COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - AUGUST 01: Under water glass tunnel in Blue Planet National Aquarium Denmark on August 1, 2015, Copenhagen, Denmark  Den Blå Planet

; Shutterstock ID 316767071; your: Bridget Brown; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI Image Update

A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock

Den Blå Planet

Copenhagen


Designed to look like a whirlpool from above, Copenhagen's aluminium-clad aquarium is the largest in northern Europe. The space is divided into climatic and geographic sections, the most spectacular of which is 'Ocean/Coral Reef'; home to swarms of Technicolor tropical fish, the exhibition features a massive 4-million-litre tank brimming with sharks, stingrays and other majestic creatures. If possible, visit the aquarium on a Monday evening when it's at its quietest and most evocative.

The Blue Planet is also home to a notable cafe. The complex lies 7km southeast of central Copenhagen and is easily reached by public bus, metro or using the free Den Blå Planet shuttle bus, which departs six times daily from Vesterbrogade 6, opposite Copenhagen's central train station. See the aquarium website for shuttle bus departure times.

Transportation

  • metro: Kastrup
  • bus: 5C

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Copenhagen attractions

1. Christiania

3.38 MILES

Escape the capitalist crunch and head to Freetown Christiania, a hash-scented commune straddling the eastern side of Christianshavn. Since its…

2. Vor Frelsers Kirke

3.41 MILES

It's hard to miss this 17th-century church and its 95m-high spiral tower. For a soul-stirring city view, make the head-spinning 400-step ascent to the top…

3. Amager Bakke

3.5 MILES

Renowned Copenhagen architect firm Bjarke Ingels Group is behind this highly ambitious waste-to-energy plant at the northern end of Amager. When completed…

4. Overgaden

3.5 MILES

Rarely visited by tourists, this non-profit art gallery runs about 10 exhibitions annually, putting the spotlight on contemporary installation art and…

5. Christians Kirke

3.58 MILES

Named in honour of Christian IV – who founded Christianshavn in the early 17th century – Christians Kirke is well known for its unusual rococo interior…

6. Inderhavnsbroen

3.7 MILES

Connecting Nyhavn to Christianshavn, the car-free Inner Harbour Bridge opened in 2016, three years after its original scheduled completion date. Among the…

7. Operaen

3.73 MILES

Denmark's behemothic Opera House sits on Copenhagen Harbour, directly across from the Amalienborg Slot. Completed in 2005 and embellished with limestone,…

8. Det Kongelige Bibliotek

3.77 MILES

Scandinavia's largest library consists of two very distinct parts: the original 19th-century red-brick building and the head-turning 'Black Diamond'…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "denmark/copenhagen/attractions/den-blaa-planet/a/poi-sig/1500760/358838",
      "destination": "Copenhagen",
      "continent": "Europe",
      "country": "Denmark",
      "city": "Copenhagen",
      "position": "superzone"
    }