Copenhagen Archives

Three Recommended Day Trips from Copenhagen

January 22, 2023April 1, 2023Artsy Sightseeing, Denmark, Destinations, Get Inspired carolcram 1 Comment

Last updated on April 1st, 2023 at 03:48 pm

Consider alloting time during your stay in Copenhagen for taking day trips. You’ll find plenty to see and do in the city to fill at least three days, but after that, it’s time to venture farther afield. Your Copenhagen Card (see more below) is your best friend. Use it to take trains all over the greater Capital region and to visit some of Denmark’s premier castles.

In this post, I focus on three day trips from Copenhagen: Frederiksborg Castle, Kronborg Castle, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. Each site is a thirty-to-forty-minute train journey from Copenhagen.

Armed with a Copenhagen Card (a must-buy – see below), I spent three half-days of my week-long stay in Copenhagen venturing outside the city limits to sample three Artsy Traveler experiences.

Location of Recommended Day Trips

The map below shows the locations of the three recommended day trips. You could possibly see all three in one day if you’re traveling by car, but that might be overkill! I suggest taking just one trip a day so you have time to enjoy the locations and still get back to Copenhagen in time to take in one or two more local sights and then enjoy a leisurely dinner.

On the map below, #1 is the Copenhagen Hovedbanegården, aka the Central Station. You’ll be catching the trains from here.

Trip map created with Wanderlog, the best trip planner app on iOS and Android

Frederiksborg Castle

The largest Renaissance complex in the Nordic region is Frederiksborg Castle (#2 on the map above) in Hillerød, about 30 minutes outside Copenhagen. The castle is one of the must-do day trips from Copenhagen, particularly if the weather is fine. Set in a lake and surrounded by gardens, the castle is extremely photogenic.

Carol Cram in front of Fredericksberg Castle near Hillerød outside Copenhagen - a perfect day trip from Copenhagen — Carol arrives at Frederiksborg Castle during her day trip from Copenhagen

Entrance to Fredericksberg Castle near Hillerød outside Copenhagen — Walked over the bridge to the entrance to Frederiksborg Castle

Inside the castle is room after sumptuous room. Wear your walking shoes–it’s a big place! I toured the castle fairly quickly because I wanted to get outside to view the castle from the lake. However, if you’re interested in Danish history, the castle could easily fill an hour or two of your time.

Here’s a selection of a few of the rooms and displays I wandered through.

Sumptuous royal bedroom in Fredericksberg castle — One of many sumptuous royal apartments

An 18th-century footman is happy to pose for photos

Outside the castle, you can tour the gardens and then catch the cute little launch that goes from a dock near the castle across the lake to the town of Hillerød. The cost of the launch (along with the castle entrance and all busses and trains) is included with the marvelous Copenhagen Card.

Launch that takes guests across the lake to the town of Hillerød — Cost of the ferry across the lake is included with the Copenhagen card

Carol Cram on the launch across the lake at Fredericksborg Castle during her day trip from Copenhagen — On the launch across the lake at Frederiksborg Castle

As I was crossing the lake, the sun came out with magical results.

Fredericksberg Castle on a sunny day and reflected in the lake - perfect for a day trip from Copenhagen — Fredericksborg Castle

Hillerød

For your day trip to Frederiksborg Castle, you’ll catch the train from Copenhagen to Hillerød and then from the station, take a bus or walk to the castle. Many of the people getting off the train are also tourists and heading for the castle, so it’s pretty easy to just follow the crowd to the bus stop. If in doubt, ask someone who looks like a local. I never encountered anyone in Denmark who did not speak excellent English.

After touring the castle, you can either take the bus back to Hillerød or, like I did, catch the launch across the lake. It docks at Hillerød. Wander through the attractive little town, grab a coffee in the central square, browse a few shops, and then walk to the train station for the journey back to Copenhagen. The entire trip to the castle and Hillerød lasts only a few hours unless you are a super-fan and want to examine every part of the castle open to the public and also walk the miles of pathways in the formal gardens.

