Roskilde • Frederiksborg Castle • Louisiana Art Museum • Kronborg Castle
Copenhagen’s the star, but there are several worthwhile sights nearby on its island (called Zealand), and the public transportation system makes side-tripping a joy. Visit Roskilde’s great Viking ships and royal cathedral. Tour Frederiksborg, Denmark’s most spectacular castle, and slide along the cutting edge at Louisiana Art Museum—a superb collection with a coastal setting as striking as its art. At Helsingør, do the dungeons of Kronborg Castle before heading on to Sweden.
The area’s essential sights are Roskilde’s cathedral (with the tombs of Danish royalty) and its Viking ships, along with Frederiksborg Castle. Each destination takes a half-day, and each one is an easy commute from Copenhagen in different directions (30- or 40-minute train ride, then a 20-minute walk or short bus ride). If you’re really fast and well-organized, you could visit both Roskilde and Frederiksborg with public transportation in a day (see “The Zealand Blitz,” later).
If you’re choosing between castles, Frederiksborg is the beautiful showpiece with the opulent interior, and Kronborg—darker and danker—is more typical of the way most castles really were. Both are dramatic from the outside, but Kronborg—overlooking the raging sea channel to Sweden—has a more scenic setting. Castle collectors can hit both in a day (see the two-castle day plan, later).
Drivers can visit these sights on the way into or out of Copenhagen. By train, do day trips from Copenhagen, then sleep while traveling to and from Copenhagen to Oslo (by boat, or by train via Malmö, Sweden) or Stockholm (by train via Malmö). Consider getting a Copenhagen Card, which covers your transportation to all of the destinations in this chapter, as well as admission to Roskilde Cathedral, Frederiksborg Castle, Kronborg Castle, and Louisiana Art Museum (but not the Roskilde Viking Ship Museum). Each train ride is just long enough for a relaxed picnic.
The Zealand Blitz—Roskilde Cathedral, Viking Ship Museum, and Frederiksborg Castle in a Day: If you have limited time and are well-organized, you can see the highlights of Zealand in one exciting day. Here’s the plan (all times are rough, train connections take about 30-40 minutes, trains depart about every 10 minutes): Leave Copenhagen by train at 8:00, arrive in Roskilde at 8:30, wander through the town and be at the cathedral when it opens at 9:00 (opens later on Sun and in off-season). At 10:00, after an hour in the cathedral, stroll down to the harborfront to tour the Viking Ship Museum. They can call a taxi for you to return to the station for a 13:00 train back to Copenhagen. Buy a picnic lunch at Roskilde’s station and munch your lunch on the train. Catch a 14:00 train from Copenhagen to Hillerød; there you’ll catch the bus to Frederiksborg Castle, arriving at 15:00. This gives you two hours to enjoy the castle before it closes at 17:00 (earlier in off-season). Browse through Hillerød before catching a train at 18:00 to return to Copenhagen. You’ll be back at your hotel by 19:00.
A Two-Castle Day (plus Louisiana) by Public Transportation: You can see both Frederiksborg and Kronborg castles, plus Louisiana Art Museum, in one busy day. (This works best on Tue-Fri, when Louisiana is open until 22:00.) Take the train from Copenhagen to Hillerød (leaving about 9:00), then hop on the awaiting bus to Frederiksborg Castle; you’ll hear the 10:00 bells and be the first tourist inside. Linger in the sumptuous interior for a couple of hours, but get back to the station in time for a midday train (about 12:30 or 13:00) to Helsingør, a 15-minute walk from Kronborg Castle. Either munch your picnic lunch on the train, or—if it’s a nice day—save it for the ramparts of Kronborg Castle. If you’re castled out, skip the interior (saving the ticket price, and more time for Louisiana) and simply enjoy the Kronborg grounds and Øresund views before catching a train south toward Copenhagen. Hop off at Humlebæk for Louisiana.
All of these sights except Roskilde are served by Copenhagen’s excellent commuter-train (S-tog) system (covered by Eurail Pass; Copenhagen Card; and “24-hour ticket” and “7-day FlexCard”—both of which include greater Copenhagen; not covered by City Pass, which includes only zones 1-4). All of the train connections (including the line to Roskilde) depart from the main train station; but be aware that most lines also stop at other Copenhagen stations, which may be closer to your hotel (for example, the Nørreport Station near the recommended Ibsens and Jørgensen hotels). Check schedules carefully to avoid needlessly going to the main train station.
At the main train station, S-tog lines do not appear on the overhead schedule screens (which are for longer-distance destinations); simply report to tracks 9-10 to wait for your train (there’s a schedule at the head of those tracks).
If renting a car, see “Route Tips for Drivers,” at the end of the chapter, for more information.
Denmark’s roots, both Viking and royal, are on display in Roskilde (ROSS-killa), a pleasant town 18 miles west of Copenhagen. The town was the seat of the bishop and the residence of Danish royalty until 1450, when it shifted to Copenhagen. In its day, it was the second biggest city in the country. Today the town that introduced Christianity to Denmark in A.D. 980 is much smaller, except for the week of its famous rock/jazz/folk festival—northern Europe’s largest—when 100,000 fans pack the place and it becomes one of Denmark’s biggest cities again (early July, www.roskilde-festival.dk). Wednesday and Saturday are flower/flea/produce market days (8:00-14:00).
