Once home to kings and queens, Christiansborg Palace now houses the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of State. You can visit the state rooms and walk in the footsteps of royalty. The Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen are used by the Queen for official occasions. Walk though gilded rooms and decorated salons, some of which are still used by the Royal Family for various functions and events. The Royal Reception Rooms include The Tower Room and The Oval Throne Room where foreign ambassadors to Denmark are received by the King. The lavish Throne Room gives access to the balcony where the Danish monarchs are proclaimed, with twin thrones to admire. The Great Hall is the most imposing room in the palace. This is where you will find the Queen's tapestries.The Danish business community marked the occasion of Queen Margrethe's 50th birthday in 1990 by ordering a gift of 11 tapestries. Bjørn Nørgaard painted the full-size sketches upon which the tapestries were woven. The tapestry series depicts 1000 years of Danish history.The Prime Minister of Denmark also uses The Royal Reception Rooms in connection with state visits by foreign state leaders. The Alexandra Hall is used for official dinners.If you hold a ticket to the Royal Reception Rooms, you are entitled to a free guided tour of the premises. Other experiences at Christiansborg Palace include a spooky tour of the ruins discovered underneath the palace, which include a wall dating to the Middle Ages, and a trip round the castle's former kitchens, complete with sounds and models. The Reception Rooms are richly adorned with furniture and works of art rescued from the two previous palaces, as well as decorations by some of the best Danish artists, such as Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg and Bjørn Nørgaard. Admission during opening hours, provided that the royal family is not using the premises for official occasions.

ARKEN Museum of Contemporary Art in Ishøj south of Copenhagen presents exhibitions with Danish, Nordic and international art – from new, young talents to established names ARKEN is a great and monumental building situated in the artificial landscape Køge Bay Beach south of Copenhagen. The museum has one of Scandinavia's finest collections of contemporary art, and the museum's maritime architecture with the pointed stern, which majestically protudes into the terrain, has won recognition both at home and abroad since its inaugaration in 1996.  ARKEN's collection contains more than 400 works - Danish, Nordic and international contemporary art primarly from the period after 1990. The museum houses, among other things, one of Europe's most important collections of the British artist Damien Hirst. Experience the museum's evolving sculpture park, nine works by acclaimed German artist Anselm Reyle as well as a magnificent masterpiece by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.  Distinctive architecture The museum building is an attraction in itself. With its scenic location on Kunstens Ø, or ‘Art Island’, the building, designed by the architect Søren Robert Lund, resembles a beached ship. A lagoon meanders its way around the museum, with several bridges linking the museum island with the surrounding beach area. The museum café hangs like a lifeboat on the side of the building and through the large panoramic windows overlooks Køge Bay. The museum shop is the area's leading design shop with an inspiring mix of Nordic design, art books, and gift items.   Exhibitions Group Therapy, 29.2.24-28.7.24 An inflatable flock of chickens and a burned-down preschool. An outboard motor as a national symbol of Greenland. In the exhibition Group Therapy — New Contemporary Art at ARKEN, contemporary art unfolds in many forms. Sharp, insightful, caring, dynamic and humorous - the artists explore our era and invite us to reflect on our place in the world. The exhibition's works have recently been added to the museum's permanent collection, and they are presented in an exhibition that promotes conversations about conflict, emotions, hope and healing. In her installation, Lisa's Chickens (Farm Life), Benedikte Bjerre has given a large flock of helium hens the 50 most popular girl names in Denmark right now, raising playful questions about our market-driven and gendered world. Cliché-filled ideas about gender are also challenged by Tora Schultz, who, with her Prada stilettos, inspired by the poster for the Hollywood film The Devil Wears Prada, humorously criticises the sex symbols of the fashion industry and the demeaning propensity of our society to compare powerful women to the devil. Martin Brandt Hansen punches a hole in the stereotypical notion of national identity with works such as Uummat (heart in Greenlandic) in which he transforms a Honda engine — a global symbol of strength, speed and power — into an elegant and humorous monument to today's Greenland. Anish Kapoor, Unseen: 11.4.24-20.10.24 Anish KapoorKapoor's monumental sculptures and installations speak directly to our senses and emotions. Through his unique eye for materials, shapes, colours and surfaces we are drawn into and seduced by his work, which turns the world upside down — often quite literally. Kapoor has been shown in the largest exhibition venues in the world, and he has also created several significant pieces for public spaces. Anish Kapoor was born and raised in an Indian-Jewish family in India. From 1973, he was educated in England, where he has worked ever since.‍ ARKEN's exhibitionThe exhibition at ARKEN showcases a selection of Kapoor's most significant large-scale works created during the artist's more than 40-year career. The exhibition will be spread throughout most of ARKEN's halls: the Art Axis, the Large Gallery, the Graphic Gallery and other adjacent galleries. Despite the large exhibition space, the exhibition contains only about 10 works. The majority, however, are very extensive, and in scale and intensity the works will fill the entire museum. All of the works are built specifically for and integrated into ARKEN's architecture. In this way, the exhibition will take the form of a total intervention in architecture that challenges the usual way the building is used and the spaces are experienced.  