The charming town of Hillerød with the castle across the lake

Signposts in Hillerød leading me back to the station

Frederiksborg Castle Practical Information

Frederiksborg Castle is open every day throughout the year from 10:00 to 17:00 April to October and 11:00 to 15:00 November to March. Admission is 90 DKK for adults, but you can use your Copenhagen Card (see below for details). The museum is located in Hillerød, a 40-minute ride on S-train line A from Copenhagen. From Hillerød Station you can walk to the castle (View the route here) or take the local busses 301 (direction: Ullerød) or 302 (direction: Sophienlund) and get off at the stop “Frederiksborg Slot”.

Kronborg Castle

Located on the sound between Sweden and Denmark about 40 minutes north of Copenhagen, Kronborg Castle (#3 on the map above) and the charming town of Helsingor are both great choices for a day trip from Copenhagen. In fact, if you only have time for one of the three day trips presented in this post, I’d choose Kronborg. While the castle itself is not as large and imposing as Frederiksborg Castle, the town of Helsingor has more to offer.

Also, if you’re a Hamlet fan, then you have to visit Kronborg Castle, which was the setting for Shakespeare’s play. It’s easy to imagine Prince Hamlet wandering through the lofty halls of the castle and looking out to sea, brooding and plotting revenge.

If you have a car, you can even zip across on the ferry to Helsingborg in Sweden and from there carry on north to Gothenburg and even Stockholm.

Touring Kronborg Castle

Kronborg Castle towers above the narrow sound between the coasts of Denmark and Sweden. It’s a Renaissance castle complete with spires and towers, and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Courtyard inside Kronborg Castle, a great destination for a day trip from Copenhagen — Courtyard instide Kronborg Castle

Inside the castle are rooms full of period furnishings. The prevailing feeling is a bit starker than Frederiksborg Castle. It’s worth touring, but doesn’t require a lot of time.

Costumed guide talks about food at Kronborg Castle

The views from the castle over the sound to Sweden on the far shore are lovely on a clear day. Check out the clouds!

View from Kronborg Castle toward Sweden during a day trip from Copenhagen — View from Kronborg Castle toward Sweden

Kronborg Castle Practical Information

Kronborg Castle is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 May to October and from 11:00 to 15:00 November to April. Admission is 125 DKK for adults, but you can use your Copenhagen Card (see below for details). The castle is located in Helsingør, a 40-minute train ride from Copenhagen. From the station, you can walk about ten minutes to the castle.

Helsingør

I enjoyed wandering around Helsingør. It’s not at all touristy; the vast majority of the people out soaking up the sunny September day were locals. The harbor area with its ships and Maritime Museum are worth lingering in during your day trip from Copenhagen.

Also view murals on buildings throughout the town. I particularly enjoyed seeing the one of Hamlet holding Yorick’s skull.

Colorful mural of in Helsingør in the 16th century — Colorful mural of Helsingør in the 16th century

Close-up of Hamlet in the prow of a ship in a mural

I stopped for lunch on a pedestrian street full of outdoor cafes and enjoyed three scrumptious Smørrebrød – open-faced sandwiches, along with a strong and satisfying Danish beer.

As in many restaurants that serve Smørrebrød, I was invited to go check out a mouth-watering display of the tasty sandwiches and then choose the number and kind I wanted. Each of the three I chose was a winner.

Three tastey smørrebrød for lunch in Helsingør — Smørrebrød for lunch in Helsingør

I happened to arrive in Helsingør when locals were celebrating the Golden Jubilee of Queen Margrethe. There were lots of Danish flags and a parade!

Danish flag as part of celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Queen — Danes celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the Queen

Parade for the Golden Jubilee in Helsingør

A good sightseeing strategy if you want to see both Kronborg Castle and the Louisiana Museum of Art on a day trip from Copenhagen is to do both on the same day. They are quite close together in the same geographical area (north of Copenhagen). In fact, you take the same train from Copenhagen. Go to Kronborg Castle first and then backtrack to the Louisiana Museum or go the other way around. Bear in mind that you’ll find more and cheaper lunch options in Helsignor. At the Louisiana Museum, you only have the fancy restaurant at the museum (excellent food but not cheap!).

Frederiksborg & Kronborg Day Tours

You can choose to take a guided day trip from Copenhagen that includes both Frederiksborg Castle and Kronborg Castle. This tour also goes to Roskilde where you’ll tour the Viking Ship Museum.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (#4 on the map) is about a 30-minute train ride north of Copenhagen and is world-renowned as one of Europe’s best modern art museums. I’ll confess that I found the exhibitions a tad underwhelming. However, the setting of the museum on the North Sea and the many outdoor sculptures are fabulous and well worth the trip.

