Our Saviour's is one of Denmark's most famous churches. Ever since the serpentine spire was inaugurated in 1752, is has been a popular passtime to climb the 400 steps to the top.
Please note: The entrance to the church is free of charge for all. If you wish to climb the tower you must book your visit in advance. Please choose the free 'Copenhagen Card' option here.
Every year, more than 200.000 people climb the stairway to the top where Our Saviour stands on his globe and overlooks the royal city of Copenhagen.
Our Savior's Church's iconic tower contains six large bells and a fantastic carillon which holds special meaning to Christianshavn. With as many as 48 bells, the carillon plays its delicate melodies over the neighbourhood daily.
On the last 150 external steps, you will, as far as the eye can see, experience one of the best views over Copenhagen with an overview of the city from every angle at 86 meters. This is not an ascent for the vertiginously challenged!
The large baroque church, consecrated in 1696, holds a magnificent organ from 1698 and a beautiful altar. Furthermore, the church has 40 elephants symbolising the absolute monarchy and the Order of the Elephant, the highest order in Denmark. Can you find all the elephants in the church?
Access to the tower is limited during crowded hours because of narrow stairs and pathways. Therefore, we recommend prior booking to avoid waiting time for purchasing tickets on-site and to reserve a spot in the tower at a preferred time.
The staff can require online booking upon arrival during busy hours if the tower has reached its maximum visitor capacity.
Opening hours of the church are daily from 11.00 – 15.30.
Please note that the church is closed for sightseeing during services.
In the case of rain, snow or heavy wind, the tower closes temporarily for safety reasons.
The tower closes on December 31. Closed on 24 and 25 December. Please note that the tower closes at 15 pm. on December 31.
The Mast Crane - The Vessels at Holmen
Re-opens in April 2024
The most significant building on Holmen is the Mast Crane from 1749. The crane was used for keel hauling of ships and insertion of masts. It is built entirely of wood, and the wall around it is only a shell that protects the woodwork from wind and weather. The crane was able to lift twenty tons – only using manpower.
Holmen was the main base, dock yard and anchorage for the Royal Danish Navy from 1690 to 1993. Copenhagen maintained a military home base as far back as the late 13th century, but the Navy was not granted a shipyard until around 1500. This was located on Bremerholm in the inner city.
In 1680 work commenced to relocate the Navy outside the city due to limited space and risk of fire. Holmen was subsequently established by lowering decommissioned ships filled with waste from the streets and mud from the harbour, thus creating the artificial island of Nyholm. At the northern end of the island the warship Elephanten was lowered into the water at a 90° angle creating another small island to shelter the ships at anchor. This island functioned as a pier for centuries. The waters between the inner city and Nyholm housed the Navy ships.
The Mast Crane offers a viewpoint with an impressive 360 degrees view over Holmen and Copenhagen.
Related Attractions
HOW TO BECOME A COPENHAGENER
Copenhagen is one of the world’s most livable cities. But who are the Copenhageners and what kind of city is Copenhagen? Begin your visit in Copenhagen at the Museum of Copenhagen, located in a beautiful, historical building right behind City Hall. You’ll be introduced to all the most important places and events in the history of the Danish capital. From the city of the Viking Age, through the building boom and plague, fires and bombings, to the free city of Christiania today. A vast array of unique, original exhibits bring the city and its people to life. Our interactive model gives you an overview of the entire city – perhaps you will end up as a Copenhagener yourself!
THREE HIGHLIGHTS
See the 600 years old shipwreck of a keel
Examine an early edition of today’s Copenhageners’ favourite means of transport – the bicycle!
Get an overview of the city on the Copenhagen Panorama with our large scale, interactive model.
In a hurry? Se the highlights of the museum in just 30 minutes.
CAFÉ & SHOP Find an original gift in our museum shop, which offers everything from postcards to handcrafted design or relax in the café or in the ‘hyggelige’ courtyard.
Take a walk through Danish war history from the 1500s until today, and explore the treasure trove of equipment from samurai swords and medals to ship models and massive howitzers. Experience life as a deployed soldier as you step into Danish military camps from Afghanistan. Stay alert in the watch tower, and climb into an actual PMV hit by a roadside bomb. Also, get an overview of Danish war history. From knights in shining armour, wars with the Swedish and the English, to World War II, the Cold War and the war in Iraq. Or relax in the hammocks as you hear stories from the seven seas. The Danish War Museum is located in king Christian IVs arsenal on Slotsholmen in the heart of Copenhagen. When the arsenal was completed in 1604 it consisted of a war harbour, an arsenal and armoury, a provisions building with a bakery and a brewery, and an array of different workshops.
We will take you on an exciting journey through the past 500 years of Denmark’s wars – from famous battles against Sweden and England to Afghanistan.
M/S Maritime Museum in Elsinore is one of the most talked about museums in recent years. It has been named ‘A cutting-edge cultural venue’ by New York Times and ‘One of the eight greatest new museums’ by BBC. A sensory experience awaits with stunning architecture and modern, interactive exhibitions.
From a distance it is almost invisible, but below sealevel - in the middle of the newly renovated Culture Harbour and next door to Kronborg Castle - lies the Danish Maritime Museum, M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark. If you follow the sloping bridges into the old dry dock, you will experience one of the most spectacular new buildings in Denmark of the recent years.M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark tells the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations in an evocative and dramatic way. The setting is innovative and created by the award-winning design studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group.
