like Calder and Serra. The collection of the museum itself includes works of Giacometti, Asger Jorn and Yayoi Kusama.

Louisiana Modern Art Museum

Copenhagen

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

When you’re back in Copenhagen, make your way to the Glyptotek. This fabulous museum has one of the best collections of ancient sculptures in the world. But also, a big collection of 19th-century French sculptures and impressionist paintings.

Tivoli

End your stay in Copenhagen with a visit to the second oldest amusement park in the world. Tivoli is right in the centre of Copenhagen and next to the Glyptotek. Even if you don’t like attraction parks, it’s worth to just go for a walk through the grounds in the evening as everything is lighted and the atmosphere is magical.

Kronborg castle

Kronborg Castle UNESCO World Heritage Site Review

What has Hamlet’s castle Kronborg, to offer? Globazine rates the home of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in its UNESCO World Heritage Site Review. Continue reading to know if we advise you to travel to Kronborg Castle, situated close to Copenhagen, Denmark.

History

Kronborg Castle is situated at the very edge of Denmark, close to Sweden. It guards the Øresund and thereby controlled this entrance way into the Baltic Sea. Eric of Pomerania, King of Norway, King of Denmark and King of Sweden built the first stronghold in 1420. King Frederick II transformed this fortress into a Dutch-Renaissance style castle in 1574. Fire destroyed this castle in 1629, leaving only the chapel standing.

Kronborg maquette


King Christian IV reconstructed the exterior of the castle exactly as it was before. But the interior would never regain its former glory. The Swedes conquered the castle in 1658 and plundered most of its art. This forced the Danes to fortify the castle much more. So afterwards they added extra defensive works and ramparts to the castle. The castle served as a prison from 1739 until the 1900s.

This castle is also known as Elsinore. This is the anglicized name of the surrounding village Helsingor. Elsinore is also the name that Shakespeare used, when he situated his famous play ‘Hamlet, Prince of Denmark’ in the castle. And thereby making Kronborg Castle the most famous castle of Denmark.

Review

Read more about how we rated the Kronborg Castle and other sites at our UNESCO World Heritage Site Review.

Beauty 3.5/5

Kronborg interior


The castle has a nice Dutch renaissance style to it. It’s position overlooking the Øresund provides a beautiful backdrop. You have great views when the weather is clear. The interior of the castle is less stunning. Most rooms have simple decoration and fail to differentiate from other castles.

Uniqueness 2.5/5

Europe is littered with castles and this late-Renaissance example isn’t that extraordinary. But it still is in good shape without too much alterations. As an alternative you can visit Frederiksborg Palace or Rosenborg castle in Copenhagen. Both places are built in a similar style, but have much more lavish interiors. Nearby countries such as Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands also provide many alternatives.

Experience 4/5

Kronborg courtyard

Kronborg is a large castle divided into separate visiting areas. This makes your experience of the castle more focused and helps with the flow of visitors. Visitor numbers are especially high during the summer, so come early or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds. The separate areas add a bit of extra time since you have to exit to the courtyard and re-enter at a different wing. There is an audio guide available which adds depth to the story of the castle. The variation in the interior keeps the different rooms interesting. And the tour through the scarcely-lid underground dungeons adds to the mystery of the castle.

Disability:

Only the courtyard is accessible by wheelchair. The audio guide can also help the visually impaired. The lack of signage makes a visit less interesting for deaf people.

Value for money:

The entrance fee is like that of other castles and sights in Denmark. If you have bought the Copenhagen Card, then entry and transportation to the castle is free. Visiting the castle, the dungeons and the surrounding area will take around 2 hours. So, it’s good value for money.

Location 4/5

The castle is an hour away from Copenhagen by train. Trains run 2 or 3 times per hour depending on the day and time. Trains also stops at Humlebæk, there you can visit the excellent Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. This makes for a good combination as a day trip from Copenhagen.

Overall 3.5

Kronborg castle is a good-looking castle but apart from its location not so special. Still, it provides visitors with an interesting experience easy accessible from Copenhagen. This all leads to an overall score of 3.5.

Kronburg Castle