The Atlas Obscura Guide To Denmark

125 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Denmark

Updated November 24, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Denmark

Tivoli carousel.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Tivoli Gardens

Copenhagen's celebrated theme park and gardens.

Superkilen

Copenhagen, Denmark

Superkilen

An ultra-modern diversity park in Denmark has turned an entire city block electric pink.

Ingmar Cronhammar's 2015 exhibition in the Cisternerne, "H."

Frederiksberg, Denmark

Cisternerne

A 19th-century subterranean reservoir repurposed as a contemporary art cave.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Grundtvig’s Church

This sublime architectural marvel is a rare example of an expressionist church.

The Little Mermaid

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Little Mermaid

The de facto symbol of Copenhagen is this bronze fairytale which cannot seem to keep its head for very long.

Elephant Gate

Copenhagen, Denmark

Elephant Gate

Pre-Nazi swastikas adorn the sculpted pachyderms flanking this brewhouse portal.

The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid.

Copenhagen, Denmark

The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid

Hans Christian Andersen for the postmodern world.

Teddy Friendly

Ishøj, Denmark

Forgotten Giants

Six beautiful wooden giants are hidden around Copenhagen.

See All 125 Things To Do in Denmark

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Denmark

Leif Sonne's Bottled Beer Collection

Copenhagen, Denmark

Leif Sonne's Bottled Beer Collection

The largest bottled beer collection in the world holds over 20,000 unique beer bottles.

Hellerup, Denmark

Tuborgflasken

Danish observation tower designed to look like a giant beer bottle.

Paradise apple trees in Nelleman's Have.

Sæby, Denmark

Nellemann's Have

This historic orchard contains Northern Europe's largest collection of paradise apple trees.

A smoørrebrød spread.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Restaurant Schønnemann

Traditional Danish spot where the schnapps are flowing and the smørrebrød is loaded.

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Sculptures 15

Art 13

Architectural Oddities 12

Museums And Collections 9

Collections 9

Towers 9

Fairytales 8

Statues 8

Churches 7

Plants 7

Amusement Parks 6

Monuments 6

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Recent Denmark Activity

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wants to go to Agnete and the Merman
S

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wants to go to Velling Koller Fairy Tale Gardens
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has been to The Little Mermaid
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wants to go to Wehrmacht Graffiti
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wants to go to Grundtvig’s Church

Stories About Denmark

The most famous Viking was actually a woman.

New Discovery Uncovers a Forgotten Viking Queen More Celebrated Than Kings

Her legacy is being restored, thanks to runestone forensics.

by Charis McGowan

October 18, 2023

All illustrations: John Mata for Atlas Obscura

Puzzle Monday: The Mystery of the Missing Runes

An Indigenous Mexican healer, known as a curandera, performs a ritual at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, a living history museum in New Mexico.

Podcast: Witches and Ritual Around the Globe

Explore the mysteries of Mexico's Indigenous healers and Denmark's gruesome witch burnings with Condé Nast Traveler's Women Who Travel Podcast.

by The Podcast Team

A display case at Denmark's Nationalmuseet shows the detritus and historical artifacts a metal detectorist might uncover. Every year, thousands of valuable items are discovered.

How Denmark Became a Nation of Metal Detectorists

The valuable ancient artifacts unearthed by these amateur archeologists are now on display at the national museum.

by Amy Crawford

The trove of spices was found in the stern of the ship by Brendan Foley and a team of archaeologists.

How Did a Medieval Spice Cabinet Survive 500 Years Underwater?

Exotic saffron, black pepper, ginger, cloves, and more offer a look into how Scandinavian royalty lived.

by Line Sidonie Talla Mafotsing

Podcast: Moving Monuments With the Places Team

Sometimes, to stand the test of time, buildings can't stay where they are.

by The Podcast Team

November 10, 2022

From the cavity of this florid horn emerges dozens of petit fours and chocolates in a bountiful display of plenty.

Behold Denmark's Gravity-Defying Marzipan Cake

Creating one of these cornucopias is expensive and time-consuming.

November 23, 2021

(Detail) This 1882 engraving of Ragnarok shows Odin mounted on a horse fighting the wolf Fenrir.

The Long, Hidden History of the Viking Obsession With Werewolves

A symbol both of chaos and order, the wolf came to represent many things for the Vikings.

October 27, 2021

Lists Featuring Denmark

A view of the Cushing Center from the entrance

Brain of Helen Hamilton Gardener

The World's Most Fascinating Displays of Preserved Brains

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Including The Cushing Center, Mammalian Brain Collection, and Brain Museum

Madaba Mosaic Map

The gallery of maps, showing the ceiling

Great Polish Map of Scotland

13 Marvelous Maps That Go Way Beyond Paper

Charting the world's most intriguing out-of-the-box cartography.

Including Madaba Mosaic Map, Gallery of Maps - Galleria delle Carte Geografiche, and Mapparium Globe

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