Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Denmark

Tivoli-Gardens
Tivoli-Gardens

Denmark, the birthplace of world’s most popular Lego and toys, offers its visitors a wide range of experiences. This Scandinavia country boats of beautiful fairy-tale castles, glorious beaches, friendly citizens, a temperate climate, and a joie de vivre that’s catching. Here are the top ten Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Denmark.

10. The Round Tower

the-Rundetaarn-Denmark
the-Rundetaarn-Denmark

The Round Tower is also called the Rundetaarn and it is the oldest (built in the 17th century) functioning observatory in all of Europe. When the tower was built, Denmark was very famous because of Tycho Brahe and his astronomical achievements. When Brahe died in 1601, King Christian IV wished to carry on with the astronaut’s research and he ordered the creation of the Round Tower. Today, the tower is no longer being used for research and is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Denmark. Many visitors come here to get to the top and enjoy the splendid view of the old part of the city.

9. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Ny-Carlsberg-Glyptotek
Ny-Carlsberg-Glyptotek

The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen is an art museum and its collection is created around Carl Jacobsen’s personal collection. Carl was the son of Carlsberg Breweries’ founder. The museum was initially a sculpture gallery with the focal point an antique sculptures from ancient Mediterranean cultures – including those from Greece, Rome and Egypt). There were also some modern sculptures like a set of Rodin works. However, there are also great painting collections that are now displayed here including those from famous painters like: Monet, Jacques-Louis David, Deqas, Cezanne, Renoir, and Pissaro (French collection); Van Gogh, Bonnard and Toulouse-Lautec (Post-Impressionists). So, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek surely is one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Denmark.

8. The Blue Planet

The-Blue-Planet-Tunnel
The-Blue-Planet-Tunnel

The Blue Planet is Denmark’s National Aquarium and also the most modern and the largest aquarium in northern Europe. Its spiral design is what sets this aquarium apart from others from all over the world. Being a really huge aquarium, it houses 450 various species – it has 20 thousand fish and other aquatic species like barracudas, moray eels, dwarf crocodiles, sea lions and sharks. The aquarium is expected to attract about 700 thousand guests every year, and when that happens it will be one of the top five tourist attractions in Denmark. The old aquarium was built in 1939 and the Blue Planet is the latest version.

7. Copenhagen Zoo

Copenhagen-Zoo
Copenhagen-Zoo

Copenhagen Zoon is certainly a place to go if ever you are in the Frederiksberg area. It has more than three thousand animals –together forming 264 different exciting species – that include; polar bears, monkeys, lions, hippos and elephants. The Zoo is divided into different parts. There is the tropical Zoo which everyday offers great tropical experience – no matter what the actual weather is. There is also the Rainforest where one can enjoy watching the snakes, hornbills, crocodiles, free-flying birds, marmosets, butterflies and dwarf deer. Kids are also going to enjoy having up close and personal encounter with animals in the Children’s Zoo as they can pet the African goats. So, this is one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Denmark, especially for family trips.

6. Legoland Billund Resort

Legoland-Billund-Resort
Legoland-Billund-Resort

There might be question why Legoland is in this list of top tourist attractions in Denmark. After all, it is the first of its kind. The Legoland Billund was launched on June 7 of 1968 and it sits beside the original Lego Factory in Billund, Denmark and next to the second busiest airport in Denmark, the Billund Airport. In 2011, it was recorded that the park received over 50 million visitors, making it Denmark’s largest attraction outside Copenhagen. And because Legoland Billund was the first Legoland parks, all the other Legoland parks are modeled upon it. Both young and adult tourists (local and foreign) simply love visiting the Legoland Billund.

5. Amalienborg

Amalienborg
Amalienborg

Amalienborg is the Royal Family’s winter residence in Copenhagen, Denmark. The place has four indistinguishable palace façades all have rococo interiors designed around a magnificent octagonal courtyard. The middle of the square houses the colossal equestrian statue of King Frederick V. Amalienborg. Originally, Amalienborg was built especially for four noble households; however, on February 26 of 1794, the Christianborg Palace was burned down and royal family needed a place and thus they purchased the four palaces and moved in there. From that time, many other kings and royal families have lived and stayed in those four palaces. So, this is one of the top tourist attractions in Denmark as well.

4. Rosenborg Castle

Rosenborg-Castle
Rosenborg-Castle

Another royal attraction on the list is the Rosenborg Castle, which sits in the King’s Garden right at the heart of Copenhagen. This castle features 400 years of magnificence, several royal art assets as well as the Royal Regalia and the Crown Jewels. Just like the Round Tower, this castle was built under the orders of Christian IV in the 17th century. There are many attractions in the castle, including the Knight’s Hall where there are three life-sized silver lions that are constantly standing guard for the coronation thrones. The interior of the castle is another attraction; being well-preserved, stepping inside is like traveling back in time. You should find the Rosenborg Castle in any top tourist attractions in Denmark list available online.

3. Kronborg Castle

Kronborg-Castle
Kronborg-Castle

The Kronborg Castle is a Royal Castle in Helsingør (Elsinore). It is one of the most historically significant royal castles in Denmark because of its strategic location – it commands the Sund, the stretch of water between Sweden and Denmark. This castle was undoubtedly very important for the Danish people since it played a major role in Europe’s history in the 16th to the 18th centuries. The castle was constructed in 1574 and the defenses were reworked in accordance to the military needs of the times in the late part of the 17th century. This castle is more popularly known as the setting of Hamlet, the Elsinore and easily one of the top three tourist attractions in Denmark.

2. The Little Mermaid

The-Little-Mermaid
The-Little-Mermaid

No one comes to Denmark and leaves without visiting the Little Mermaid. This magnificent sculpture sits perfectly at the Langelinje Pier and she turned a hundred on August 23rd of 2013. The bronze statue was a gift from Carl Jacobsen for the city of Copenhagen. The statue was also made of granite and it was inspired by a mermaid fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The fairy tale tells the story of a mermaid who – every morning – swims to the surface and perches on her favorite rock to wait for her handsome prince. The statue sits there still, and the fairy tale lives on.

1. Tivoli Gardens

Tivoli-Gardens
Tivoli-Gardens

Tivoli Gardens is an amusement park and national treasure, making it one of the most visited tourist attractions in Denmark. Tivoli is in Copenhagen and it offers great entertainment features for both the young and the old. It is located near the City Hall and the Copenhagen Central Station, thus it is definitely hard to miss. This Denmark attraction was established in 1843 and since then has been declared as national treasure and international tourist attraction. Inside the Tivoli garden, one would be amazed of the beautiful scenery, historic buildings, lush gardens and exotic architecture. What makes it really popular is that it provides an almost surreal fairy tale atmosphere at night with colored lights flooding the entire place. So, Tivoli Gardens tops our list of top tourist attractions in Denmark.

Please comment below what else should have been in this list. And let us know how we can improve this article.

Author: Tajirul Haque

Tajirul Haque is a travel enthusiast and freelance travel writer on Upwork. Having written hundreds of travel articles on so many travel destinations around the world for his clients, Tajirul started Top Travel Lists back in September 2014. Travel writing is his passion and he always loves to write about a new destination as it allows him to know about more beautiful places the planet has to offer. He is always available for freelance travel writing opportunities.