When the present Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen was constructed, the National Museum took care to excavate and protect the ruins of the Palace's oldest predecessors, Bishop Absalon's Castle of 1167 and Copenhagen Castle that replaced it. Christiansborg is outstanding in the respect that here you will find, under the same roof, Denmark's political centre of today and the remains of the country's principal castle of the Middle Ages. Revealed by accident When casting the foundations of the present Christiansborg Palace, workers struck upon the ruins of older buildings and the remnants of a curtain wall. Experts were called in from the National Museum, and a close inspection revealed that the ruins dated back as far as 1167. What they had come upon was Bishop Absalon's Castle, once situated on a tiny island off the Merchants' Habour. Walking around this underground site, you will get an idea of how the castle was continually renewed and developed. The later castle and the infamous Blue Tower The Copenhagen Castle, built on the same site, was surrounded by a moat and had a large tower as an entrance gate. The castle was rebuilt several times. King Christian IV added a spire to the tower, the infamous Blue Tower, where only prominent prisoners of state were kept. In the 1720s, King Frederik IV entirely rebuilt the castle, but as a result of this total reconstruction, the walls had become so heavy they started to give way and to crack. King Christian VI, Frederik IV's successor, soon realised the necessity of demolishing the old castle and erecting a new one on the site. This new castle was to be the first Christiansborg Palace. Special Exhibitions (Christiansborgslot.dk) Might & Magic, 27.09.2024 - 27.04.2025 The history of Danish witchcraft is a tangle of myths and mysteries. Three women acused of witchcraft, Maren Splids, Christenze Kruckow and Maren Ringsbjerg, will finally be given a voice in 2024, when the Might & Magic exhibition opens. Leading female actors lend their voices to a captivating audio track relating the fates of the three women in interactions with stunning set design. The Might & Magic exhibition was created in collaboration with Award-winning set designer Ditte Marie Walter Tygesen and researchers from the HEX! Museum of Witch Hunt in Ribe. Join us on a journey back to the Renaissance, deep into in the dark ruins beneath Christiansborg Castle, where we’ll tell you what really happened, in the place where it happened.  You’ll meet three women from some of Denmark’s most famous witch trials. Sense the lingering echoes of that bygone era, palpable in the very air around you. Trace the fates of these women as their threads of fate weave their way through the scenography, criss-crossing the ruins and spinning a gripping visualisation of their lives. The trials of Maren Splids, Christenze Kruckow and Maren Ringsbjerg were all personally overseen by Christian IV, who had them brought to Copenhagen Castle.   Who were the accused? And why did the king have them brought to his castle when he was so afraid of them? Have a go at performing magic with engaging interactive elements. Try predicting the future in lead, measuring with threads of fate, using crystals to strengthen the mind and body, and get inspiration on how to make and use a wax child – the Nordic answer to voodoo dolls.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is located in the center of Copenhagen and the museum collection consists primarily of works of art and archaeological objects from Ancient Egypt, the worlds of Ancient Greece and Rome, Etruscan Culture, as well as Danish and French art of the 19th century. Art and beer Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek was founded by the brewer, Carl Jacobsen (the founder of Carlsberg breweries), who was one of the great industrial magnates of the 19th century and the greatest art patron Denmark has seen. In 1888 Carl Jacobsen gave his art collection to the public and began the building of Glyptoteket to house it. Glyptoteket has been open to the public since 1897 and holds over 10,000 works primarily divided between ancient antiquities and Danish and French sculpture and painting from the 19th century. The collection The collection of ancient sculpture includes an extensive collection of Ancient Greek and Roman portrait heads as well as a large collection of Palmyrene portraits. The modern part of the collection includes French sculpture from the 19th century – featuring a significant selection of works by Auguste Rodin – and French painting from 1800 to 1950, with Impressionism and Paul Gauguin as the absolute stars, plus a collection of Danish Golden Age Art. The greater proportion of the collection forms part of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, though there are, also, temporary special exhibitions which help to develop a perspective on the museum’s collection with the aid of works on loan. The Winter Garden, café and roof terraceUnwind from the daily grind at the café overlooking the beautiful and spacious Winter Garden. Picnic is open on the same days as the museum itself. We serve tasty light lunches, desserts, coffee and other beverages. Visit the roof terrace of the Glyptotek and experience a beautiful view of Copenhagen and the city towers. Every summer, the museum café serves cold drinks, snacks, coffee and cake for you to enjoy in open air. Special Exhibithions (glyptoteket.dk):  Kai Nielsen –Born of Everyday Life, 30.05.2024 - 05.01.2025 You have probably already met The Water Mother, who welcomes visitors to the Glyptotek from her pool in the Winter Garden. The Danish sculptor Kai Nielsen (1882-1924) created the work specially for the Glyptotek. Nielsen’s works will form the focal point for a collaborative exhibition project involving Faaborg Museum and the Glyptotek – two special exhibitions, which will run in parallel at the two museums from summer 2024. Despite the popularity of The Water Mother, Kai Nielsen is largely unknown, even though his works can be seen in a number of public spaces in Denmark: for example, on Blågårds Plads in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, and on the town square in Faaborg (the sculpture Ymir’s Well). He is perhaps best known for the small ornaments and statuettes he designed for the Danish porcelain companies Bing & Grøndahl and Kähler, and for Dansk Kunsthandel.  

