Danish Learning Community and Resources

Denmark is a very small country in the northern part of Europe, called Scandinavia. If you have spent any quality time in this region, you know that we value design, innovation and have a respect for our cultural heritage. With that said, you will find a large variety of museums showcasing modern art, modern design and architecture, as well as classic antiquities from prehistoric times. So whatever your interests are, you will find something to love in this culturally diverse country. In this blog, we will discuss some of the most popular museums in Denmark and what you can discover there. 

The National museum of Denmark houses pre-historic relics to Viking artefacts, Roman and Egyptian antique and Indigenous cults. Find out how Denmark came to be and experience exhibitions on Viking, Roman, Egyptian, Indigenous times. The national museum has something for everyone, even kids can have fun and learn, as they offer a “kids museum”. 

Amalienborg Museum allows you to travel through time of the last 150 years of Danish Monarch history, where you can walk through the palace, and see the many rooms and royal gardens as well as witnessing the changing of the guards around noon.  

Roskilde Viking Museum depicts all the Viking history found in the Roskilde fjord from the prehistoric and medieval period. They have excavated at least 5 Viking ships from different eras that you can view, including a recreation of a Viking village that showcases their traditional way of life. The museum has permanent and temporary exhibitions and many activities that the whole family can participate in, as well as an excellent restaurant.   

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhgaen. Primarly a sculpture museum from ancient Mediterranean, with a focus on Egypt, Rome, and Greece. The museum also houses sculptures from more modern days including August Rodin works which are known as the most important outside of France. The museum showcases many impressive paintings from the French impressionist, the post-impressionist and the Danish Golden age era including Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and more.  

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is located on the shore of Øresund Sound in Humlebæk, some 30 km outside of Copenhagen. It is probably the most visited museum in Denmark now and houses modern and contemporary art collections dating from WWII to present day. This museum is acknowledged as a milestone for Danish Architecture and is ranked the 85th most visited art museums in the world, but we hope that we can move up that list in the next years.   

ARoS Aarhus Art Musuem is the art museum previously mentioned in Aarhus and was established in 1859. It is one of the largest museums in Northern Europe and is an architectural marvel with 10 stories, a circular Rainbow skywalk giving you panorama views that was completed in 2011 by Ólafur Elíasson. It is the second most visited museum in Denmark besides the famous Louisiana.  

Thorvaldsens Museum is dedicated to the most famous Danish sculptors, Bertel Thorvalden (1844). This museum not only houses all his famous works but is also home to his own impressive art collection. Artworks and paintings from Roman, Greek, and Egyptian antiquity can be found here. Not only is this a really nice way to spend the afternoon, but you will also be amazed by the museum’s architecture, which is a marvel alone.   

National Gallery of Denmark (Statens museum of Kunst) is considered to hold the largest collection of art experiences in the country. Discover masterpieces from all around the world from art’s golden ages, as well as the SILA, which is Greenland’s research centre that furthers archaeological and anthropological research in Greenland. A great way to spend that day and get to know more about Danish history.  

Moesgård Musuem highlights the evolution of mankind and is defined as a pre-historic and ethnographic museum. It has interactive elements to its exhibitions and special settings with light, sounds, and animations that is for audiences of all ages. Find out all you can about the Vikings in this little getaway close to the forest. 

Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg has a great collection of 4000 art pieces mainly from the 20th century, but the museum also hosts events including lectures, film screenings, and concerts. Kunsten’s exhibitions are thought provoking and target contemporary social and political issues which try to engage the audience to critique. A must visit when you are in Aalborg, Jutland.  

Arken Musuem of Modern Kunst houses a few 400 art pieces, but in addition to this they aim to examine and analyse the human condition of modern man. It is one of the newest museums in Denmark, but it already depicts remarkable pieces of renowned artists and up and coming artists, such as, Ai WeiWei, Olafur Eliasson and Jeppe Hein.  

I hope you are able to visit some of these museums on your visit or mobility stay in Denmark. Let us know in the “Living Abroad” Forum which was your favourite and why you enjoyed that museum.