Roskilde is an easy side-trip from Copenhagen by train (5/hour, 30 minutes). Trains headed to Ringsted, Nykøbing, or Lindholm may not stop in Roskilde (which is an intermediate stop you won’t see listed on departure boards)—confirm in advance. Returning to Copenhagen, hop on any train in the direction of Østerport or København H.
Roskilde’s helpful TI is on the main square, next to the cathedral (Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-13:00, closed Sun; Stændertorvet 1, tel. 46 31 65 65, www.visitroskilde.com).
There are no lockers at the train station (or nearby), but the TI—about a five-minute walk away—will take your bags for a few hours if you ask nicely.
From the train station, consider this circular route: First you’ll head to the TI, then the cathedral, and finally down to the harborfront museum. Exit straight out from the station, and walk down to the bottom of the square. Turn left (at the Kvickly supermarket) on the pedestrianized shopping street, Algade (literally “the street for all”). After walking down this main drag about four blocks, you emerge into the main square, Stændertorvet, with the TI and the cathedral. After visiting the cathedral, you’ll head about 10 minutes downhill (through a pleasant park) to the Viking Ship Museum: Facing the cathedral facade, turn left and head down the tree-lined path through the park. When you emerge at the roundabout (avoiding the temptation to eat a “Viking Pizza”), continue straight through it to reach the museum.
If you want to go directly from the station to the Viking Ship Museum, you can ride a bus.
Roskilde’s imposing 12th-century, twin-spired cathedral houses the tombs of nearly all of the Danish kings and queens (39 royals in all; pick up the included guidebook as you enter). If you’re a fan of Danish royalty or of evolving architectural styles, it’s thrilling; even if you’re neither, Denmark’s “Westminster Abbey” is still interesting. It’s a stately, modern-looking old church with great marble work, paintings, wood carvings, and an engaged congregation that makes the place feel very alive (particularly here in largely unchurched Scandinavia). A big museum and welcome center are in the works.
Cost and Hours: 60 kr; April-Sept Mon-Sat 9:00-17:00, Sun 12:30-17:00; Oct-March Tue-Sat 10:00-16:00, Sun 12:30-16:00, closed Mon; often closed for funerals and on Sat-Sun afternoons for baptisms and weddings; free organ concerts offered July-Aug Thu at 20:00; tel. 46 35 16 24, www.roskildedomkirke.dk.
Self-Guided Tour: Begun in the 1170s by Bishop Absalom (and completed in 1280), Roskilde Cathedral was cleared of its side chapels and altars by the Reformation iconoclasts—leaving a blank slate for Danish royals to fill with their tombs. The highlight here is slowly strolling through a half-millennium’s worth of royal chapels, representing a veritable textbook’s worth of architectural styles.
• Before entering, walk around the outside of the cathedral.
Exterior, King’s Door, and Tomb of Frederik IX: Notice the big bricks, which date from the 12th century, and how the cathedral is built on the highest ground in town. Face the towering west facade. The main door—called the King’s Door—was installed in 2010 and depicts scenes from the ministry of Jesus. This door is used by the congregation only to leave special services; the only people who may enter through this door are members of the royal family.
Find the freestanding brick chapel to the left. This holds the remains of Denmark’s last king, Frederik IX (1899-1972), and his wife Ingrid (parents of the current queen, born in 1940). While all of the other monarchs are inside, Frederik—who was an avid sailor in his youth—requested to be buried here, with a view of the harbor.
• Now go around the right side, buy a ticket, and go inside. First, head to the middle of the nave to look at...
The King’s Door, from Inside: The glittering-gold, highly stylized relief shows the scene after the Resurrection when Jesus breaks bread in the company of some apostles—who until this point had not recognized him (their mouths hang agape at their realization).
Glockenspiel: In the rear of the church, high on the wall, you can see the little glockenspiel that makes a racket at the top of every hour as George kills the dragon and the centuries-old billows wail.
• Now we’ll take a clockwise spin through the interior to see the significant royal burial chapels. While this tour is not chronological, neither are the tombs. Continue through the left aisle and into the big chapel housing some of the cathedral’s most recent additions (from the late 19th through early 20th centuries).
Glücksburger Chapel: In the corner, the Glücksburger Chapel, with a plain light dome, holds the tomb of Christian IX, nicknamed the “father-in-law of Europe” for how he married his many children into royal families across the Continent. He died in 1906. The three mourning women were sculpted by Edvard Eriksen, who also produced Copenhagen’s famed Little Mermaid statue (notice the middle woman).
St. Birgitta’s Chapel: The next chapel, dedicated to St. Birgitta, will eventually (“Not soon,” hope the Danes) have a new tenant: It has been restored to house the tomb of the current queen, Margrethe II, and her husband Henrik. She teamed up with an artist to design her own tomb (there’s a model on display). Her body will reside in the stepped area at the bottom, upon which stand three columns representing the far-flung Danish holdings: one made of basalt from the Faroe Islands, another of marble from Greenland, and the third of stone from Denmark proper. Topping the columns are elephants (symbols of Danish royalty) and a semitransparent glass tomb, symbolizing the unpredictability of life and how death, like a seed, is a new beginning.
