Copenhagen is a wonderful place to visit, but while you are there you should take advantage of these nearby sites of interest. 

Castles

There are castles in the area and several companies provide guided tours. Kronborg Castle, in Elsinor, is the setting for Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” and was built between 1574 to 1585. It’s main purpose was to collect tolls from ships passing through the narrow straits in the region. Across the water is Sweden. Fredensborg Palace was the royal family’s summer residence and boasts a beautiful park in which to play and have a picnic along side Esrom Lake. In Hillerod there is the Frederiksburg Castle and Museum of National History’s royal art collection. 

Brewhouse

In Valby, about 5 km from the city, take an opportunity to tour a brewhouse.  Carlesberg Visitors Center and Jacobsen Brewhouse has been making this popular drink from 1878. It was modernized in 2005 and also included in the tour is the largest bottle collection in the world, about 16,600 different beer bottles.

Copenhagen Zoo

Valby is also the site of the Copenhagen Zoo. There are around 3,600 animals in the zoo and a new elephant environment is combined with the Frederiksberg Gardens.  The Garden of Fredericksberg Castle is beautiful and contains a Chinese Pavilion and Temple of Apis. There is also a wild bird habitat. 

Memorial Park

Ryvangen is 5 km from Copenhagen and there is a Memorial Park that commemorates where the Nazis executed and buried their victims. The three execution posts still stand where patriots were tied and shot. There is a sanctuary on site and a Danish Resistance Museum. 

Open Air Museum

An Open Air Museum in Kongens Lyngby is certainly interesting to see. There are 50 farm houses and out building across 86 acres to explore that exemplify what Danish life was like from 1650 to 1950. This is certainly an experience and it is free.

Dragor

The fishing village of Dragor is about 14 km from Copenhagen. The village is charming with many preserved buildings. The fort was established in 1910 and provides a great place to take pictures because you can see the whole town and over the water to Sweden. There are several museums in town. 

 Roskilde

In Lejre, about 48 km from Copenhagen there is an Experimental Center called Roskilde. Here 10,000 years of Danish history and culture can be explored. There are rural houses from the Iron Age, Stone Age and Viking era.

There is a great deal to see near Copenhagen that is informative and enjoyable for the whole family.