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.

Complete your visit to Amalienborg Palace square – step inside Amalienborg and experience royal life past and present. The Amalienborg Museum presents the private interiors of the most recent kings and queens and a treasury with world class jewellery. Opening Hours: Plan your visit - The Amalienborg Museum (kongernessamling.dk) The scope of the museum stretches back 150 years to Christian IX and Queen Louise, who were known as "the in-laws of Europe" because four of their children ascended to the thrones of England, Greece, Russia and Denmark respectively. As in a journey through time the rooms of the royal couple and their descendants stand intact. Each reflects the modern taste of its period and the personalities of the kings and queens, whether it is in military, Victorian, or knightly style. From February 2020, one of the world’s most important collections of Russian jewellery can be enjoyed in the so-called Fabergé chamber. The collection came to Denmark mainly via empress Dagmar (Maria Fedodorovna), daughter of Christian IX and queen Louise.  On most days, there is admittance to the Gala Hall and the other magnificent rooms on the piano nobile. The royal reception rooms are still used by the royal family. Check opening hours on the piano nobile on amalienborg.dk.  Special exhibition at the Amalienborg Museum, Christian VIII’s Palace: Frederik X - King of Tomorrow22 March 2024 – 8 September 2024 From 22 March to 8 September 2024, the Amalienborg Museum will show the exhibition ‘Frederik X: King of Tomorrow’ to mark the historical succession of the Danish throne that took place on 14 January. Through photographs, objects, video clips, paintings and sound, the exhibition paints a portrait of the new King of Denmark. The exhibition invites you to get close to key events and themes in The King’s life and to see objects that are directly related to events and decisions that played a role in shaping The King as a person and as a monarch. Among the items on display are the heavy beam, nicknamed ‘Maren’, that The King had to dig out from under when he completed his Frogman training, HM Queen Mary’s wedding gown and HM King Frederik X’s naval dress uniform. You can also see unique, personal objects, such as The King’s first schoolbag and his dogsled whip from the Sirius expedition in Greenland. The exhibition is shown here, at the Amalienborg Museum, in Christian VIII’s Palace. This palace, where the then Crown Prince had his apartments until his wedding in 2004, is located directly across from Frederik VIII’s Palace, which is now the Royal Couple’s Copenhagen residence.   Special Exhibition: Frederik X: King of Tomorrow, 22 March 2024 – 8 September 2024 (Kongernessamling.dk) From 22 March to 8 September 2024, the Amalienborg Museum will show the exhibition ‘Frederik X: King of Tomorrow’ to mark the historical succession of the Danish throne that took place on 14 January. Through photographs, objects, video clips, paintings and sound, the exhibition paints a portrait of the new King of Denmark. The exhibition invites you to get close to key events and themes in The King’s life and to see objects that are directly related to events and decisions that played a role in shaping The King as a person and as a monarch. Among the items on display are the heavy beam, nicknamed ‘Maren’, that The King had to dig out from under when he completed his Frogman training, HM Queen Mary’s wedding gown and HM King Frederik X’s naval dress uniform. You can also see unique, personal objects, such as The King’s first schoolbag and his dogsled whip from the Sirius expedition in Greenland. The exhibition is shown at the Amalienborg Museum, in Christian VIII’s Palace. This palace, where the then Crown Prince had his apartments until his wedding in 2004, is located directly across from Frederik VIII’s Palace, which is now the Royal Couple’s Copenhagen residence.    

Pay a visit to the Royal Kitchen under Christiansborg. This is where you can have a unique look behind the scenes of the royal parties and celebrations. What goes on in the royal kitchen when there is a gala dinner at the palace in 1937? The sweet aroma of beef tenderloin for 275 guests wafts out of the ovens - muscular chefs stagger around under the weight of the ton-heavy copper pots - the confectioner constructs exquisite crowns of candied fruit. Come and experience the royal party preparations as they are today and in days of old.

The Royal Stables are located at Christiansborg Palace on the island of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen. In 1789 the number of horses reached a peak with 270 horses stabled. Today, there are about 20 horses in the Royal Stables. Shortly after his accession to the throne in 1730, King Christian VI had the old and outdated Copenhagen Castle torn down to make way for a new Baroque palace: the first Christiansborg Palace. The old stable complex behind Copenhagen Castle was also torn down to make way for a new and larger stable complex. The new and still existing stable complex was constructed from 1738 to 1745. The complex included an outdoor riding ground surrounded by buildings containing an indoor riding school as well as stables with room for a total of 87 riding horses and 165 carriage horses. Part of these stable buildings still remain unchanged since their inauguration in 1746 with an extravagant decoration of marble pillars. A lively museum The museum has three departments: The Harness Room with old uniforms of the Royal Stables and the splendidly decorated eight-horse harness with a wealth of lovely details - the actual Stables with the Royal Family's carriage and saddle horses, and finally the Coach Hall with old well-preserved state coaches and carriages.