St. Andrew’s Chapel: The next chapel, a modern addition to the church, is dedicated to St. Andrew and has a glittering mosaic over the altar. But pre-Reformation frescoes (1511) peek through the Protestant whitewash. Standing in front of this chapel, look across the nave to see the gorgeous 16th-century Baroque organ.
Christian IV Chapel: The next, larger chapel (up the stairs behind the small wooden organ) dates from the era of Christian IV, the larger-than-life 17th-century king who created modern Denmark. Christian also left his mark on Roskilde Cathedral, building the altarpiece, pulpit, distinctive twin towers...and this chapel. Walk around the stately yet humble tombs, marvel at the painting, and consider the huge personality of the greatest king in Danish history. In here you’ll see a fine statue of the king, by Bertel Thorvaldsen; a large 3-D painting with Christian IV wearing his trademark eye patch, after losing his eye in battle; and his rather austere tomb (black with silver trim, surrounded by several others). Great he was...until his many wars impoverished his once mighty country.
• Head into the nave and climb up the stairs into the choir area.
The Nave, Choir, and High Altar: Take in the gorgeous gilded altarpiece and finely carved stalls. The three-winged altarpiece, carved in 1560 in Antwerp, shows scenes from Christ’s last week. The fine carvings above the chairs in the choir feature scenes from the Old Testament on one side and the New Testament on the other.
Tomb of Margrethe I: Behind the altar is the ornately decorated tomb of Margrethe I, the Danish queen who added Norway to her holdings by marrying Norwegian King Håkon VI in 1363. Legend holds that buried in a nearby brick pilaster are the supposed remains of Harold (read the Latin: Haraldus) Bluetooth, who ruled more than a millennium ago (r. 958-985 or 986), made Roskilde the capital of his realm, and converted his subjects to Christianity.
• Now explore the apse (the area behind the altar).
Apse: Go down the stairs, walk over the well-worn tombs of 500-year-old aristocrats who had the money to buy prime tomb space, and go through the little door. Circle around the apse, noticing more fine tombs behind Margrethe’s.
• Hooking back around toward the front, dip into the many more chapels you’ll pass, including...
Frederik V’s Chapel: The grand, textbook Neoclassical tomb of Frederik V has white pillars, gold trim, and mourning maidens—representing Norway and Denmark—in ancient Greek gowns. You’ll also pass a room housing elaborate, canopied Baroque tombs. Imagine: Each king or queen commissioned a tomb that suited his or her time—so different, yet all so grand.
Christian I’s Chapel: The next chapel, with the tomb of Christian I, has a stone column marking the heights of visiting monarchs such as Prince Charles. The P is for the giant Russian czar Peter the Great—clearly the tallest.
• Leaving the cathedral, turn right and walk downhill for 10 minutes along a peaceful tree-lined lane that will eventually take you to the harbor and the Viking Ship Museum.
Vik literally means “shallow inlet,” and “Vikings” were the people who lived along those inlets. Roskilde—and this award-winning museum—are strategically located along one such inlet. (They call it a “fjord,” but it’s surrounded by much flatter terrain than the Norwegian fjords.) Centuries before Europe’s Age of Exploration, Viking sailors navigated their sleek, sturdy ships as far away as the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Persian Gulf, and the Americas. This museum displays five different Viking ships, which were discovered in the Roskilde fjord and painstakingly excavated, preserved, and pieced back together beginning in the 1960s. The ships aren’t as intact or as ornate as those in Oslo, but this museum does a better job of explaining shipbuilding. The outdoor area (on “Museum Island”) continues the experience, with a chance to see modern-day Vikings creating replica ships, chat with an old-time rope maker, and learn more about the excavation. The English descriptions are excellent—it’s the kind of museum where you want to read everything.
Cost and Hours: 115 kr, daily mid-June-Aug 10:00-17:00, Sept-mid-June 10:00-16:00, tel. 46 30 02 00, www.vikingeskibsmuseet.dk.
Tours: Free 45-minute tours in English run mid-June-Aug daily at 12:00 and 15:00; May-mid-June and Sept Sat-Sun at 12:00; none off-season.
Boat Ride: The museum’s workshop has re-created working replicas of all five of the ships on display here, plus others. For an extra 90 kr, you can go for a fun hour-long sail around Roskilde’s fjord in one of these replica Viking vessels (you’ll row, set sail, and row again; frequent departures—up to 7/day—in summer, fewer off-season, ask about schedule when you arrive or call ahead).
Eating: Café Knarr serves salads, sandwiches, and “planks” of Viking tapas with ingredients the Vikings knew (decent prices, open daily 11:00-16:00).
Getting There: It’s on the harbor at Vindeboder 12. From the train station, catch bus #203 toward Boserup (2/hour, 7-minute ride). From the cathedral, it’s a 10-minute downhill walk. The museum desk can call a taxi (100 kr) when you want go back to the station.
Visiting the Museum: The museum has two parts: the Viking Ship Hall, with the remains of the five ships; and, across the drawbridge, Museum Island with workshops, replica ships, a café, and more exhibits. There are ticket offices at each location; it’s best to start with the Viking Ship Hall.
