Nationalmuseet

The impressive Nationalmuseet, the National Museum of Copenhagen. On the other side of Frederiksholms Kanal, the 17th-century canal that runs along the southwest side of Slotsholmen, on the opposite side of the Slotsholmen Palace lies the Rococo palace known as Prinsens Palæ, the Prince’s Mansion, where the National Museum of Denmark is housed since 1892. The first mansion on the site was built for a rich Danish merchant in 1684. In 1725 King Frederick IV bought the building and transformed it into a royal residence for Crown Prince Christian VI.

From then on it would forever be the Prince’s mansion regardless of its following owners (statesmen, artists, and architects) and various uses (the last one being the Supreme Court of Denmark until 1864). A Museum of Nordic Antiquities after 1865 the palace finally became the home of the National Museum in 1892. Today the National Museum of Denmark is taking visitors on an incredible journey that covers thousands of years of history and cultures from all over the world. Here the entire Danish history is collected into one spot.

Eleven permanent exhibitions are beginning with the early Ice Age, Denmark in the Viking Age, and then over to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance up to the present, the 21st century. The magnificent 3000-year-old Sun Chariot, the Bronze Age Egtved Girl, the famous Golden Horns of Gallehus, and the early Roman Iron Age Gundestrup cauldron are only some of the most prominent artifacts of the pre-medieval era on display.

The world’s largest collection of Roman swords is here too, surpassing even those that exist in Italy. Aside from the classical collection of ancient Greek and Roman antiquities, there is also an extensive near eastern collection with the Egyptian Mummies being the undisputed stars.

The children’s museum has everything to captivate and teach children about the historical times and Danish culture, from a small Viking ship to a medieval kitchen. An authentic Victorian home from 1890, extraordinary exhibits like an original hash sales stall from Christiania several temporary exhibitions, Restaurant Smör with a menu inspired by Nordic cuisine and Danish heritage or just for a simple coffee in the Café in the Foyer, Copenhagen’s National Museum has more than enough to keep you busy for a whole day. A must-see. More