Denmark’s museum for public art As Denmark’s only museum for public art, KØS collects sketches, scale models, and a variety of other preliminary works for the art that is placed or takes place in public spaces in Denmark. These are artworks that many feel ownership of because they are close to us in everyday life, and therefore are often the subject of wonder, discussion, disapproval, and interest among local users. The finished works are typically placed permanently somewhere out there, unless they take place as temporary projects that over a period occur in more or less direct interaction with the audience. The works themselves therefore do not form part of the museum’s collection, which instead through drawings, watercolors, and models in plaster, clay, paper, and wood or in the form of project descriptions, notes and sketches, films and photos etc., shows the quality of and the range in the country’s publicly placed works. The collection’s often impressive sketch sequences, which typically can accommodate many phases in the artistic creation process - from early, loose drafts to gradually more detailed studies and composition sketches to final, thoroughly worked templates and working drawings - can be studied when the museum shows collection exhibitions. The Queen’s tapestries The main works in the museum’s collection are visual artist Bjørn Nørgaard’s extensive sketch material for Queen Margrethe II’s tapestries, which she received as a gift from Danish Business in 2000. The sketch material for the 10-year-long work process consists of 11 colorful cartoons in full size with a wealth of historical motifs. Changing collection exhibitions The KØS Collection is regularly shown in collection exhibitions at the museum and typically consists of a mix of new acquisitions and known works from the collection. Read about our current exhibitions here. The collection consists of more than 18,000 unique sketches, models and preliminary works for art in public spaces and an archive that documents processes and conflicts around art in public spaces. Selections from the collection are regularly exhibited at the museum and activated in KØS’ teaching, just as artists are periodically invited to engage in dialogue with the KØS collection and KØS as an institution. Explore indoors over three floors or outside on the artistic forecourt by visual artist Ann Lislegaard. Combine the visit with a trip to the KØS Café and the museum shop with exclusive design items. Free guided tour the first Sunday of every month."   Current exhibitions: 'IN THE ARCHITECHT’S HOUSE - ELINA BROTHERUS ON ALVAR AALTO'; 01.03.24-02.06.24 In her three new photographic series, visual artist Elina Brotherus takes us deep into the heart of Alvar Aalto’s architecture. The new photographic series by Elina Brotherus, one of Finland’s most internationally acclaimed artists, are captured in three key Aalto buildings in Finland: Aalto’s home in Helsinki, his summer cottage also known as the ‘Experimental House,’ and the modernist masterpiece Paimio Sanatorium. The three new series are now being exhibited for the first time in Denmark through a collaboration between KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces and the Alvar Aalto Museum, where they premiered in 2023. In 2019, the Aalto Foundation granted the artist exclusive access to photograph in Alvar and Aino Aalto’s home in Helsinki and Alvar’s and his second wife Elissa’s private summer villa, the Experimental House in Muuratsalo. The summer villa is a pilgrimage destination for designers and architects due to the couple’s numerous material experiments conducted in the central, beautiful courtyard. It is brought to life in Elina Brotherus’ masterfully composed photographs and takes on a new vitality and presence. '(self)infatuation' When a Country Falls in Love with Itself is the title of Elmgreen & Dragset’s artistic dialogue with the Danish sculptor Edvard Eriksen’s world-famous sculpture, The Little Mermaid. Erected on Langelinie in 1913 as a gift to Copenhagen from brewer Carl Jacobsen, The Little Mermaid is undoubtedly the most viewed and photographed sculpture in Denmark today. The romantic sculpture is both a tourist magnet and a national symbol. In 2008, the Danish-Norwegian artist duo Elmgreen & Dragset casually placed a mirror in front of the mermaid, in which she – the symbol of the nation – self-reflects. The resulting photographic artwork, When a Country Falls in Love with Itself seemed to indicate that she, the nation, is no longer so interested in gazing out to distant shores but prefers to admire herself. Like The Little Mermaid herself, When a Country Falls in Love with Itself is now a central piece in art history, illustrating how public art functions as focal points for interactions between different viewpoints. It is an example of how contemporary art can elegantly contribute to adding new layers and narratives on top of the already existing. In 2012, Elmgreen & Dragset once again mirrored the small sculpture with symbolic significance when they created Han for Kulturværftet in Helsingør — a male version of The Little Mermaid who gazes longingly, not at himself, but out into the world. Unlike his sister on Langelinie, who is crafted in bronze, both Han and the stone he sits on are made of polished stainless steel, reflecting the surroundings and those who look at him. And if you are lucky enough to visit the sculpture at the right time, you may experience the young man on the stone opening his eyes and blinking. With Han, Elmgreen & Dragset invites us to look at both him – Han – and ourselves with a loving, but also investigative, curious gaze. Perhaps an invitation to fall in love with something other than ourselves?