Hotels near Amalienborg Palace and the Marble Church

Amalienborg is the official residence of the Danish royal family and one of the most under-rated Rococo palace ensembles in Europe. Four identical 18th-century mansions face an octagonal cobblestone square around a 1771 equestrian statue of Frederik V. The royal family lives in one wing; another two are open as the Amalienborg Museum showing royal furnished rooms and a costume collection.

The Royal Guard changing ceremony happens at noon every day - free to watch, less crowded than London's equivalent. The Marble Church (Frederiks Kirke) immediately west has the largest church dome in Scandinavia (31 metres across, completed 1894). Tower visits cost 35 DKK; 260 steps to the top with sweeping harbour views. Combined Amalienborg ticket 125 DKK adult.

Pro Tip: Position yourself on the western side of Amalienborg square at 11:55 - the guards march in from Rosenborg via Bredgade and the view back through the gates to the Marble Church is the standout Copenhagen photograph for the day.