Tourist Places To Visit In Copenhagen

One of the jewels of the islands of Zealand, Copenhagen is one of the first destinations for a holiday trail through the Nordic countries. With its palaces and beaches, canals and gardens, this Danish capital exudes charm and ancient history. From Nordic residences to the amazing streets, from museums to harbours to towers, you have a hoard of tourist places to visit in Copenhagen. Here’s a little list.

Tivoli Gardens can be easily claimed as the inspiration for the Disney theme parks. It is an amusement park near Town Square Hall and one of the oldest running park, as it turns out; dating back to the year 1843. There are hall of mirrors, rollercoasters, puppet shows, concert halls, open air theatres, floral gardens and so much fun to be had here. At night, the lights sparkle and the cafes and restaurants come to life. Some locals and tourists call it the best place to visit in the city. Christmas is especially the most festive time around here.

The Christiansborg Palace is perched on the Slotsholmen Island and is the seat of Danish Government. It also doubles up as a great tourist attraction for its 800 year old history, the Parliament as well as the Supreme Court and the PM’s office. The Royal Family also utilises some parts of the palace and it is also the seat of Bishop Absalon, but most parts are open for tourists to visit.

Nationalmuseet or the National Museum of Denmark is located pretty close to the Tivoli Gardens, and is another slice of Danish history served in the beautiful artefacts and objects left behind. For those who are obsessed with Vikings and Danes and the story of their lives a thousand years ago, this is the museum to go. There are collections from as far back as the beginning of Common Era, with sun chariots, antique coins, Gothic church parts, Romanesque pieces, Danish porcelain and silver ware and Eskimo gear from Greenland. Also, do visit the Prince’s Palace indoors here, which is a Rococo French style structure.

Also called the New Harbour in English, the Nyhavn Harbour is located to the rear end of Amalienborg. The harbour is a postcard image, with its colourful backdrop of buildings, the walk by the side and an anchor at the end that is a tribute to the Danish sailors martyred in World War II. The gabled houses behind were once a part of the disreputable vibe of this part of the city, as most harbours at the time were wont to be. But today they house cafes and restaurants and business. There are ship museums and catamaran service offices too.

Rundetårn in Dane, the Round Tower is a tall observatory built back in 1642. Today it is home to a little display of collection from the Danish astronomer named Tycho Brahe. You can reach the main platform by climbing up the spiral ramp. Once at the top, you will get amazing views of Copenhagen. If you have been a fairytale fan, and who hasn’t, you will fall in love with the place for this is the place Hans Christian Andersen mentions in his story The Tinderbox when he says “eyes as big as the Round Tower.”

The Amalienborg Castle is a beautiful structure, not too far from the Rosenborg Palace. It is known for its peaceful waterfront and parks, a cluster of four stunning palaces and the history of their architectures, built as they were for the nobles and the family of the King. The palace is named for Queen Sophie Amalie, whose summer retreats here in 1689 burned down due to fire. This is a stunning palace with the square to double up as a place for some afternoon exploration and later sunset from the square.

Copenhagen is not all history and nothing else. The Strøget area is a bustling haven of shopping, street shopping, boutiques, cafes, bakeries and restaurants. Several streets cross over and drain into the Town Hall Square. Here are pedestrian streets lined with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Prada; with another lane housing street style and high street fashion like Zara, H&M and Weekday. Most travellers fond of shopping spend around half a day here, winding their way through all the shops, local boutiques and brands.

Nobody visits Copenhagen without visiting the Little Mermaid at least once. Inspired by the The Little Mermaid fairy tale, also locally called Den lille Havfrue by Hans Christian Andersen, the bronze statue of a pretty mermaid facing the sea is all sorts of tourism goal. It is located on the waterfront on Kastellet and tells the story of a mermaid that came out of the water because she fell in love with a prince. The prince didn’t love her back, and she was forced to leave the human land to return once again to sea.

A hippy settlement, Christiania is a Copenhagen neighbourhood that is around 40 years old and unique to the T. It was a social experiment of sorts when it was first designed, and it attracted a lot of controversy for the same reason. But nowadays it is a fun tourist attraction, with its ‘free town’ vibes and the alternate society concept. So many societal norms are not adhered to here, cars are banned and bicycles and horses used instead. Houses are handmade and the lake is the local kids’ go to place in summers, while the local shops and cafes barter with a special currency of Christiania.

Bakken is the world’s oldest amusement park, another feather in Copenhagen’s theme park hat. It is a more folksy, earthy version of the Tivoli Gardens. Here people come to enjoy the rides, especially with younger kids. The place has been a leisure facility since the 1500s and includes a ghost train, 30 trilling rides and 6 roller coasters. The park around the theme park is another added delight as it brings a natural serenity. Hands down, Bakken is the oldest operating theme park in the world.