As you enter the Viking Ship Hall, check the board for the day’s activities and demonstrations (including shipbuilding, weaving, blacksmithing, and minting). Consider buying the 20-kr guidebook and request the 14-minute English movie shown in the lobby’s cinema.
Your visit is a one-way walk. You’ll first see the five ships, then go through the preservation exhibit, the kids’ zone with a video about the modern voyage of the Sea Stallion, and finally the popular shop.
The core of the exhibit is the remains of five ships, which were deliberately sunk a thousand years ago to block an easy channel into this harbor (leaving open only the most challenging approach—virtually impossible for anyone but a local to navigate). The ships, which are named for the place where they were found (Skuldelev), represent an impressively wide range of Viking shipbuilding technology. Skuldelev 1 is a big, sail-powered ocean-going trade ship made in Norway, with a crew of six to eight men and room for lots of cargo; it’s like the ship Leif Eriksson took to America 1,000 years ago. Skuldelev 2 is a 100-foot-long, 60-oar longship made in the Viking city of Dublin; loaded with 65 or 70 bloodthirsty warriors, it struck fear into the hearts of foes. It’s similar to the ones depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry in Normandy, France. Skuldelev 3 is a modest coastal trader that stayed closer to home (wind-powered with oar backup, similar to #1 in design and also made in Norway). Skuldelev 5 is a smaller longship—carrying about 30 warriors, it’s the little sibling of #2. And Skuldelev 6 is a small fishing vessel—a row/sail hybrid that was used for whaling and hunting seals. (There’s no #4 because they originally thought #2 was two different ships...and the original names stuck.)
Exhibits in the surrounding rooms show the 25-year process of excavating and preserving the ships, explain a step-by-step attack and defense of the harbor, and give you a chance to climb aboard a couple of replica ships for a fun photo op. You’ll also see displays describing the re-creation of the Sea Stallion, a replica of the big longship (#2) constructed by modern shipbuilders using ancient techniques. A crew of 65 rowed this ship to Dublin in 2007 and then back to Roskilde in the summer of 2008. You can watch a 20-minute film of their odyssey.
Leaving the hall, cross the drawbridge to Museum Island. Replicas of all five ships—and others—bob in the harbor; you can actually climb on board the largest, the Sea Stallion (if in port). At the boatyard, watch modern craftsmen re-create millennium-old ships using the original methods and materials. Poke into the various workshops, with exhibits on tools and methods. The little square called Tunet (“Gathering Place”) is ringed by traditional craft shops—basket maker, rope maker, blacksmith, wood carver—which are sometimes staffed by workers doing demonstrations. In the archaeological workshop, exhibits explain how they excavated and preserved the precious timbers of those five ships.
Frederiksborg Castle, rated ▲▲, sits on an island in the middle of a lake in the cute town of Hillerød. This grandest castle in Scandinavia is often called the “Danish Versailles.” Built from 1602 to 1620, Frederiksborg was the castle of Denmark’s King Christian IV. Much of it was reconstructed after an 1859 fire, with the normal Victorian over-the-top flair, by the brewer J. C. Jacobsen and his Carlsberg Foundation.
You’ll still enjoy some of the magnificent spaces of the castle’s heyday: The breathtaking grounds and courtyards, the sumptuous chapel, and the regalia-laden Great Hall. But most of the place was turned into a fine museum in 1878. Today it’s the Museum of National History, taking you on a chronological walk through the story of Denmark from 1500 until today (the third/top floor covers modern times). The countless musty paintings are a fascinating scrapbook of Danish history—it’s a veritable national portrait gallery, with images of great Danes from each historical period of the last half-millennium.
A fine path leads around the lake, with ever-changing views of the castle. The traffic-free center of Hillerød is also worth a wander.
Tourist Information: Hillerød’s TI, with a good town map and brochures for the entire North Zealand region, is in the freestanding white house next to the castle parking lot (to the left as you face the main castle gate; May-Sept Mon-Fri 9:30-16:00, closed Sat-Sun except open Sat in July 9:30-13:30, closed Oct-April, Frederiksværksgade 2A, tel. 48 24 26 26, www.visitnordsjaelland.com). Because the TI is inside an art gallery, if the TI is “closed” while the gallery is open, you can still slip inside and pick up a town map and brochures.
By Train: From Copenhagen, take the S-tog to Hillerød (line E, 6/hour, 40 minutes, bikes go free on S-tog trains).
From the Hillerød station, you can enjoy a pleasant 20-minute walk to the castle, or catch bus #301 or #302 (free with S-tog ticket or Copenhagen Card, buses are to the right as you exit station, ride three stops to Frederiksborg Slot bus stop; as buses go in two directions from here, confirm direction with driver).
If walking, just follow the signs to the castle. Bear left down the busy road (Jernbanegade) until the first big intersection, where you’ll turn right. After a couple of blocks, where the road curves to the left, keep going straight; from here, bear left and downhill to the pleasant square Torvet, with great views of the castle and a café pavilion. At this square, turn left and walk through the pedestrianized shopping zone directly to the castle gate.
Linking to Other Sights: If continuing directly to Helsingør (with Kronborg Castle), hop on the regional train (departs from track 16 at Hillerød station, Mon-Fri 2/hour, Sat-Sun 1/hour, 30 minutes). From Helsingør, it’s a quick trip on the train to the town of Humlebæk (where you’ll find Louisiana Art Museum).