Founded by Knud W. Jensen to house Danish modern art, the museum opened in 1958. Within a few years, the focus shifted from featuring predominantly Danish art to becoming an international museum that featured internationally renowned artists.

Check what exhibitions are on, but even if they don’t appeal, visit the museum anyway. It makes for a lovely morning out from Copenhagen. You reach it by train (covered by the Copenhagen Card) followed by a pleasant 20-minute stroll along a suburban road to the museum.

After visiting the exhibitions, head outside where the real stars of the museum are located. Here’s a selection of sculptures dotted all around the large property.

Modern sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art with a view toward Sweden — View toward Sweden

Stone spheres outside in the sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Stone spheres in the sculpture garden

Large mobile in the sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Captivating mobile overlooking the Sound

Black cut-out sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Cool cutout sculpture

Granite sculpture in the sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Granite sculpture

Miro sculpture in the sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art — Is it a Miro?

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Practical Information

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is located in Humlebæk about 30 minutes north of Copenhagen. Catch the train from the main train station and then walk about twenty minutes to the museum. If you have a car, you can drive there. Ample parking is provided. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 22:00 and Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 18:00 (closed Monday) and covered by the Copenhagen Card.

Purchase the Copenhagen Card

Not all tourist cards are great value, but the Copenhagen Card is definitely worth purchasing. It covers so much of what you’ll want to see in Copenhagen, including all three of the sites and all the transportation options covered in this post, dozens museums (there are a LOT of museums in Copenhagen), and attractions such as Tivoli Gardens (worth a visit to see the lights in the evening). You can use the Copenhagen Card on the local subways. It truly is a bargain and a major time saver.

I almost never buy city cards, but I’m very glad I purchased the Copenhagen Card. Having it saved me loads of time, made sightseeing a pleasure, and took all the stress out of riding public transit. It’s a winner!

Click the image below to purchase the Copenhagen card.

Conclusion

Have you visited museums in Copenhagen? Which ones did you visit and recommend? Please share in the comments below.

Here are more posts about awesome museums to visit in England and Europe:

A Trio of Must-See Museums in Copenhagen

January 12, 2023March 11, 2023Artsy Sightseeing, Denmark, Destinations, Get Inspired carolcram Leave a Comment

Last updated on March 11th, 2023 at 06:37 pm

Copenhagen museums (visit them with the Copenhagen Card) are world-class and worth a trip to Denmark’s fabulous capital city just to visit them. There are several must-sees, but for this post, I focus on my three favorites: the Design Museum, the Danish National Museum, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is about thirty minutes north of Copenhagen (super easy to get to).

Armed with a Copenhagen Card (a must-buy – see below), I ventured forth into the bustling streets of Copenhagen for three amazing Artsy Traveler experiences.

This map was created with Wanderlog, an itinerary planner on iOS and Android

Design Museum

Called the Designmuseum Danmark, this museum is absolutely stunning (see #1 on the map above). Even if you’ve never in your life thought about design, put this museum on your list of must-sees while in Copenhagen. It tells the story of Danish design in room after room of artful displays of everything from furniture to objects to textiles to cutlery to posters, and a lot more.

Gregg and I never wanted to leave, although after our visit we did enjoy relaxing in the lovely courtyard and drinking lattes served by an enthusiastic young man. He was so pleased when we raved to him about how much we loved the museum.

Breezy and relaxing outdoor area at the Designmuseum Danmark

Gregg relaxing after touring the Designmuseum Danmark

The many rooms in the Designmuseum Danmark are arranged around themed exhibitions that run for quite a long time so they’re likely to still be on if you visit Copenhagen in 2023. For the most up-to-date information about current exhibitions, check the museum’s website.

Each display is accompanied by informative explanations in both Danish and English. Here’s an overview of the exhibitions we saw at the Designmuseum Danmark.

The Future is Present

The first exhibition we entered explored many of the ways in which designers around the world are finding solutions to challenges such as climate change, refugee flows, pandemics, and more. How do we live together in communities, relate to each other, and interact with our environments? And what role does design play?

