Statens Museum for Kunst

The national gallery holds seven centuries of European and Danish art, and its building tells you how it grew: the original 1896 block, heavy and classical, was joined in 1998 to a modern glass wing by a long top-lit hall called the Sculpture Street, which runs between the two and is used for large works and for sitting. The Danish holdings are the reason to come, particularly the Golden Age painters of the early nineteenth century, Eckersberg, Kobke and their circle, whose small clear studies of Copenhagen light are among the best things in Danish art, and the Skagen painters later in the century. The European collection includes Mantegna, Titian, Rubens and a strong group of Matisse. Behind the museum lies the King's Garden.

What you actually see

• The Sculpture Street - a top-lit hall linking old building to new wing.
• Danish Golden Age painting - Eckersberg, Kobke and the Copenhagen studies.
• A Matisse group - one of the stronger holdings outside France.
• Old master European rooms - Mantegna, Titian and Rubens.

When to go

Year round. Two to three hours. Closed Mondays. The permanent collection is free, which makes short repeat visits practical. Weekday mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

It is big and the layout between old and new wings is confusing on a first visit. Temporary exhibitions are charged separately and can be expensive. Some Danish Golden Age rooms are dimly lit for conservation. The cafe queues at lunchtime.

Nearby

The Botanical Garden and Rosenborg Castle are next door; the David Collection is a short walk.