By Car: Drivers will find easy parking at the castle (for driving directions, see “Route Tips for Drivers” at the end of this chapter).
Cost and Hours: 75 kr, daily April-Oct 10:00-17:00, Nov-March 11:00-15:00.
Tours: Take advantage of the free, informative, one-hour iPod audioguide; ask for it when you buy your ticket. My self-guided tour zooms in on the highlights, but the audioguide is more extensive. There are also posted explanations and/or borrowable English descriptions in many rooms. Daily English-language, 30-minute highlights tours leave at 14:00 (included in admission).
Information: Tel. 48 26 04 39, www.dnm.dk.
Eating: You can picnic in the castle’s moat park or enjoy the Spisestedet Leonora at the moat’s edge (70-90-kr smørrebrød and sandwiches, 100-kr salads, 145-kr hot dishes, open daily 10:00-17:00, slow service). Or, better, walk into the town center near the bus stop.
SELF-GUIDED TOURThe castle’s included audio tour is excellent, and you can almost follow it in real time for a one-hour blitz of the palace’s highlights. Use my self-guided tour to supplement the audioguide.
From the entrance of the castle complex, it’s an appropriately regal approach to the king’s residence. You can almost hear the clopping of royal hooves as you walk over the moat and through the first island (which housed the stables and small businesses needed to support a royal residence). Then walk down the winding (and therefore easy-to-defend) lane to the second island, which was home to the domestic and foreign ministries. Finally, cross over the last moat to the main palace, where the king lived.
Survey the castle exterior from the Fountain of Neptune. Christian IV imported Dutch architects to create this “Christian IV style,” which you’ll see all over Copenhagen. The brickwork and sandstone are products of the local clay and sandy soil. The building, with its horizontal lines, triangles, and squares, is generally in Renaissance style, but notice how this is interrupted by a few token Gothic elements on the church’s facade. Some say this homey touch was to let the villagers know the king was “one of them.”
• Step over the last moat, through the ornate gate, and into the castle grounds. Go in the door in the middle of the courtyard to buy your ticket, pick up your free audioguide, and put your bag in a locker (mandatory). Pick up a free floor plan; room numbers will help orient you on this tour. You’ll enter the Knights’ Parlor, also called The Rose, a long room decorated as it was during the palace’s peak of power. Go up the stairs on the left side of this hall to the...
Christian IV wanted to have the grandest royal chapel in Europe. For 200 years the coronation place of Danish kings, this chapel is still used for royal weddings (and is extremely popular for commoner weddings—book long in advance). The chapel is nearly all original, dating back to 1620. As you walk around the upper level, notice the graffiti scratched on the windowpanes by the diamond rings of royal kids visiting for the summer back in the 1600s. Most of the coats of arms show off noble lineage—with a few exceptions we’ll get to soon. At the far end of the chapel, the wooden organ is from 1620, with its original hand-powered bellows. (Hymns play on the old carillon at the top of each hour.)
Scan the hundreds of coats of arms lining the walls. These belong to people who have received royal orders from the Danish crown (similar to Britain’s knighthoods). While most are obscure princesses and dukes, a few interesting (and more familiar) names show up just past the organ. In the first window bay after the organ, look for the distinctive red, blue, black, and green shield of South Africa—marking Nelson Mandela’s coat of arms. (Notice he was awarded the highly prestigious Order of the Elephant, usually reserved for royalty.) Around the side of the same column (facing the chapel interior), find the coats of arms for Dwight D. Eisenhower (with the blue anvil and the motto “Peace through understanding”), Winston Churchill (who already came from a noble line), and Field Marshal Bernard “Monty” Montgomery. Around the far side of this column is the coat of arms for France’s wartime leader, Charles de Gaulle.
Leaving the chapel, you step into the king’s private oratory, with evocative Neo-Romantic paintings (restored after a fire) from the mid-19th century.
• You’ll emerge from the chapel into the museum collection. But before seeing that, pay a visit to the Audience Room: Go through the door in the left corner marked Audienssalen, and proceed through the little room to the long passageway (easy to miss).
Here, where formal meetings took place, a grand painting shows the king as a Roman emperor firmly in command (with his two sons prominent for extra political stability). This family is flanked by Christian IV (on the left) and Frederik III (on the right). Christian’s military victories line the walls, and the four great continents—Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa—circle the false cupola (notice it’s just an attic). Look for the odd trapdoor in one corner with a plush chair on it. This was where they could majestically lower the king to the exit.
• Now go back to the museum section, and proceed through the numbered rooms.
Spanning three floors and five centuries, this exhaustive collection juxtaposes portraits, paintings of historical events, furniture, and other objects from the same time period, all combining to paint a picture of a moment in Danish history. While fascinating, the collection is huge, so I’ve selected only the most interesting items to linger over.
First Floor: Proceed to Room 26, which is focused on the Reformation. The case in the middle of the room holds the first Bible translated into Danish (from 1550—access to the word of God was a big part of the Reformation). Over the door to the next room is the image of a monk, Hans Tausen, invited by the king to preach the new thinking of the Reformation...sort of the “Danish Martin Luther.” Also note the effort noble families put into legitimizing themselves with family trees and family seals.
