Explore Copenhagen’s Cultural District

The Royal Library’s cultural center, The Black Diamond, juts out over Copenhagen Harbor. Connected to the historic library building from 1906, the Diamond sparkles with its black, granite-clad exterior on the waterfront.

Don’t miss:

Per Kirkeby’s 210 square meter ceiling painting, which you can find on the bridge between the old and new buildings.

The Danish Jewish Museum, designed by Daniel Libeskind in 2004, offers 400 years of Jewish immigration history in Denmark through sensory impressions, comics, and captivating stories.

Don’t miss:

The unique architecture, where the corridors are shaped like the Hebrew word Mitzvah, meaning a good deed.

Christian IV built the arsenal on Slotsholmen in 1604. Initially consisting of a war harbor, armory, provision house, and various workshops, the Danish War Museum opened in 1928 and displays 500 years of Danish war history.

Don’t miss:

The beautiful, vaulted ceilings in the 156-meter-long Arsenal Hall, which has housed cannons since 1604.

Lapidarium means ‘collection of stones,’ which is exactly what the Lapidarium of Kings is. As a retirement home for more than 350 royal statues too worn out to stand outside, Christian IV’s red Brewery from 1608 now serves as an exhibition space.

Don’t miss:

The enormous red tile roof, covering five of the building’s seven floors, with its impressive timber, beam, and post structure fully visible from inside.

Christiansborg Palace from 1928 is the third Christiansborg and stands on the foundations of two previous palaces. The Royal Family uses part of the west wing for official functions, which you can visit when they are not hosting dignitaries.

Don’t miss:

Bjørn Nørgaard’s 17 modern tapestries depicting over a thousand years of Danish history from the Viking Age to the year 2000, found in the Great Hall.

The Danish Parliament and its 179 elected members have been housed at Christiansborg Palace since the Danish Constitution was signed by King Frederik VII in 1849. A visit to the gallery offers insight into the history of democracy and parliamentary work.

Don’t miss:

The tower at Christiansborg, Copenhagen’s tallest at 106 meters (about 347.77 ft). From the viewing platform at 44 meters, you can see the entire city.

Thorvaldsen’s Museum is a tribute to the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, an international superstar in 19th-century Rome, where he created sculptures for the Pope, Napoleon, and European royal houses. The museum opened in 1848 as Denmark’s first public museum building.

Don’t miss:

The museum’s inner courtyard, a peaceful, southern place with painted palms and laurel leaves, where Bertel Thorvaldsen is buried in the center.

The art at Gammel Strand is housed in a listed building from 1750, designed by architect Philip de Lange. Here, you can experience international art that critically and nuancedly addresses contemporary issues and focuses on significant current questions.

Don’t miss:

The courtyard with its ocher-yellow walls, inviting steps, and green flowerbeds, connecting the art hall with the back street Læderstræde.

One of Copenhagen’s oldest churches, St. Nicholas Church, has withstood fires and storms since the 1200s. Since 1981, the building has been an art hall and in Nikolaj Kunsthal you can experience Danish and international contemporary art.

Don’t miss:

The spire in the hall, which is the top of the original spire from the church built in 1591.

Architect Martin Nyrop placed the City Archives centrally when he designed Copenhagen City Hall – right below the City Council chambers. Here, you can explore the city’s and its residents’ history spanning more than 700 years.

Don’t miss:

40 kilometers (about 24.85 miles) of archival material. The oldest document is from 1275, while the newest is electronic and from this year.

The Museum of Copenhagen is housed in the former Overformynderi – the Danish Public Guardian Office – from 1894, a building restored to its original appearance for the museum’s opening. A visit lets you discover the city’s history from the first human traces to today.

Don’t miss:

The re-established colors, uncovered through color archaeology, visible on several door frames in the building.

Located in a building by the Museum of Copenhagen, the Archaeological Workshop showcases the museum’s many archaeological finds. Here, you can gain insight into the process from discovery to museum display.

Don’t miss:

The chance to sort, wash, and examine pottery shards, animal bones, or other items found daily in Copenhagen’s underground.

The National Museum is Denmark’s largest cultural history museum. You find it in the Prince’s Mansion, a grand Rococo palace built in 1744. Here, you’ll find an extensive collection of artifacts from prehistoric times to today.

Don’t miss:

The Sun Chariot, crafted in the Bronze Age around 1400 BC, and featured on the last edition of the Danish 1000-kroner bill.

Designed by the Dutch architectural firm OMA, led by architect Rem Koolhaas, BLOX is a creative and cultural hub promoting innovation in architecture, design, and sustainable urban development.

Don’t miss:

BLOX serves as a public passage directly to the harbor. Walk down the steps from Bryghuspladsen in front of BLOX and reach the wooden deck by the harbor on the other side.

DAC is housed in BLOX, a building designed as a city unto itself. Here, children and adults, locals and tourists, architecture enthusiasts and curious beginners are invited to experience architecture’s role in society and its ability to shape our reality.

Don’t miss:

The rooftop terraces at DAC Cafe, offering some of the finest views of the city, harbor, and Cultural District.