HOW TO BECOME A COPENHAGENER Copenhagen is one of the world’s most livable cities. But who are the Copenhageners and what kind of city is Copenhagen? Begin your visit in Copenhagen at the Museum of Copenhagen, located in a beautiful, historical building right behind City Hall. You’ll be introduced to all the most important places and events in the history of the Danish capital. From the city of the Viking Age, through the building boom and plague, fires and bombings, to the free city of Christiania today. A vast array of unique, original exhibits bring the city and its people to life. Our interactive model gives you an overview of the entire city – perhaps you will end up as a Copenhagener yourself! THREE HIGHLIGHTS See the 600 years old shipwreck of a keel Examine an early edition of today’s Copenhageners’ favourite means of transport – the bicycle! Get an overview of the city on the Copenhagen Panorama with our large scale, interactive model. In a hurry? Se the highlights of the museum in just 30 minutes. CAFÉ & SHOP Find an original gift in our museum shop, which offers everything from postcards to handcrafted design or relax in the café or in the ‘hyggelige’ courtyard. Special Exhibition: The Local Business – Photos from Wong’s Takeaway to RC Dry Cleaners, 01 May. - 20 Oct. 2024 Copenhagen’s small businesses are often declared in danger of extinction as they battle to survive competition from chain stores and shopping centres. Photographer Ulf Svane and historian Mathias Kobberrød Rasmussen take us to the Copenhagen dog salon, jewellers, dry cleaners and other enterprises in the Danish capital to give us a snapshot of the businesses and their proprietors. Join us on a tour of a colourful world of charismatic retailers and a hotchpotch of style and local spirit far removed from the city’s department stores. The exhibition opens to the public on 1 May at the Museum of Copenhagen just behind Copenhagen City Hall (cphmuseum.kk.dk)

Take a walk through Danish war history from the 1500s until today, and explore the treasure trove of equipment from samurai swords and medals to ship models and massive howitzers. Experience life as a deployed soldier as you step into Danish military camps from Afghanistan. Stay alert in the watch tower, and climb into an actual PMV hit by a roadside bomb. Also, get an overview of Danish war history. From knights in shining armour, wars with the Swedish and the English, to World War II, the Cold War and the war in Iraq. Or relax in the hammocks as you hear stories from the seven seas. The Danish War Museum is located in king Christian IVs arsenal on Slotsholmen in the heart of Copenhagen. When the arsenal was completed in 1604 it consisted of a war harbour, an arsenal and armoury, a provisions building with a bakery and a brewery, and an array of different workshops. We will take you on an exciting journey through the past 500 years of Denmark’s wars – from famous battles against Sweden and England to Afghanistan.  