The many displays are both beautiful and thought-provoking. One of my favorites is this display of biodegradable urns. The pendant attached to the urn is planted so that loved ones can enjoy “the growing flowers and a tree in a place for conversation and remembrance.”

Biodegradable urns - a way to remember loved ones long after their passing — Biodegradable urns – a way to remember loved ones long after their passing

Wonder

This exhibition featured objects from some of the Designmuseum’s many collections. The exhibition tells the story of how a thing becomes an object in a private collection or in a museum. Each display is imaginatively presented and accompanied by excellent commentary. You could spend a lot of time in the Designmuseum Danmark!

Here’s a sampling of some of the objects in the Wonder exhibition.

Gorgeously designed chair from the 19th Century at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Gorgeously designed chair from the 19th Century

Art nouveau necklace at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Art nouveau necklace

The Magic of Form

Our favorite exhibition was The Magic of Form that took us on a fabulous journey through Danish design history. As anyone who has seen a piece of Danish modern furniture knows, Denmark and design go hand in hand. The Danes have a knack for creating marvelously designed furniture that is both beautiful and practical.

The exhibition is massive–room after room of objects and pieces of furniture that follow the historical development of Danish design from around 1900 to the present. Every time we entered a new room, we gasped in wonder. Not only were the objects themselves stunning, but also the way in which they were presented raised my experience of museum display techniques to new heights.

Here’s a selection of a few of the rooms and displays we wandered through.

Modern furniture display at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Danish Modern chairs imaginatively displayed

Lamps and vases at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Vases, a modern light fixture, and an abstract painting

Sixties-era furniture at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Chock full of color and form

Creative display of furniture at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Danish Modern run amok

Modern lamps at the Design Museum in Copenhagenlamps — Ultra modern Danish Modern chic

Modern sculpture at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Colorful sculpture

Other Exhibitions

When we toured the Designmuseum Danmark, we also saw two other exhibitions. The Table, Cover Thyself exhibition of plates and cultlery showed a myriad selection of table settings including plates, cutlery, tureens, figurines, and more. I particularly loved these two jugs.

Coffee and tea pots at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Two beautifully designed coffee jugs

The Powerful Patterns exhibition explored patterns as an artform and included a wealth of textiles and costumes, including this beautiful dress.

Elaborate embroidered gown at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Dress with exquisite embroidery

The Designmuseum Danmark was one of the many highlights of our week in Copenhagen. I can hardly wait to return to see what new exhibitions are being featured.

And to top off my visit, I discovered that even a trip to the ladies room was fraught with design. Here’s what I saw when I look up from where I was, um, sitting:

Plastic chair above a toilet stall at the Design Museum in Copenhagen — Chair suspended over a toilet stall at the Designmuseum Danmark

The Danes have a sense of humor for sure!

Design Museum Practical Information

The Designmuseum Danmark is open from 10 am to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday (closed Monday). Admission is 130 DKK for adults, but you can use your Copenhagen Card (see below for details). The museum is located at Bredgade 68 and makes a great stop on the way to see the Little Mermaid in the Copenhagen harbor.

The National Museum of Denmark

The Nationalmuseet (#2 on the map at the top of this post) is another major museum in which you could get lost for hours. In fact, we ran out of steam after touring the awesome collection of prehistory and Viking artifacts and didn’t see all the museum has to offer. All the more reason to return!

But even if you, like us, only manage to tour half the museum, make sure it’s the half that includes the Danish prehistory and Viking collections. Each display is cleverly mounted and includes interesting commentary in Danish and English.

Danish Prehistory Collection

I have a soft spot for prehistory museums and monuments, and visit them whenever I can. Check out my post on seven of my fave prehistory spots in Europe. Given my predelictions (and Gregg’s too), we naturally made a beeline for the Danish Prehistory collection.

What a treasure trove!

The exhibition features objects made prior to 1050 AD and extending way, way back into the misty mists of time (like 6000 BCE!) and includes unique archaeological treasures like the Trundholm Chariot of the Sun, the Egtved girl’s grave, the Gundestrup cauldron, the Hoby tomb, and more.

Twenty-four rooms arranged in a large square enclosing the gardens take you from the earliest years up to the Viking era. I was surprised and enthralled by the age of many of the prehistoric objects in the first several rooms. A highlight is the skeleton of a massive bull elk that perished in a bog over 8500 years ago.

