We’d been to castles, we’d walked through fairy tales — now, it was time to put on our education pants and come face to face with some Vikings. Come travel back in time with me as we visit the National Museum of Denmark.
Check out Day 4 of our adventures through Copenhagen when we visit the castle that inspired Hamlet.
Located in The Prince’s Palace, the National Museum of Denmark opened in 1807 and is filled to the brim with antiquities from all over the world, including, most famously, its many Viking relics.
These were our first stop in the museum as we made our way through the then-on-display exhibition for Viking history (a new display is currently running). We got to see what life would have been like for Vikings, on and off the battlefield, as well as some of the museum’s most cherished pieces. The 37.4 meter-long Danish Viking ship was a particular standout, but there were also things like coins, weapons, tools, and a hoard of Viking gold.
Then it was onto Denmark through the ages, starting with the prehistoric period and working our way all the way up to Denmark in the 1950s. Some of the most famous pieces include the Sun Chariot, excavated from what was once a bog in northwestern Zealand and dating back to 1400 BC, the early Bronze Age.
The National Museum also contains a large collection of items from around the world. There are sections dedicated to Ancient Egypt, Greenland and the Artic, Asia, North American, South America, and more. It’s always interesting to see the types of things different museums put out to display. (We’re currently watching a show called Museum Secrets, where they delve into lesser-known pieces that museums hold or things not normally displayed for the public, and I would love to see an episode for the National Museum of Denmark.)
On the whole, it was a really interesting museum visit. I particularly enjoyed the section dedicated to Denmark in the 1600s-1900s. If you’re looking for a new museum to add to your list, the National Museum of Denmark is a good one to try. We spent all day there and no doubt still missed things.
Keep adventuring with me as we head to Frederiksborg Castle on day 6 of our trip to Copenhagen.
Or check out the rest of my travel blogs!
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