Go underground and experience the Danish World War II resistance fight up close. In the dark, shadowy streets of the occupation period, you'll meet five historical figures. Each has chosen a side, and now everyone must face the consequences. Dive into acts of sabotage, produce illegal newspapers, crack codes and intercept telephone calls.  See how Danes had to choose between whether they wanted to join the resistance, collaborate with the Germans - or try to continue with their everyday lives. The Museum of Danish Resistance is about the men and women who chose to resist the occupation and shows why that decision wasn’t always black and white. The museum is located at the Citadel and is within walking distance from The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace and Frederik’s Church (Marmorkirken). Go underground in the German-occupied Denmark of the 1940s and experience the Danish resistance fight. In the shadowy streets of the occupation, you will meet five historical people, who each in their own way chose a side during the harsh resistance fight during World War II. You will gain a unique insight into their difficult choices and dilemmas. You can have a go at printing illegal magazines, intercept phone calls and break the Germans’ Enigma code. It is possible to buy a guide book, which goes even deeper down into history about the resistance fight and the occupation during World War II.

Exhibitions in the Black Diamond - The Royal Danish Library Storytelling, sensuous experiences and unique objects set the mind in motion when visiting exhibitions in The Black Diamond. With cultural heritage as an inexhaustible reservoir, everything from Søren Kierkegaard to contemporary art is staged, with particular emphasis on literature and photography. Current Exhibitions:  The Camera and Us - The Camera and Us presents a selection of works from the photography collections of library, which contain several million images. The theme is the human being as a motif and the exhibition asks what photography does to our perception of ourselves and our conceptions of each other. Treasures in the Royal Danish Library - An exhibition with library's most precious, beautiful, significant, and valuable treasures. From the oldest of manuscripts to the Internet's ever increasing digital cultural heritage. Explore gems from the collections of science, philosophy, cartography, music, and much more – or take a peek into the lives of a number of prominent Danes by reading Søren Kierkegaard's letter to his fiancé, Karen Blixen's own manuscript, or Hans Christian Andersen's diary. Ukrainian Diary – photographies by Boris Mikhailov from 1966 till today, runs until 11/1/25 Ukrainian Boris Mikhailov is one of Eastern Europe's most influential photographers, who has documented life in his homeland for half a century. The result is a poetic, beautiful, harsh, ugly and frightening contemporary look into life before, during and after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Now you can experience his award-winning art in the exhibition Ukrainian Diary in The Black Diamond. Ukrainian Diary is the first retrospective exhibition of Boris Mikhailov in Denmark. With over 500 works, the exhibition is not just a merciless look into Ukraine's tumultuous history over more than half a century. It also presents an artist's impressive life's work, spanning vastly different artistic methods and aesthetic expressions. He is known for his documentary, conceptual and performative works.

The Workers Museum in Copenhagen invites you to step into everyday life of Copenhageners in the 1950's. HOME TO YOUR HISTORY The Workers Museums is located at the Workers Assembly Hall, built in 1879. The building includes the impressive Banquet Hall and the former Prime Minister Thorvald Stauning's office. Experience everyday life of the 1950s and taste chocolate biscuit cake and chicory coffee. Visit the Sørensens family who moved to Copenhagen in 1885 and explore the development of industrial work. Step into everyday life of working class children in "The Workers Museums for Children".  Enjoy a lunch in the Café & Øl-Halle "1892", the only listed basement restaurant in Copenhagen.  The Banquet Hall The Banquet Hall is the heart of the old Workers’ Assembly Building, which dates from 1879. It features an abundance of decorations and artistic details – testament to the pride of the countless different trades and craftsmen who used the building on Rømersgade. The Banquet Hall formed the setting for innumerable meetings, political discussions, congresses and parties, and here thousands of workers became accustomed to participating in democracy and civic life. In 2021, the Banquet Hall underwent major refurbishment.Come and enjoy this beautiful hall, filled from floor to balcony with a myriad of stories. Explore the life that went on in the hall across the years, visit the museum’s exhibitions and experience the unique sound and light installation. The 1950's The decade when Denmark bid farewell to war and deprivation and when working-class families joined the ranks of consumers. After the 2. World War there was still lack of many goods and they were still rationed by the use of coupons which characterized life for the working class. However, during the decade the families slowly earned more and consumerism emerged heavily influenced by the United States. The exhibition takes you to the worker family’s apartment where the growing wealth is shown, as well as taking you down the street where lack of goods from the war and post-war is slowly replaced with a larger supply.   The Children’s Workers Museum Through games and using their senses children can experience how it was to be a working-class child generations ago. Playing at the Kids’ Workers Museum, our youngest visitors can experience and imagine the life of working-class children around 1930. Both children and adults can listen to the story of the working-class boy Thorvald, who went on to become Denmark’s longest serving prime minister. Kids visiting the museum can try working as a delivery boy or girl in the grocer’s shop, sort bottles at the brewery, or use a typewriter in the union office. They can also dress up in a sailor’s suit, dance at the dance school, play in a 1930s flat, or visit the pawnbroker and see if they can get a few pennies for an old coat.  

