All activities / Museums & Galleries / Humlebaek
Museums & Galleries in Humlebaek
A coastal town in North Zealand on the Oresund, about 35 minutes by train north of Copenhagen, best known as the home of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and its sculpture park facing Sweden.
Why here
Louisiana is the reason to make the short trip north from Copenhagen, and for many visitors it is the finest single museum experience in Denmark. Founded in 1958 by Knud W. Jensen, it strings a low, modernist run of glass corridors through parkland on the Oresund coast, so the art, the architecture and the view across the water to Sweden work as one piece. The permanent collection is strong on post-war and contemporary names, with a dedicated Giacometti gallery, work by Asger Jorn and the Cobra group, and a Yayoi Kusama installation, while the sculpture park sets Calder, Henry Moore and Alexander Calder mobiles against the sea. The changing exhibitions are consistently ambitious, and the cafe terrace over the sound is a destination in its own right. It is Scandinavia's most-visited museum of modern and contemporary art for good reason.
Best months
The museum is indoor and open year-round, so weather is not a barrier, though the sculpture park and coastal terrace are at their best from late spring through early autumn. Louisiana closes on Mondays and on a handful of holidays, and stays open late on some evenings, so check hours before travelling. Major exhibitions draw crowds on summer weekends; a weekday morning is the calmest time to visit.
Getting there & around
Humlebaek is about 35 minutes from Copenhagen on the regional train toward Helsingor, then a signed 10-minute walk from the station to the museum. It pairs easily with Kronborg Castle in Helsingor a few stops further on. Buy tickets online to skip the queue on busy days, and allow at least half a day for the collection, the park and the cafe.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
OrganizerFounded in 1958 by Knud W. Jensen on the Oresund coast at Humlebaek, Louisiana pairs a low, modernist building of glass corridors with a sculpture park running down to the water and views across the sound to Sweden. Scandinavia's most-visited museum of modern art, it holds work by Giacometti, Asger Jorn and Alexander Calder, a permanent Yayoi Kusama installation, and a fast-changing programme of major international exhibitions.