ORDRUPGAARD – AN INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DESTINATION You will find Ordrupgaard in scenic, peaceful surroundings just 10 km north of Copenhagen. The museum offers a unique array of world-class art, design and architecture. The park has art to enjoy, too. Monet, Degas, Gauguin – and HammershøiAt Ordrupgaard, you can explore one of Northern Europe’s most important collections of French Impressionism, featuring leading figures like Monet, Degas and Gauguin. In addition, visitors can enjoy an exquisite collection of Danish art focusing on Vilhelm Hammershøi and his contemporaries – as well as a succession of special exhibitions. Finn Juhl, Zaha Hadid and SnøhettaYou can also visit the former home of furniture designer Finn Juhl. Here his iconic furniture enters into a lively dialogue with the great Danish artists of modernism, just like when Finn Juhl lived here. Star architect Zaha Hadid and the award-winning design studio Snøhetta have also made their imprint on Ordrupgaard. Art in the open airIn the park, you can explore works by leading contemporary artists. All visitors  can give their inner child free rein, because here you are welcome to run, jump and climb on the art. Of course, you may simply prefer to settle on the lawn and enjoy the many sensory impressions offered by the scenic park. Ever since the couple who founded Ordrupgaard, Wilhelm and Henny Hansen, moved here in 1918, a pleasant, informal atmosphere has infused this place. It still does, making the museum popular with all generations. In the café, the chefs conjure up dishes from fresh Nordic ingredients to provide pit-stop refreshments with breathtaking views to green parkland. Temporary exhibitions: 9.2.24 - 20.5.24: Impressionism and its overlooked women In a magnificent exhibition featuring works from across the world, Ordrupgaard celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first of eight ground-breaking impressionist exhibitions that took place between 1874 and 1886 in Paris. Special focus will be directed at five women artists, all of whom were largely overlooked in the great narrative on Impressionism and the emergence of modern art. Experience major works by Berthe Morisot (France) and Mary Cassatt (USA) as well as main works by lesser known artists such as Eva Gonzalès and Marie Bracquemond (both France) and Marie Bashkirtseff (Russia-Ukraine), of which the latter two have never previously been shown in Denmark. The exhibition follows their struggle to be included in art history, focusing on the mark their works left on the contemporary art scene – in the independent impressionist exhibitions as well as the major censured exhibitions at the Paris Salon. Many still consider Impressionism to be closely associated with depictions of Paris’ boulevards and night life. Nevertheless, as evident from the exhibition, the women artists mainly portray the private sphere – different and equally significant aspects of Impressionism and the modernity whence the movement emerged. 

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   Særudstillinger:  SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864, 15.3.24-28.7.24 SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864 is an exhibition about art and the popular image of the people’s warrior which arose with the wars in the 1800s. For the first time ever, the Danish soldier was given a leading role in general culture. The home front closely followed the war through photographic reports. Danish soldiers, student volunteers and sailors became heroes in large battle paintings. But art also tackled problems and conflicts. Families had to send their sons to the wars and, later, to receive and accommodate the returning veterans. SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864 is an exhibition about the ordinary Danish soldier. We see him in the field and on the battlefield, at camp and on leave. And we meet his family and the community to which he returned. The exhibition is also about visual strategies and blind spots. How did we perceive and understand the soldiers and their struggles? Could death and grief be accommodated in art? What happened to the scars of those who came home from the wars?