NB: The museum is closed for the winter and reopens on May 10th 2025. Peder Skram was part of the Royal Danish Navy from 1966-1988. Peder Skram was the first large warship in the world to use a combination of gas turbines and diesel engines for propulsion. It could reach a speed of approximately 30 knots (55 km/h or 34 mp/h) using gas turbines. In case of war the frigate was a heavily armed flagship in the defense of the Baltic coast of Germany and the Danish islands against a naval invasion from the Warsaw Pact. The coordination of Operation Hurricane, large scale air raids, and missile attacks on hostile landing forces, was to be coordinated from the combat information center of Peder Skram. Onboard the frigate you can experience the life of Danish naval personnel during the Cold War. You can witness how the 200 crewmembers of a Navy Flagship lived and worked every day. You can visit different stations: the combat information center, engine room, galley, bridge and even the gun turret.

Experience the history of Roskilde, once one of the most powerful cities in northern Europe and a religious epicentre in the medieval ages. Follow the traces of the past and meet the people who once lived here. It is the story of an unusual city that has put its clear marks on Denmark as we know it today.  At Roskilde Museum in the heart of one of Denmark’s most historical and culturally rich cities you can get a closer look on the pre-Christian times in Denmark, you can get to know the mysterious double Viking grave from Gerdrup, the story of the rise of a powerful catholic church in the Middle ages – and you can grasp the modern Roskilde. Join us on a journey, which takes its start before the foundation of the city in approximately 980 before Christ, experience the unique Ely book where ‘Roskilde’ was mentioned for the first time in history a 1000 years ago, and go through our special exhibition about trash and recycling in the contemporary city. AMAZING ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDINGS The exhibitions in Roskilde Museum contain many amazing objects found in excavations in and around the city of Roskilde. Ranging from the full skeleton of a prehistoric auroch and the mysterious tomb of Gerdrup to medieval silvercoins, chesspieces and weapons, and so much more! 

The exhibition at the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen is a broad presentation of Jewish life in Denmark throughout 400 years, and is a selection from the museum's own collection. The world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind's characteristic architecture will - in an almost labyrinthine manner - lead you into the enthralling universe of the Danish Jewish culture. The exhibition interior was put together in close dialogue with Daniel Libeskind's architecture, which is reminiscent of the famous Jewish Museum in Berlin. Mitzvah - A good deed The focal point of Daniel Libeskind's architecture, as he has based his design of the museum on, is the unique circumstance of Danish-Jewish history that the majority of Danish Jews were saved from Nazi persecution by their Danish compatriots during the Second World War. The emblem and concept of the museum interior is the Hebrew word 'Mitzvah', which can be translated as an obligation or a good deed. The word 'Mitzvah' represents the generally positive Jewish experience in Denmark and the special experience of being saved. The Hebrew letters spelling Mitzvah is also the museum's logo. At the museum you get to experience different events, films and guided tours. Everything is texted in both Danish and English.

