Hotels near Christiansborg Tower

Christiansborg Palace on the island of Slotsholmen holds the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court and the Prime Minister's Office, which makes it the only building in the world housing all three branches of government. The current palace is the third on the site, completed in 1928 after two fires. Its tower is the tallest in Copenhagen at 106 metres, and the viewing platform at the top is free to enter.

That last detail is the point. Copenhagen charges for most of its high views and this one costs nothing: a lift to a 360-degree platform over the spires, the harbour and the low rooftops of the old city. The tower closes on Mondays. Below it, the Royal Reception Rooms, the ruins of the earlier palaces under the courtyard and the Royal Stables are all separately ticketed.

Pro Tip: Go up about 45 minutes before sunset, which in mid-October is around 6pm and by the end of the month closer to 5pm. You get the city in low light and then the lights coming on, from the highest free vantage point in Copenhagen.