Welcome to Gammel Strand A UNIQUE PLACE FOR ART LOVERSIn the heart of Copenhagen’s historical district right by the canalside lies Gammel Strand, an art institution focusing on modern and contemporary art. Gammel Strand showcases 6-8 exhibitions annually focusing on new Danish talent, the international contemporary art scene and artists art-historical themes in a present-day perspective.In connection with the series of exhibitions Gammel Strand regularly presents a per­spec­tivizing programme of events involving talks and debates, literature readings, concerts and guided tours. Visitors can also enjoy a break in the café with the charming courtyard, and buy art books, posters, and design items in the shop.  This spring, Gammel Strand presents an extensive exhibition with Yael Bartana (b.1970, Israel). Through video works, photography and installations, Bartana explores current, complex issues of national and cultural identity, trauma and power structures. The exhibition presents a wide range of Bartana’s work, from early video works and photo series to her latest comprehensive film work Malka Germania (2021). The exhibition runs from 2 February to the end of May 2024.   Special Exhibitions (gammelstrand.dk): Slumping, Tove Storch; 02.02.24-20.05.24 Tove Storch opens a new path in her practice between the everyday and the alienating. With five new works created specifically for Gammel Strand, Storch explores subtle, unassuming gestures and showcases sculptures on a grand scale.Slumping is a craft technique within glass art and slang for exhaustion and laziness. In the exhibition, Storch demonstrates her unique understanding of the capabilities of materials as she tests their different strengths: Can silk break down metal? How does the liquid shape the solid? How does time affect shape? Through her choice of colors, motifs, and attitude, the works intertwine with archetypal narratives of the body, romance, and sexuality, gently shaking free from fixed interpretations.Tove Storch (b. 1981) graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 2007, from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 2004, and Weissensee Kunsthochschule Berlin in 2006. In 2021, she was awarded the prestigious Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Honorary Prize.   Things to Come, Yael Bartana; 02.02.24-20.05.24 Yael Bartana works with grand narratives. In Things to Come, she challenges the blind spots in our understanding of history and establishes new spaces of understanding between the actual and the imagined. She processes collective memories, origin myths, and some of the darkest chapters in human history, which she uses as raw material to formulate new narratives about the future. The exhibition shows, among other things, Malka Germania, Bartana's most extensive film work to date, which revolves around the German-Jewish relationship in a dream-like future scenario in Berlin; Two Minutes to Midnight, a power- and gender-critical paraphrase of Stanley Kubrick's legendary science fiction film Dr. Strangelove; and Overcoming the Future about redemption and forgiveness. Yael Bartana (b. 1970) was born and raised in Israel. Since the mid-00s, she has lived in Amsterdam and Berlin. Her works have been shown all over the world and are part of the collections of many prominent institutions. In January 2024, she was appointed as one of two artists to exhibit in the German Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2024.

Take a trip to Køge Museum and enjoy an experience you'll never forget. Køge Museum is located centrally in the town of Køge - just a few minutes' walk from Køge Station and Køge Torv - in the old merchant's house from 1619. In the museum's exhibitions, you can look forward to a journey through Køge's history. From the mighty Viking Age to the hunter-gatherer people of the Stone Age. When you're done, you can take a break in the museum's cozy courtyard - shielded from the noise of the city. Here, you can enjoy a cup of well-brewed coffee from the museum cafe while the kids play on the ship-themed playground.Approx travel time from Copenhagen Central Station is 35 minutes with public transport, included in COPENHAGEN CARD - DISCOVER. We recommend using journeyplanner.dk when planning your trip.

Gl. Holtegaard is an art center with a programme of three to four ambitious exhibitions a year, both in the gallery of the main house and in the Baroque garden. The mission is to present contemporary and classical artworks that make history relevant and bring a fresh perspective to the age in which we live. The gallery’s unique location in the historical buildings and grounds of Lauritz de Thurah’s Baroque complex is an integrated part of the exhibition profile. It is precisely this context that makes it possible to bring contemporary art into close contact with the historical material Gammel Holtegaard is made of.The Baroque garden is thus seen as an extended gallery, and exhibitions there are as carefully curated and presented as the indoor ones in the annual programme. Gammel Holtegaard has a diverse year-round programme of events and activities relating to the exhibitions and to Gammel Holtegaard itself. These include artist talks, performances, talks, debates, garden tours, concerts, and much more. Exhibitions (glhotegaard.dk): 'Across the Strait', Iselin Forslund Toubro; 8.3.24-12.5.24 Iselin Forslund Toubro’s solo exhibition Across the Strait unfolds as an total installation, with a cinematic narrative progression, which in interaction withsculpturel elements points to conflicts in both the past and present. BIO:Iselin Forslund Toubro (b. 1990) is educated from The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm, Sweden, Emily Carr University of Film, Art and Design, Vancouver, Canada and The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, Denmark (2019). Toubro work in the field between art cinematic, performance and installation – very often in huge productions, which involves both actors, musicians and other contributors. Transport Gl. Holtegaard is located north of Copenhagen, and both entrance and public transport is included in COPENHAGEN CARD - DISCOVER. We recommend using journeyplanner.dk to plan your trip.