Eight different themes
You can experience the story of Denmark as one of the world's leading maritime nations through eight different themes. You can look forward to the museum's rich maritime collection on display in an evocative and dramatic staging with major film projections and soundscapes.
At the museum, you can get lost in films, objects and texts for hours – or you can walk through the exhibitions in 20 minutes and still get a glimpse of shipping's past and present, its structures and elements. Many people see maritime history as a niche, but we try to open up history and tell stories of love, death, courage, science and drama
Experience seafaring up close in the 400 m2 maritime play universe ‘THE DREAM SHIP’ which encourage play, adventure and stories amongst children, parents and grandparents. ‘THE DREAM SHIP’ is supported by the Nordea Foundation and the Lauritzen Foundation. You can, among other things, come face to face with a torpedo, get an old sailor tattoo and see the world's largest model of a container ship.
Furthermore, the M/S Café offers lunch, hot and cold beverages and a selection of cakes. The museum shop M/S Cargo sells a wide variety of books, clothes, applied arts and toys related to the maritime world.
Special Exhibition: Pristine Seas
Opens on the 29th of february, 2024
The goal of National Geographic’s Pristine Seas project is to help protect the ocean’s vital and wildest places.
Pristine Seas is working with Indigenous peoples and local communities, governments, nonprofit partners, and businesses to help establish 40 new marine reserves and protect at least 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.
The Frigate Peder Skram will open again in April 2024
Peder Skram was part of the Royal Danish Navy from 1966-1988. Peder Skram was the first large warship in the world to use a combination of gas turbines and diesel engines for propulsion. It could reach a speed of approximately 30 knots (55 km/h or 34 mp/h) using gas turbines.
In case of war the frigate was a heavily armed flagship in the defense of the Baltic coast of Germany and the Danish islands against a naval invasion from the Warsaw Pact. The coordination of Operation Hurricane, large scale air raids, and missile attacks on hostile landing forces, was to be coordinated from the combat information center of Peder Skram.
Onboard the frigate you can experience the life of Danish naval personnel during the Cold War. You can witness how the 200 crewmembers of a Navy Flagship lived and worked every day. You can visit different stations: the combat information center, engine room, galley, bridge and even the gun turret.
The Fast Attack Sehested will open again in April 2024
The Willemos-class Fast Attack Craft SEHESTED, along with its 9 sister ships, served as a prominent part of the naval defence of Denmark and NATO during the Cold War.
The enemy was right in fearing this vessel which, with its small size and crew, was armed as potently as a major surface combatant. The class was armed with wirecontrolled torpedoes, long range Harpoon missiles, and a 76mm gun. These ships could serve as minelayers and were equipped with modern technology for combat information, artillery direction and sensors.
In addition, ships were quite seaworthy and could reach a speed of 40 knots (74 km/h or 46 mp/h). The crew consisted of 25 young men and women who lived in cramped conditions. The individual crewmember was held to a high standard of professional excellence and teamwork.
Opens again in April 2024
The submarine Sælen was commissioned into the Royal Danish Navy in 1990 as the last submarine in Danish service. It was also the only submarine to ever participate in hostilities.
Sælen is a small dieselelectric submarine, particularly suited for operations in coastal waters where it could encroach without detection.
It was armed with eight torpedo-tubes and could deploy navy seals. When you visit the submarine, you will experience how the conditions were for the crew of 24 sailors. During the Cold War, submarines of the Royal Danish Navy were feared by the enemy due to their low detectability.
In 2002 Sælen participated in NATO counter terrorism operations in the Mediterranean. Shortly before its return to Denmark, the submarine was redirected to the Arabian Gulf where it, along with the Corvette Olfert Fischer, conducted crucial operations during the second war in Iraq.
Sælen was decommissioned in 2004.
On the Brink of War - Neutrality between Warfare and Welfare in Denmark during World War 1
The exhibition "On the Brink of War - Neutrality between Warfare and Welfare" shows how the war affected the daily life of the Danes, and how the government, business community and general population upheld Denmark's neutrality through the four years of war.
The exhibition is for visitors of all ages (families and adults) and you won't necessarily need your reading glasses! Use your ears, eyes and hands to discover an important yet forgotton period of Danish history that changed the lives of the Danes forever.
You can listen to the English voices in the exhibition's numerous rooms and all exhibition texts are in English.
Travel 100 years back in time when World War 1 took place in Denmarks neighboring countries. Explore the many surprising stories, when you go back to a time when Denmark is on the brink of War. Denmark is fighting for its neutrality to avoid being drawn into war. Denmark is digging trenches, laying out mines and provides humanitarian assistance. The Danish welfare state is born when politicians intervene to keep the population united, while profiteers making huge sums of money off war.
The general population had to count ration coupons, while profiteers let the champagne flow
The ordinary man had to join the army, while zeppelins, sea mines and foreign submarines was located on the Danish coast
Christian X and the Danish politicians had to pull strings, while the borders closed and 100,000 prisoners of war came to Denmark
Explore the exciting story of Denmark during World War 1:
See the old historical photos and movies
Touch most of the objects
Pick up the phone and listen to the voices in the antiques telephones in Danish, German or English
Getting there:
S-train lines E and A runs to and from Karlslunde station. From the station it takes only five minutes to walk to the fort.Approx travel time from Copenhagen Central Station 30 mins.