National Museum of Denmark

The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) is an 18th Century mansion with collections and exhibitions on Denmark’s history, people and culture.

History of the National Museum of Denmark

The National Museum of Denmark covers 14,000 years of Danish history, from the reindeer-hunters of the Ice Age, Vikings, and works of religious art from the Middle Ages, when the church was highly significant in Danish life.

Danish coins from Viking times to the present and coins from ancient Rome and Greece, as well as examples of the coinage and currencies of other cultures, are exhibited also. The National Museum keeps Denmark’s largest and most varied collection of objects from the ancient cultures of Greece and Italy, the Near East and Egypt. For example, it holds a collection of objects that were retrieved during the Danish excavation of Tell Shemshara in Iraq in 1957

National Museum of Denmark today

There are eight main themes within the National Museum of Denmark from prehistory to present day. Going through the museum, visitors can learn about everything from the Vikings and other early Danish inhabitants to viewing Renaissance artwork and seeing how the modern state of Denmark developed. Amongst the highlights of the museum are its prehistoric Trundholm Sun Chariot and its medieval golden altars.

The National Museum of Denmark also contains artefacts and items from around the world, some in its antiquities collection such as ancient Greek statues and Egyptian mummies and other in its ethnographic section including nodding dolls from China.

Just walking around the National Museum of Denmark is fascinating, especially given the building’s history as having once been the Prince’s Palace. Built in the 18th century, this palace was home to Denmark’s royals and there is a specific exhibit about its past. Perhaps its most impressive room is the Great Hall.

There’s an overview self-guided tour of the museum, which takes around an hour to complete. It’s also worth mentioning that the museum has a good children’s exhibit, which offers an interactive element for younger visitors.

Getting to the National Museum of Denmark

The address of the museum is The National Museum of Denmark, Ny Vestergade 10, 1471 København K, Denmark. The museum lies right in the centre of Copenhagen and is only a 10-minute walk from Copenhagen Central Station.