Ancient sculpture of an elk at the Danish National Museum — The Tåderup Elk at the Danish National Museum

Here are two of my favorite displays, but there were many more. You could spend a very long time in the Danish prehistory rooms.

Polished figures from prehistory at the Danish National Museum — Polished figures from prehistoric grave sites

Viksø helmets from the Bronze Age at the Danish National Museum — Viksø helmets from the Bronze Age

Viking Exhibition

Eventually, you’ll arrive at the Viking exhibition to be confronted by a model of a full-size Viking ship (and it’s really big!). The ship dominates the large room that includes displays that trace Denmark’s huge contribution to world history. At one time, Vikings controlled vast swathes of Europe, extending all the way to North America. A wall-size map at the beginning of the exhibition shows how far their influence extended.

Viking costumes at the Danish National Museum — Sartorial elegance of the Vikings; a portion of the ship model is in the background

The Danes are very proud of their Viking heritage, as evidenced by the care they’ve taken to mount such a spectacular exhibition.

The Raid Experience

Included in the Viking exhibition is a new multi-media experience called “The Raid” that invites guests to “hop aboard and join the Vikings on an adventurous raid.”

“The Raid” isn’t actually a ride. You walk through a series of rooms, stopping in each to watch a 360-degree projection accompanied by commentary in English. The projections tell the exciting story of Björn Ironside, the legendary Viking who led 62 ships on an ill-fated journey to Rome.

Along the way, they plunder and pillage as Vikings are wont to do, but never actually make it to Rome. They do make it into the Mediterranean, however. Unfortunately, on their way out again, they are almost destroyed by large firebombs raining down upon them from the cliffs above the Strait of Gibraltar. Poor Bjorn perishes and very few ships make it back to Denmark. So ends Bjorn’s raid, only to be revived 1500-odd years later for tourists to wonder at.

Poster for The Viking Raid attraction at the Danish National Museum — Poster for “The Raid” at the Danish National Museum

What Else to See at the National Museum

The museum includes exhibitions from Denmark’s Middle Ages and Renaissance, the histories of Denmark, an antique collection, the Children’s Museum, Voices from the Colonies, and a Coin and Medal Collection in addition to special exhibitions. Everything is state-of-the-art, a real testament to recent advances in museumology.

I need to go back!

Canal in Copenhagen — On the way to the National Museum of Denmark

National Museum of Denmark Practical Information

The National Museum of Denmark is located in the Prince’s Palace at Ny Vestergade 10. It’s within walking distance from Nyhavn where I recommend you stay. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 18:00 (closed Monday) and covered by the Copenhagen Card.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (#3 on the map at the top of this post) is about a 30-minute train ride north of Copenhagen. It’s world-renowned as one of Europe’s best modern art museums, and therefore a must-visit for the Artsy Traveler!

That said, I confess that I found the exhibitions a tad underwhelming. However, the setting of the museum on the North Sea and the many outdoor sculptures are fabulous and well worth the trip.

The food in the restaurant overlooking the water is also excellent!

After visiting the exhibitions, head outside where the real stars of the museum are located. Here’s a selection of sculptures dotted all around the large property.

Carol Cram in front of a modern sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Granite sphere in the sculpture garden at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Huge mobile in the sculpture garden overlooking the water with Sweden in the distance at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Black cut-out modern sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Granite sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Miro-inspired bird man sculpture at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art Practical Information

Purchase the Copenhagen Card

Not all tourist cards are great value, but the Copenhagen Card is definitely worth purchasing. It covers so much of what you’ll want to see in Copenhagen, including all three of the museums covered in this post along with dozens more museums (there are a LOT of museums in Copenhagen), attractions such as Tivoli Gardens (worth a visit to see the lights in the evening), and all your transportation in and around Copenhagen. You can use it on the local subways and on trains that go farther afield to popular destinations such as Frederiksburg Castle, Kronburg Castle, and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It truly is a bargain and a major time-saver.

Click the image below to purchase the Copenhagen card.

Check out more tours and things to do in marvelous Copenhagen.

Conclusion

Have you visited museums in Copenhagen? Which ones did you visit and recommend? Please share in the comments below.

Here are more posts about awesome museums to visit in England and Europe: