Rundetårn

Copenhagen

LoginSave

Haul yourself to the top of the 34.8m-high red-brick 'Round Tower' and you will be following in the footsteps of such luminaries as King Christian IV, who built it in 1642 as an astronomical observatory as well as a tower for the new university church, Trinitatis. You'll also be following in the hoofsteps of Tsar Peter the Great's horse and, according to legend, the track marks of a car that made its way up the tower's spiral ramp in 1902.

While we can't verify the latter claim, we can attest that the panorama of rooftops and spires from the top is nothing short of inspiring.

The tower still functions as an excellent stargazing platform, making it the oldest functioning observatory in Europe. Visitors wanting to view the galaxy from the 3m-long telescope mounted within the rooftop dome should call ahead to confirm opening times and days, as they vary.

Transportation

  • strain: Nørreport
  • metro: Nørreport
  • bus: 14

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Kronborg castle, Helsingor, Denmark

    Kronborg Slot

    24.85 MILES

    Best known as the Elsinore Castle of Shakespeare's Hamlet, this Unesco World Heritage Site is a vast Renaissance masterpiece topped by baroque green…

  • Park and Palace Frederiksborg Slot, Hillerod, Denmark 278747150 ancient, architecture, attraction, beautiful, brick, building, castle, copenhagen, culture, danish, denmark, design, europe, exterior, facade, famous, flowers, frederiksborg, garden, hillerod, historical, history, king, lake, landmark, landscape, medieval, monument, nature, old, palace, park, pond, renaissance, residence, romantic, royal, scandinavia, scene, sight, sightseeing, slot, tourism, tower, traditional, tree, water

    Frederiksborg Slot

    20.55 MILES

    One of Denmark's most impressive buildings, this gigantic, Dutch Renaissance–styled fortress-palace rises proudly out of photogenic moat-lake Slotsø…

  • December 04, 2016: The Replicas of Viking longboats in the Viking Ship Museum of Roskilde, Denmark

    Viking Ship Museum

    19.47 MILES

    Five original Viking ships, discovered at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord, are displayed in the main hall of this must-see museum. A short walk away, the…

  • x-default

    Louisiana

    19.96 MILES

    This extraordinary museum of modern and contemporary art should be high on your 'to do' list even if you're not normally a gallery-goer. Along with its…

  • x-default

    Christiansborg Slot

    0.42 MILES

    Christiansborg Slot is home to Folketinget (the Danish parliament), the Prime Minister's office and the Supreme Court. Visitor highlights include the…

  • Tivoli Gardens.

    Tivoli Gardens

    0.6 MILES

    Dating from 1843, tasteful Tivoli wins fans with its dreamy whirl of amusement rides, twinkling pavilions, carnival games and open-air stage shows…

  • Roskilde Domkirke

    Roskilde Domkirke

    19.56 MILES

    The crème de la crème of Danish cathedrals, this twin-spired giant was started by Bishop Absalon in 1170, but has been rebuilt and tweaked so many times…

  • Detail of unicorn graffiti inside Christiania.

    Christiania

    0.99 MILES

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

View more attractions

Nearby Copenhagen attractions

1. Latin Quarter

0.11 MILES

Bordered by Nørre Voldgade to the north, Nørregade to the east, Vestergade to the south and Vester Voldgade to the west, the Latin Quarter gets its…

2. Gråbrødretorv

0.11 MILES

Found just off bustling Strøget pedestrian shopping street, this colourful square is named for the friary that stood here back in the 13th century. It was…

3. Vor Frue Kirke

0.18 MILES

Founded in 1191 and rebuilt three times after devastating fires, Copenhagen's neoclassical cathedral dates from 1829. Designed by CF Hansen, its lofty,…

4. Sankt Petri Kirke

0.21 MILES

A handsome place of worship in the Latin Quarter is the German church of Sankt Petri Kirke. Dating from the 15th century, this is the oldest church…

5. Amagertorv

0.24 MILES

This dashing square is the beating heart of the Strøget pedestrian area, where the two main shopping streets diverge. Its centrepiece is the imposing…

6. Strædet

0.24 MILES

Running parallel to crowded Strøget, Strædet is technically made up of two streets, Kompagnistræde and Læderstræde. The strip is a good spot to shop for…

7. Caritas Well

0.26 MILES

Named for the Goddess of Charity, this lovely fountain was built in 1608 by King Christian IV, when Gammeltorv was the city's main square, and is the…

8. Kunstforeningen GL Strand

0.28 MILES

The HQ of Denmark’s artists’ union continues to foster emerging and forward-thinking talent with around six to eight exhibitions of modern and…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "denmark/copenhagen/stroget-the-latin-quarter/attractions/rundetaarn/a/poi-sig/408830/1342029",
  "destination": "Copenhagen",
  "continent": "Europe",
  "country": "Denmark",
  "city": "Copenhagen",
  "position": "superzone"
}