Pass through Rooms 27, 28, and 29, and into Room 30—with paintings telling the story of Christian IV. Directly across from the door you entered is a painting of the chancellor on his deathbed, handing over the keys to the kingdom to a still-wet-behind-the-ears young Christian IV—the beginning of a long and fruitful career. On the right wall is a painting of Christian’s coronation (the bearded gentleman looking out the window in the upper-left corner is Carlsberg brewer and castle benefactor J. C. Jacobsen—who, some 300 years before his birth, was probably not actually in attendance). Room 31 covers the royal family of Charles IV, while the smaller, darkened corner Room 32 displays the various Danish orders; find the most prestigious, the Order of the Elephant.
• Hook back through Room 30, go outside on the little passage, and climb up the stairs.
Second Floor: Go to the corner Room 39, which has a fascinating golden globe designed to illustrate Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus’ bold new heliocentric theory (that the sun, not the earth, was the center of our world). Look past the constellations to see the tiny model of the solar system at the very center, with a brass ball for the sun and little figures holding up symbols for each of the planets. The mechanical gears could actually make this model move to make the illustration more vivid.
Continue into one of the castle’s most jaw-dropping rooms, the Great Hall (Room 38). The walls are lined with tapestries and royal portraits (including some modern ones, near the door). The remarkable wood-carved ceilings include panels illustrating various industries. The elevated platform on the left was a gallery where musicians could play without getting in the way of the revelry.
Head back out and walk back along the left side of the hall. You can go quickly through the rooms numbered in the 40s and 50s (though pause partway down the long hallway; on the left, find the optical-illusion portrait that shows King Frederik V when viewed from one angle, and his wife when viewed from another). At the far end of this section, Room 57 has a portrait of Hans Christian Andersen. Notice that fashion styles have gotten much more modern...suits and ties instead of tights and powdered wigs. It’s time to head into the modern world.
• Find the modern spiral staircase nearby. Downstairs are late-19th-century exhibits—which are skippable. Instead, head up to the top floor.
Third Floor: This staircase puts you right in the middle of the modern collection. From here, the museum’s focus shifts, focusing more on the art and less on the history. Highlights include:
The Art Critics, showing four past-their-prime, once-rambunctious artists themselves, now happily entrenched in the art institution, leaning back to critique a younger artist’s work.
A room focusing on Denmark’s far-flung protectorate of Greenland, with a porcelain polar bear and portraits of explorers.
A room of distinctive Impressionist/Post-Impressionist paintings, with a Danish spin.
The Ninth of April, 1940, showing the (ultimately unsuccessful) Danish defense against Nazi invaders on that fateful date.
A room focusing on the royal family, with a life-size, photorealistic portrait of the beloved Queen Margrethe II. Facing her is her daughter-in-law, Mary Donaldson—who, in this portrait at least, bears a striking resemblance to another young European royal.
Peter Carlsen’s Denmark 2009—a brilliant parody of Eugène Delacroix’s famous painting Liberty Leading the People (a copy of the inspiration is on the facing wall). Carlsen has replaced the stirring imagery of the original with some dubious markers of contemporary Danish life: football flags, beer gut, shopping bags, tabloids, bikini babes, even a Christiania flag. It’s a delightfully offbeat (and oh-so-Danish) note to end our visit to this seriously impressive palace.
While there’s not much here, the pedestrianized commercial zone is pleasant enough. It’s best visited from the castle. Slotsgade, the main street, leads away from the castle bus stop toward the train station and is lined with shops and cafés. An inviting Scandinavian sweater shop is right at the bus stop. And if you feel like a little (very little) cruise, a tiny ferry leaves from a pier next to the castle and stops at the castle garden across the lake (30 kr, free with Copenhagen Card, 2/hour, 30 minutes).
This is Scandinavia’s most-raved-about modern-art museum. Located in the town of Humlebæk, beautifully situated on the coast 18 miles north of Copenhagen, Louisiana is a holistic place that masterfully mixes its art, architecture, and landscape.
Take the train from Copenhagen toward Helsingør, and get off at Humlebæk (3/hour, 30 minutes). It’s a pleasant 10-minute walk (partly through a forest) to the museum: Exit the station and immediately go left onto Hejreskor Allé, a residential street; when the road curves right, continue straight along the narrow footpath through the trees. After you exit the trail, the museum is just ahead and across the street (at Gammel Strandvej 13).
If you’re arriving by train from Helsingør, take the pedestrian underpass beneath the tracks, then follow the directions above. Louisiana is also connected to Helsingør by bus #388 (runs hourly, stops right at museum as well as at Humlebæk).
If you’re coming from Frederiksborg Castle, you have two options: You can catch the Lille Nord train from Hillerød to Helsingør, then change there to a regional train heading south to Humlebæk (1-2/hour, 30 minutes). Alternately, you can take the S-tog toward Copenhagen and Køge, get off at Hellerup, then catch a regional train north toward Helsingør to reach Humlebæk (6/hour, 30 minutes).
Cost: 110 kr, included in a special 200-kr round-trip tour ticket from Copenhagen—ask at any train station. Tel. 49 19 07 19, www.louisiana.dk.
Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-18:00, closed Mon.
