Christiansborg Palace

Christiansborg Slot

Home to the Danish Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court. Visitors can tour royal reception rooms and underground ruins, and the 106-meter tower offers the city center's highest free viewpoint.

Christiansborg Palace stands on Slotsholmen, the island where Copenhagen began. In 1167 Bishop Absalon built a castle here. After two fires, the current third palace was completed in 1928. It is the only building in the world that houses all three branches of government (Parliament, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court), and the royal family still holds state banquets and receptions here. Parts open to visitors include the Royal Reception Rooms (adults about DKK 175), which feature the Hall, the Throne Room, and the Great Hall, where 17 modern tapestries depict a thousand years of Danish history. Overshoe covers are required. Also open are the underground ruins (remains of Absalon's 12th-century castle and later fortifications), the Royal Stables and Carriages, where royal white horses are still kept, and the Court Theatre. You can also book a free guided visit to the Parliament chamber. The most recommended stop is the palace tower. At 106 meters, it is the tallest tower in Copenhagen, and you can ride the elevator to the top for free to see the Old Town's spires, the canals, and the distant Øresund Bridge. The tower also houses a restaurant. A combined ticket for all the exhibitions costs about DKK 200, and the Copenhagen Card gives free entry. The island is also home to the Danish Jewish Museum, the Royal Library's Black Diamond extension, and Thorvaldsens Museum of Neoclassical sculpture. Outside the island, along the canal, are the old Gammel Strand quay and the tour boat docks. Getting there: 2 minutes' walk from Gammel Strand metro station (M3/M4), or 8 minutes' walk from Town Hall Square. Note that tower climbs require security screening and may involve queues, and the reception rooms may close temporarily for state events.

Christiansborg Palace

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