17 Best Sights in Jutland, Denmark

A hit from the day it opened in 2004, this museum displays the more than 8,000 artworks dating from 1770 to the present that make up its own, impressive collection, as well as internationally known visiting exhibits. There is a café, a museum shop, and a much-Instagrammed rooftop terrace in the form of a rainbow, an artwork by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson.

This library, community center, and cultural space is a true display of Danish, democratic architecture. Since it opened in 2015 it's become a fixture in the city, attracting young families with its in- and outdoor playgrounds, youngsters with its cultural offerings, the startup scene with its coworking spaces, and bookworms with its library. The many terraces offer great views of the harbor, and from here you can take a leisurely stroll through Aarhus Ø, an artificial island that's home to harbor baths and stunning residential buildings.

Locals call it "mini Christiania” for good reason: there are several similarities between Copenhagen’s freetown and this harbor-front community centered around more than 100 self-constructed houses. Most of them are based on former fishermen’s sheds, but nowadays the community is home to freethinkers of all income levels. There’s a street-food market and a harbor bath close to the community’s imaginative houses, so set aside at least half a day for exploring the area.

Samsø’s northern peninsula is home to two stunning natural areas, Ballebjerg (on the west coast of the island) and Issehoved, the island’s northernmost point. The round, sloping hills are a joy to walk in, and from the top of them you can see Jutland, Zealand, and several small islands. There’s a beautiful beach at Issehoved, while Ballebjerg---which is the island’s highest point---is one of the most beautiful sunset spots in Denmark. Amenities: none. Best for: sunset, walking.

It might be tempting to spend the day in the sculpture garden, which is surrounded by forest and home to sculptures by Olafur Eliasson, Jeppe Hein, and Bjørn Nørgaard, but Aalborg’s museum of modern art has much more to offer. Wander through the airy, light-filled galleries and divide your time between the permanent and changing exhibitions and the building itself, an architectural masterpiece by Alvar Aalto. The café has an ambitious lunch menu and is a wonderful spot to stop for a light meal or a coffee. There's free admission to the sculpture garden, which is open 24/7, outside of the museum's opening hours.

Aarhus's historic heart is a jumble of quaint, cobblestoned streets, cute cafés, and colorful houses. Spend at least one day strolling through Graven, Volden, Klostergade, Badstuegade, Borggade, and Rosensgade, whiling away hours at the many coffee shops, designer boutiques, and restaurants in the area.

At Legoland just about everything is constructed from Lego bricks—more than 58 million of them. Among its incredible structures are scaled-down versions of cities and villages from around the world (Miniland), with working harbors and airports; the Statue of Liberty; a statue of Sitting Bull; Mt. Rushmore; a safari park; and Pirate Land. Some of the park's other attractions are more interactive than the impressive constructions. The Falck Fire Brigade, for example, allows a family or group to race eight mini fire engines. The Power Builder Robots allow children and adults to sit inside robots as they program their own ride.

Just south of the city is Marselisborg Palace, the summer residence of the royal family. The changing of the guard takes place daily at noon when the king is here. When the royal family is away (generally in winter and spring), the grounds, including a sumptuous rose garden, are open to the public. It's worth checking out Marselisborg Beach and especially the Infinite Bridge, a circular bridge floating over the water during the summer (in winter, it's taken down), while in the area. You can get here on several buses from the city center.

Prehistory might not sound exciting to all, but at Moesgaard Museum it’s presented in a way that’s anything but dusty and dated. The exhibitions are created with care and creativity, but the architectural and natural settings are so stunning that you have to force yourself to focus on the exhibits rather than the forest and sea surrounding the remarkable museum.

Even more famed than the area's sand-buried church is the west coast's dramatic Råbjerg Mile, a protected desert-like migrating dune that moves about 50 feet a year. You can reach it on foot from the Kandestederne.

The lush island of Rømø, 35 km (22 miles) southwest of Ribe, has one of Denmark's widest beaches, which unfurls along a sunny western coast and has protected areas for windsurfers, horseback riders, nudists, and dune-buggy riders—space for everyone, it seems. Rømø has fewer than 600 permanent residents, but masses of vacationing German and Danish families increase this number tenfold in summer. It's a haven for campers, cyclists, and budget vacationers. A causeway crosses green fields and marshy wetlands to connect Rømø to the mainland. Many birds live here, feeding off the seaweed and shellfish washed up by the tides. Summer houses dot the island; most of Rømø's services and accommodations are in and around the village of Havneby, 8 km (5 miles) south of the causeway, and in the camping and shopping complex of Lakolk, in the west.

The 19th-century Danish artist and poet Holger Drachmann (1846–1908) and his friends, including the well-known P. S. Krøyer and Michael and Anna Ancher, founded the Skagen School of painting, which sought to capture the special quality of light and idyllic seascapes here. They and their contemporaries depicted everyday life in Skagen primarily from the turn of the 20th century until the 1920s, and you can see their efforts on display in the Skagens Museum. It's a wonderful homage to this talented group of Danes, and you'll become mesmerized by some of the portraits, which seem more like a photographic collection of days gone by. The light and the landscape, however, remain the same, and it's a magical experience to recognize scenes from the paintings when you walk on the beach or in the dunes. The museum store sells posters, postcards, and other souvenirs depicting the Skagen paintings.

With its rugged, windswept dune heath, several hundred lakes, and twisted, sand-swept forest, this national park is one of Denmark's proudest treasures. Red deer roam the park freely, and it is not uncommon to see seals lounging around on the long, sandy beaches, but chances are you'll meet few other visitors; there are more than 200 km (124 miles) of lonely biking and hiking trails. You can also explore the park by horseback, spend a night at one of the many shelters, and fish at many of the lakes. The park stretches from Hanstholm lighthouse in the north to Agger Tange in the south, and you can access it from anywhere; entry is free, and the park is open day- and year-round.

Denmark's northernmost point is so thrashed by storms and roiling waters that the 18th-century Sand-Buried Church, 2 km (1 mile) south of town, is almost completely covered by dunes; only its tower rises above the sand. It's a beautiful if windswept area to go for a walk.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site national park is a flat, wet, and large marshland stretching from southern Denmark to the Netherlands. The dynamic landscape is home to many migratory birds and, since 2017, a visitor center designed by the world-famous Danish architect Bjarke Ingels. The building blends into the flat marshland and has become as much of an attraction as the mudflat area itself. It is home to changing exhibitions, guided tours, activities, and teaching programs for schools.