According to written sources from the middle ages, it was in the area surrounding Lejre Museum, that the birth of the Danish realm took place. It is here, you find the first line of Danish kings, Skjoldungerne, who, according to the legend, had their base during the Iron Age and the Viking Age in Denmark (500-1000 A.C.). Lejre Museum reopened with a brand new exhibition in March 2016. The exhibition combines digital installations and archaeological treasure findings, which gives unique historical experience. The legend tells, that just outside the doors of Lejre Museum, in the beautiful, scenic landscape, lay the great castle of Skjoldungerne, who descended from King Skjold. Skjoldungerne were mythical kings, but archaeological findings in the area suggest, that Gl. Lejre was one of the most important centers in the Viking ages. The exhibition is divided into three general themes. The first presents the original sources – the written myths and the archaeological evidence. Here you can experience the legendary myths through sound, light, and film, and it is here, that you get an introduction to the history of Lejre. The second main theme is shaped like a big digital wall map, where you actively can seek information about the monuments and the excavations in the area surrounding the museum. In the third theme, you find the museums archaeological treasures from the area – the world-renowned Odin-statue, the Gevninge-finding and Denmarks largest silver treasure, Mannerupskatten. Lejre Museum also has a cosy bookstore and shop, where you can immerse yourself in the ancient myths while you enjoy a delicious cup of organic coffee.

Take a trip to Køge Museum and enjoy an experience you'll never forget. Køge Museum is located centrally in the town of Køge - just a few minutes' walk from Køge Station and Køge Torv - in the old merchant's house from 1619. In the museum's exhibitions, you can look forward to a journey through Køge's history. From the mighty Viking Age to the hunter-gatherer people of the Stone Age. It will be macabre, bloody, and morbid in the museum's new exhibition 'The Grave of the Seeress.' Also experience the museum's two permanent exhibitions 'Seeresses, Gold and Gods' and 'Gifts from the Past. Although Køge Museum is housed in a listed building dating to the 1600s, the museum’s Viking archaeologist bids you welcome in a Viking Age home. Here you’ll see rare things like five pillars from a house that only survived because they were reused in a bridge over nearby Tryggevælde River. Objects from excavations of a chieftain’s estate at the Toftegård settlement, located about 10 km south of Køge at Stevns, are exhibited in a posthole arrangement – the excavation of postholes is one of our main sources of knowledge about life in ancient times. You’ll see mysterious gold figurines, which either had some religious and symbolic meaning now unclear to us, or were just a gift for visitors. An arrowhead, perhaps deliberately left in a posthole when the house was built as an amulet to protect the house and its occupants against harm. Dirt and rubbish swept up over hundreds of years contain small pieces of glass, beads, pottery and chewed bones from a hearty meal – much the same as we might find today when cleaning up. Overall, the finds give a fascinating insight into how people lived in the Viking Age. The Museum reopened in the summer of 2015 with a completely new exibition format. When you're done, you can take a break in the museum's cozy courtyard - shielded from the noise of the city. Here, you can enjoy a cup of well-brewed coffee from the museum cafe while the kids play on the ship-themed playground.

Visit Vedbækfundene Museum and meet the hunter-gatherers who lived a tough and dangerous life 7000 years ago! At the museum Vedbækfundene you can experience unique finds from Danish prehistory. In our main exhibition a reconstruction of the life in the Stone Age Denmark, containing both graves and lifelike dioramas, will bring you back in time. The Special Exhibitions gives you the opportunity of meeting Jacob – a bog skeleton from the Iron Age, admiring beautiful neckpieces from the Bronze Age and much more. A young woman from Vedbaek, Denmark, buried with her newborn child who had been placed on the wing of a swan, 4000 BC.Vedbaek 'The swan's wing burial' Tomb 8 is the most famous of the burials, containing a young woman, who may have died in childbirth, and a premature baby. The archaeological finds are of international importance because it has given great insight into human life and society in Stone Age Northern Europe. It is possible to book a guided tour. Transport The Vedbæk Finds is included in COPENHAGEN CARD - DISCOVER, which also includes public transport in zone 1-99. To get to The Vedbæk Finds, you can take bus 150S from Nørreport (approx 25 minutes) to the stop "Øverødvej" and walk about 10 minutes to the museum.