SMK – The National Gallery of Denmark SMK - The National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst) is Denmark’s largest art museum, featuring outstanding collections of Danish and international art from the past seven centuries. SMK is located just off of Copenhagen's Nørreport station. Here you can experience special exhibitions, the royal collections, guided tours, performances, art talks, concerts, workshops and much more. At the SMK you can enjoy the grand masters of art history along with cutting-edge contemporary artists and the rising stars of the art scene. No other museum in Denmark shows such a rich and varied selection of art – from the European classics of the Renaissance to the overwhelming diversity of modern and contemporary art. Here you will find gems by artists such as Mantegna, Nolde, Anna Ancher, Derain, Rubens, Matisse, Hammershøi, Munch, Abramovic, Danh Vo and Elmgreen & Dragset. SMK is especially famous for its beautiful collection of Danish Golden Age art, the country’s most comprehensive collection of Danish contemporary art – and one of the world’s best Matisse collections.  

On the edge of Copenhagen Harbour sits The Black Diamond as a beacon of culture. The Black Diamond is Royal Danish Library's cultural centre in Copenhagen with lots of exhibitions all year round. 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. Exhibitions 2025: The Camera and Us Today, the camera is a constant companion in every aspect of our everyday lives. But what does the ubiquity of photography do to our perception of ourselves and our perceptions of each other? In The Camera and Us you can dive into more than 250 photographs from The Royal Danish Library's vast photo collection. From the first silver-plated metal plates to today's constant stream of images. Until 28.09.25. Lene Adler Petersen – Space and Things Discover one of Denmark's most prominent feminist artists, whose unique universe explores the home as a feminist battleground full of beauty, freedom and revolutionary action. The exhibition is a tribute to Adler Petersen's central role in Danish art and women's movement and brings together a large selection of works from her lifelong career. Until 11.05.25. Danish Press Photo of the Year 2024 Press Photo of the Year presents the dramatic, funny and memorable moments from 2024 – captured by Danish press photographers. Each year, the competition awards the best shots in several categories such as News Photo of the Year, Portrait of the Year, Sports, Photo of the Year and, and last but not least, Press Photographer and Press Photo of the Year. Until 11.05.25. Between Heaven and Earth – Magic books, alchemy and occult photography For as long as humans have existed, we have had a desire to understand the incomprehensible – from ancient alchemists and ritual phenomena to today's spiritualists and scientists. This year's major exhibition invites you into the most magical and mythical parts of our cultural history. Discover disease-curing spell books, occult photographs, alchemical experiments, love-inducing divinations, tales of fantastic beings, mystical manifestations and many other magical artefacts. Opens 19.06.2. The World around Us In The Black Diamond's new collection exhibition, we turn our gaze towards the landscape and everything that surrounds us. The exhibition takes us on a journey through the last 200 years of photographic history and focuses on how we have depicted and understood land and city through photography – from the romantic landscape photography of the 19th century to the Industrialisation's enthusiasm for cities and buildings to the climate challenges of today. Opens 19.11.25. 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. Permanent exhibition. Special feature on Sundays and public holidays Visit The Old Reading Room The atmospheric reading room in the original part of Royal Danish Library on Slotsholmen in Copenhagen is called The Old Reading Room. The reading room has remained virtually original since its inauguration in 1906 and is a true architectural gem. On Sundays, anyone interested can visit the reading room and experience its very special atmosphere. Visit to The Old Reading Room is included in the exhibition ticket and with a Copenhagen Card. Please note that only students and researchers have access to the library Monday to Saturday.  

Karen Blixen Museum Rungstedlund A beautiful, short walk from Rungsted Kyst Station north of Copenhagen leads to the Karen Blixen Museum. A unique experience awaits in the beautiful, charming and authentic author's home surrounded by a bird sanctuary and situated just by the Sound. Rungstedlund is one of the oldest existing properties on the coastal road Strandvejen and was Karen Blixen's home for most of her life. The author Karen Blixen, also known as Isak Dinesen, wrote herself into world literature with well-known works such as Out of African and Babette's Feast. The living rooms at Rungstedlund stand as Karen Blixen left them, decorated in her unique style and with fresh, sumptuous flower arrangements inspired by her own bouquets. Experience changing exhibitions at the museum and explore Karen Blixen's outdoor natural gem, the Bird Sanctuary. There is always free access to the Bird Sanctuary, which was protected in 1958 and has since attracted nature- and bird enthusiast of all age groups. In 2024, the BLIXEN Route opened - a 16 km certified hiking route marked with signs and audio stories along the way. The route is circular with start at the Karen Blixen Museum and it is free of charge. Read more at Karen Blixen Museum — BLIXEN ROUTE Madam Carlsen's café, named after Karen Blixen's housekeeper, is a cozy meeting place offering beautiful views of both forest and sea and with a wonderful outdoor terrace. The café serves brunch, lunch and dinner as well as a good selection of delicious cakes, wine and coffee. It is recommended to book a table here. Find inspiration in a wide selection of books in several languages and be tempted by unique art, fine textiles and quality products in the cozy museum shop.

Step into the Danish Golden Age Bakkehuset was an essential meeting place in the Danish Golden Age, hosted by Kamma and Knud Lyne Rahbek and frequently visited by Hans Christian Andersen, Oehlenschläger, H.C. Ørsted and other poets, scientists and opinion formers of the romantic period. Today, Bakkehuset is buzzing with art and culture. The historic house and its surrounding gardens provide an authentic insight into the way of life in the early 19th century, its atmosphere and style. A visit to Bakkehuset is a visceral experience of one of the most central periods in Danish cultural history; the period that would become known as the Golden Age. Hans Christian Andersen visited Bakkehuset as a young man and here he found inspiration and support to become a writer. His famous tales work as inspiration for creative activities in the cozy family area, Eventyrakademiet (the Fairytale Academy) Experience the newly renovated romantic garden around Bakkehuset. You can enjoy coffee and historical food in the orangery, beautifully situated in the middle of the blossoming garden. The café is set in the historical garden and serves traditional open sandwiches.

Spanning the period from the Danish Golden Age to the Skagen painters and the Modern Breakthrough, this Østerbro gallery presents some of the most evocative and moving paintings in Danish art history.  In a beautiful building, in the Østre Anlæg park in central Copenhagen, today listed as a building of special importance, you can discover some of the most important works by masters such as Eckersberg, Købke, Krøyer, and Hammershøi. The museum is built around the personal art collection of Heinrich Hirschsprung, a tobacco manufacturer, who donated his collection to the Danish state in 1902. The collection offers a representative selection of paintings from one of the most outstanding eras of Danish art history. The museum building is a beautiful example of the neo-classical style, where the interior, with its subdued colors and small galleries, creates a special and intimate atmosphere. There isn’t a better setting for the intimate portraits and scenes of daily life from over a hundred years ago that constitute much of the collection. The museum building is a beautiful example of the neo-classical style, where the interior, with its subdued colours and small furnished galleries, creates a special and intimate atmosphere. The museum is built around the personal art collection of tobacco manufacturer Heinrich Hirschsprung and his wife Pauline who donated his collection to the Danish state in 1902. Every last Thursday of the month until 8 PM