National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet), Copenhagen

National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet), Copenhagen (must see)

The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) is the largest institution dedicated to the country's cultural history. Its main building showcases a diverse range of exhibits spanning from Greenland to South America, emphasizing both Danish and international cultures.

Recounting 14,000 years of history, the museum presents a detailed narrative of Denmark's past from the Ice Age reindeer hunters to the Vikings, and further into the religiously influential Middle Ages. The museum explores the identity and evolution of the Danish people through various exhibits that detail daily life, national events, and the broader societal changes in Denmark from 1560 to 2000.

A prominent feature within the museum is The Greenland Research Center dedicated to archaeological and anthropological studies of the island. Also notable is the major Vikings exhibition, opened by Queen Margrethe II in 2013, which was featured internationally, including at the British Museum in London.

The museum's numismatic collection includes Danish coins from the Viking era to modern times, as well as ancient Roman and Greek coins, showcasing a broad perspective on historical currencies.
Additionally, the museum boasts a wealth of ancient artifacts from Greece, Italy, the Near East, and Egypt, highlighted by items from the 1957 Danish excavation of Tell Shemshara in Iraq.

Outside its core responsibilities, such as archaeology, ethnology, numismatics, ethnography, natural science, and conservation, the museum also plays a key role in managing the National Treasures (Danefæ) and overseeing antiquarian efforts related to Denmark's churches.

Tip:
After paying your entry fee, be sure to find out when a free one-hour tour of the museum's 'greatest hits' is available in your language.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Copenhagen. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) on Map

Sight Name: National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet)
Sight Location: Copenhagen, Denmark (See walking tours in Copenhagen)
Sight Type: Museum/Gallery
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Copenhagen, Denmark

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Create Your Own Walk in Copenhagen

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Hans Christian Andersen's Copenhagen

Hans Christian Andersen's Copenhagen

Above the numerous plays, novels, and poems, the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is primarily renowned internationally as the man who wrote "The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling" and many other fairy tales we know since childhood.

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Castle Island (Slotsholmen) Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Little Mermaid Walking Tour

Little Mermaid Walking Tour

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
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One of the most interesting, young-spirited neighborhoods of Denmark's capital, the Latin Quarter is well known for its hangout spots, alternative shopping, and 18th-century architecture.

Back in the Middle Ages, the area surrounding Our Lady's Square (“Frue Plads” in Danish), right in the heart of it, was considered a “ray of light” in the overall darkness of those times. A...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
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The Danish capital Copenhagen is a fairy tale of a city, full of peculiarities. Its name – derived from the Danish words for merchant ("køpmann") and harbor ("havn") – reflects the city's origin as a place of commerce by the sea. A humble fishing village, established in the 10th century AD, some hundred years later it emerged as a town after Bishop Absalon, recognized...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles

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