Copenhagen Travel Guide
Royal Copenhagen
A guide to Denmark's royal sights: Rosenborg and the crown jewels, Amalienborg and the guard, Christiansborg's reception rooms and ruins, Kronborg, and how to plan them with the combined palace pass.
Denmark has one of the oldest monarchies in the world, and Copenhagen is full of its palaces, castles and ceremonies. In January 2024, Queen Margrethe II abdicated after more than fifty years on the throne, and her son was proclaimed King Frederik X from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace; the royal family lives at Amalienborg, and the guards still march through the streets every day. For visitors, the royal sights are among the highlights of the city, and they can be combined into a rewarding day or two. Here is how to see them.
Rosenborg Castle: the crown jewels. Start with Rosenborg, the red-brick Renaissance castle that King Christian IV built in the early seventeenth century in what is now the King's Garden. It is the most intimate of the royal buildings, a treasure house where later kings kept the family's finest possessions. The visit climbs through Christian IV's own rooms, the rooms of later kings and the Long Hall, with its narwhal throne and three silver lions, and ends in the basement treasury with the crown jewels and the regalia. A time-slot ticket booked online is required. Under-18s enter free, and the castle is closed on Mondays outside summer.
The changing of the guard. The Royal Life Guards are based in barracks beside Rosenborg, and every day they march through the city to Amalienborg for the changing of the guard at noon. Follow them from Rosenborg, or wait in the palace square; when the King is in residence, the guard is larger and is often accompanied by the band. It is free and one of the most popular sights in the city.
Amalienborg: the royal home. The four identical rococo palaces around the octagonal square of Amalienborg have been the home of the royal family since 1794, when fire destroyed the first Christiansborg. King Frederik X lives in Frederik VIII's Palace, and Queen Margrethe in Christian IX's Palace; a flag flies when the King is at home. The Amalienborg Museum, in Christian VIII's Palace, shows the private rooms and studies of kings and queens of the last two centuries. Behind the square, the dome of the Marble Church is one of the landmarks of the city.
Christiansborg: power and history. On Slotsholmen, the island where Bishop Absalon built the first castle in 1167, Christiansborg Palace houses the parliament, the prime minister's office and the supreme court, and the monarch uses its Royal Reception Rooms for state occasions. The palace ticket covers the reception rooms, with the Queen's Tapestries telling a thousand years of Danish history; the ruins of the earlier castles under the palace; the royal kitchen; and the royal stables, with horses and state carriages. Visits are run by the Royal Danish Collection, the same organisation that runs Rosenborg and the Amalienborg Museum, and a combined palace pass covers the three. Next door, the Old Stock Exchange, Borsen, built by Christian IV, is being rebuilt after the fire of April 2024 that destroyed its famous dragon spire; reconstruction is projected to finish in 2029.
Kronborg: Hamlet's castle. Forty-five minutes north by train, Kronborg in Helsingor is the most famous castle in Denmark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Shakespeare's Elsinore. Frederik II built it in the 1570s and 1580s to control the Sound and collect the Sound Dues, and its ballroom, royal apartments, chapel and casemates, where the legendary Holger Danske sleeps, make a superb day trip, especially combined with the Louisiana museum on the same railway line.
Other royal sights. If you have more time, Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerod, a spectacular Renaissance castle on three islands in a lake, houses the Museum of National History and is an easy day trip by train. Fredensborg Palace, the royal family's spring and autumn residence, has gardens open to the public. In the city, the Round Tower, the Stock Exchange and the district of Christianshavn are all the work of Christian IV, the builder king, and walking between them is a lesson in the history of the monarchy.
A royal day plan. Arrive at Rosenborg for the first time slot of the day, see the crown jewels, then follow the guards from the barracks to Amalienborg for noon. Visit the Amalienborg Museum or the Marble Church, have lunch in Nyhavn, and spend the afternoon at Christiansborg, in the reception rooms and the ruins. End the day with a canal tour, which passes Amalienborg, Christiansborg and the Opera House from the water. Add Kronborg on a second day.
Practical tips. Book Rosenborg online in advance, as time slots are required, and buy Christiansborg tickets online, where they are cheaper. Remember that many royal sights are closed on Mondays, and that Christiansborg's reception rooms can close at short notice for royal events. Under-18s enter free at Rosenborg, Christiansborg and Kronborg. Consider the combined palace pass if you plan to see Rosenborg, Amalienborg and Christiansborg, or the Copenhagen Card, which includes many royal sights and transport.
Where to stay. For a royal-themed trip, stay near Kongens Nytorv, between Rosenborg and Amalienborg, at Hotel Sanders or Wakeup Borgergade, or on Nyhavn at 71 Nyhavn Hotel, a short walk from the palace square.
Understanding the monarchy. The Danish monarch is head of state with a largely ceremonial role, opening parliament, receiving ambassadors and representing the country, while political power lies with the elected parliament and government in the same Christiansborg building. The royal family is popular, and royal birthdays and events draw crowds to Amalienborg, where the family greets the public from the balcony on special occasions. If you see the flag flying over Frederik VIII's Palace, the King is at home, and the guard at noon will be the larger King's Watch.