Cuisine Art: The cafeteria, with indoor and outdoor seating, is reasonable and welcomes picnickers who buy a drink (80-kr sandwiches at lunch, 120-kr lunch buffet, 150-kr dinner buffet, 30-40-kr cakes).
Wander from famous Chagalls and Picassos to more obscure art (everything is post-1945). Poets spend days here nourishing their creative souls with new angles, ideas, and perspectives. Even those who don’t think they’re art lovers can get sucked into a thought-provoking exhibit and lose track of time. There’s no permanent exhibit; they constantly organize their substantial collection into ever-changing arrangements, augmented with borrowed and special exhibits (check www.louisiana.dk for the latest). An Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe you see on one visit may not be there the next. (One favorite item, French sculptor César’s The Big Thumb—which is simply a six-foot-tall bronze thumb—isn’t going anywhere, since any time they move it, patrons complain.) There’s no audioguide, but everything is labeled in English.
Outside, a delightful sculpture garden sprawls through the grounds, downhill toward the sea. The views over the Øresund, one of the busiest passages in the nautical world, are nearly as inspiring as the art. The museum’s floor plan is a big loop, and the seaward side is underground—so as not to block the grand views. It’s fun to explore the grounds, peppered with sculptures and made accessible by bridges and steps. There are sculptures by Alexander Calder, Jean Dubuffet, Joan Miró, and others.
Taken as a whole, the museum is a joy to explore. What you see from the inside draws you out, and what you see from the outside draws you in. The place can’t be rushed. Linger and enjoy.
Kronborg Castle is located in Helsingør, a pleasant, salty Danish seaside town that’s often confused with its Swedish sister, Helsingborg, just two miles across the channel. Kronborg Castle (also called Elsinore, the Anglicized version of Helsingør) is a ▲▲ sight famous for its tenuous (but profitable) ties to Shakespeare. Most of the “Hamlet” castle you’ll see today—a darling of every big-bus tour and travelogue—was built long after the historical Hamlet died (more than a thousand years ago), and Shakespeare never saw the place. But this Renaissance castle existed when a troupe of English actors performed here in Shakespeare’s time (Shakespeare may have known them). These days, various Shakespearean companies from around the world perform Hamlet in Kronborg’s courtyard each August. Among the actors who’ve donned tights here in the title role are Laurence Olivier, Christopher Plummer, Kenneth Branagh, and Jude Law.
To see or not to see? The castle is most impressive from the outside. The free grounds between the walls and sea are great for picnics, with a close-up view of the strait between Denmark and Sweden. If you’re heading to Sweden, Kalmar Castle is a better medieval castle. And in Denmark, Frederiksborg (described earlier), which was built as an upgrade to this one, is far more opulent inside. But if Kronborg is handy to your itinerary—or you never met a castle you didn’t like—it’s worth a visit...even if just for a short romp across the ramparts (no ticket required). Many big-bus tours in the region stop both here and at Frederiksborg (you’ll recognize some of the same fellow tourists at both places)—not a bad plan if you’re a castle completist.
Tourist Information: The town of Helsingør has a TI (Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00, until 17:00 in late June-early Aug, closed Sat-Sun except in summer, when it can be open 10:00-14:00; tel. 49 21 13 33, www.visithelsingor.dk), a medieval center, the ferry to Sweden, and lots of Swedes who come over for the lower-priced alcohol.
Helsingør is a 45-minute train ride from Copenhagen (3/hour). Exit the station out the front door: The TI is on the little square to your left, and the castle is dead ahead along the coast (about a 15-minute walk). Between the station and the castle, you’ll pass through a harborfront zone with the town’s cultural center and maritime museum (described later).
Cost: The wonderful grounds are free, but you’ll need a ticket to enter the courtyard and the main buildings—80 kr covers royal apartments and casements; 160-kr combo-ticket also includes maritime museum; 40 kr to visit just the casements.
Hours: The whole complex is open June-Aug daily 10:00-17:30, Sept-May daily 11:00-16:00 except closed Mon in Nov-March.
Tours: Free 30-minute tours in English are offered of the casements and of the royal apartments (1-2/day; call or check online for times: tel. 33 95 42 00, www.kronborg.dk). You can download a free audioguide to your mobile device. Dry English descriptions are posted throughout the castle. The equally arid 20-kr printed guide (sold at the ticket counter) tries to inject some life into the rooms.
Approaching the castle, pretend you’re an old foe of the king, kept away by many layers of earthen ramparts and moats—just when you think you’re actually at the castle, you find there’s another gateway or waterway to pass. On the way in, you’ll pass a small model of the complex to help get your bearings. On a sunny day, you could have an enjoyable visit to Kronborg just walking around these grounds and playing “king of the castle,” without buying a ticket. Many do.
Follow the signs into the ticket desk, buy your ticket, stick your bag in a locker (insert a 20-kr coin, which will be returned), and head upstairs. You’ll pop out at the beginning of the royal apartments.
Visitors are able to walk through one and a half floors of the complex. The first few rooms are filled with high-tech exhibits, using touchscreens and projected videos to explain the history of the place. You’ll learn how, in the 1420s, Danish King Eric of Pomerania built a fortress here to allow for the collection of “Sound Dues,” levied on any passing ship hoping to enter the sound of Øresund. This proved hugely lucrative, eventually providing up to two-thirds of Denmark’s entire income. By the time of Shakespeare, Kronborg was well-known both for its profitable ability to levy these dues, and for its famously lavish banquets—what better setting for a tale of a royal family unraveling?
