Christiansborg Palace

Three branches of government under one roof

Christiansborg stands on the small island of Slotsholmen, Copenhagen's historic seat of power, where Bishop Absalon built his castle back in 1167. The current palace, the third on this site after two devastating fires, houses the Folketing parliament, the Prime Minister's office and the Supreme Court. That makes it one of the very few buildings anywhere in the world to combine all three branches of government under one roof.

The royal family still uses Christiansborg for receptions and state banquets today. Touring the interior means walking through an active government and ceremonial building, not a museum in the usual sense. One consequence: individual areas can close at short notice for official royal or state events, without warning. It's worth checking the official website before you go.

What to expect

Christiansborg isn't a single ticket to tick off, it's made up of several separate areas:

• Royal Reception Rooms with the great banqueting hall and the modern tapestries depicting Danish history, the ceremonial heart of the palace, still used by the royal family for state occasions.
• Ruins beneath the palace: the excavated remains of Bishop Absalon's medieval castle and the later Copenhagen Castle, open to walk through in a vaulted cellar.
• Royal Stables with the royal family's white horses, historic carriages and saddlery, an often overlooked area that only opens in the afternoon.
• Royal Kitchen with its copper pots and the atmosphere of a working royal household.
• Palace Chapel, open on Sundays only.

One highlight is free: the 106-metre Palace Tower (Tårnet) belongs to the Folketing, is Copenhagen's tallest tower, and is easily reached by lift. From the top you look out over the old town and the canals, and on a clear day as far as Sweden, one of the city's best views, with no admission fee at all. The Folketing also runs free guided tours of the parliament that can be booked online in advance (around 45 minutes).

Admission, hours and tickets

A combined ticket costing 215 DKK covers the reception rooms, ruins, stables and kitchen for adults (as of 2026). Under-18s go free, but each area still needs its own, free, ticket. Booking online saves 10 DKK per ticket, and the combined ticket stays valid for a year from issue, redeemable once per area. The palace administration recommends booking online in advance to avoid queues. The tower, on the other hand, is free to enter with no ticket needed at all.

• The reception rooms, ruins and kitchen are open daily 10:00-17:00 during the high season (30 March to 1 November).
• The stables open daily from 13:30-16:00 only; from 13 June to 19 July (when the horses are away) that extends to 10:00-17:00.
• The chapel is open Sundays only, 10:00-17:00, closed Monday to Saturday.
• The tower is open Tue-Sat 11:00-21:00 and Sun 11:00-17:30, closed on Mondays.

The official site only lists high-season hours; for the winter months (2 November to 29 March) it's best to check times directly before you go. Closed on 24, 25 December and 1 January, with shorter hours on 31 December.

Getting there & combining your visit

Christiansborg sits centrally on Slotsholmen in Indre By, Copenhagen's inner city, just a few minutes' walk from Central Station and Strøget. That makes the palace a natural starting point for exploring the historic centre on foot.

Right next door is the National Museum of Denmark, which pairs well with a palace visit, along with the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. If you want to go deeper into royal Copenhagen, combine Christiansborg with the royal residence Amalienborg and Rosenborg Castle with the crown jewels. For a second view over the city, head to the twisting spire of the Church of Our Saviour in Christianshavn.

When planning your trip, it's worth checking the overview of Copenhagen's attractions as well as the guide to the Copenhagen Card, which bundles admission to many of these sights.