Continuing into the apartments themselves, you’ll find that the interior is a shadow of its former self; while the structure was rebuilt by Christian IV after a 1629 fire, its rooms were never returned to their former grandeur, making it feel like something of an empty shell. And yet, there are still some fine pieces of furniture and art to see. Frederik II ruled Denmark from the king’s chamber in the 1570s; a model shows how it likely looked back in its heyday. After passing through two smaller rooms, you come to the queen’s chamber; from there, stairs lead up to the queen’s gallery, custom-built for Queen Sophie to be able to quickly walk directly from her chambers to the ballroom or chapel. Follow her footsteps into the ballroom, a vast hall of epic proportions decorated by a series of paintings commissioned by Christian IV (explained by the board near the entry). At the far end, a model (enlivened by seemingly holographic figures) illustrates how this incredible space must have looked in all its original finery. Beyond the ballroom, the “Little Hall” is decorated with a fine series of tapestries depicting Danish monarchs. Then wind through several more royal halls, chambers, and bedrooms on your way back down into the courtyard. Once there, go straight across and enter the chapel. The enclosed gallery at the upper-left was the private pew of the royal family.
You’ll enter the underground part of the castle through a door on the main courtyard (diagonally across from the chapel). While not particularly tight, these passages are very dark and intentionally not very well-lit; a vending machine at the entrance sells 20-kr flashlights (bring yours—or, at least, a bright mobile phone). This extensive network of dank cellars is a double-decker substructure that once teemed with activity. The upper level, which you’ll see first, was used as servants’ quarters, a stable, and a storehouse. The lower level was used to train and barrack soldiers during wartime (an efficient use of so much prime, fortified space). As you explore this creepy, labyrinthine, nearly pitch-black zone (just follow the arrows), imagine the miserably claustrophobic conditions the soldiers lived in, waiting to see some action.
The most famous “resident” of the Kronborg casements was Holger Danske (“Ogier the Dane”), a mythical Viking hero revered by Danish children. The story goes that if the nation is ever in danger, this Danish superman will awaken and restore peace and security to the land (like King Arthur to the English, Barbarossa to the Germans, and Wenceslas to the Czechs). While this legend has been around for many centuries, Holger’s connection to Kronborg was cemented by a Hans Christian Andersen tale, so now everybody just assumes he lives here. In one of the first rooms, you’ll see a famous, giant statue of this sleeping Viking...just waiting for things to get really bad.
Fans of nautical history and modern architecture should consider a visit to this museum, built within the old dry docks adjacent to the castle and designed by noted Danish firm BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group). Cutting-edge exhibits journey through Denmark’s rich seafaring tradition, from the days of tall-masted sailing ships to the container-ship revolution, in which Danish shipping company Maersk is a world leader. Topics include life on board, wartime challenges, the globalization of trade, navigation, and maritime traditions (including tattoos!) in popular culture.
Cost and Hours: 110 kr, free for those under age 18, 160-kr combo-ticket also includes Kronborg Castle, pricey admission covered by Copenhagen Card; July-Aug daily 10:00-17:00, Sept-June Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, closed Mon; café, tel. 49 21 06 85, www.mfs.dk.
Copenhagen to Hillerød (45 minutes) to Helsingør (30 minutes): Just follow the town-name signs. Leave Copenhagen following signs for E-47 and Helsingør. The freeway is great. Hillerød signs lead to the Frederiksborg Castle (not to be confused with the nearby Fredensborg Palace) in the pleasant town of Hillerød. Follow signs to Hillerød C (for “center”), then slot (for “castle”). Though the E-47 freeway is the fastest, the Strandvejen coastal road (152) is pleasant, passing some of Denmark’s grandest mansions (including that of author Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame).
Copenhagen to Sweden: The 10-mile Øresund Bridge linking Denmark with Sweden (€46 toll, or about 350 kr) lets drivers and train travelers skip nonstop from Copenhagen to Malmö, Sweden (see sidebar, earlier).
If you’re heading to Sweden from Kronborg Castle—or if you’re simply nostalgic for the pre-bridge days—the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry putters across the Øresund Channel (follow signs to Helsingborg, Sweden—freeway leads to dock). Buy your ticket as you roll on board (about 350 kr one-way for car, driver, and up to nine passengers). Reservations are free but not usually necessary, as ferries depart frequently (2-4/hour; tel. 33 15 15 15, or book online at www.scandlines.dk; also see www.hhferries.se). If you arrive early, you can probably drive onto any ferry. The 20-minute Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry ride gives you just enough time to enjoy the view of the Kronborg “Hamlet” castle, be impressed by the narrowness of this very strategic channel, and exchange any leftover Danish kroner into Swedish kronor (the ferry exchange desk’s rate is decent).
In Helsingborg, follow signs for E-4 and Stockholm. The road is good, traffic is light, and towns are all clearly signposted. At Ljungby, road 25 takes you to Växjö and Kalmar. Entering Växjö, skip the first Växjö exit and follow the freeway into Centrum, where it ends. It takes about four hours total to drive from Copenhagen to Kalmar.