Royal Library (Kongelige Bibliotek), Copenhagen

The Royal Library in Copenhagen is Denmark鈥檚 answer to the question: How many books is too many? (They haven鈥檛 found the limit yet.)

This literary leviathan is both the national library of Denmark and the library for the University of Copenhagen. It is also one of the largest libraries in the world and easily the biggest in the Nordics.

It all began in 1648, when King Frederik III decided he really liked books鈥攕o much so, he started a library and filled it with Europe鈥檚 finest. By 1793, the place was open to the public, making it officially the most cultured hangout in the city.

A few centuries later鈥攁nd after several mergers鈥攖he Royal Library absorbed just about every major library in sight: the University Library, the Danish National Library for Science and Medicine, the Danish Folklore Archive, and finally, in 2017, it joined forces with the State and University Library in Aarhus. Now, it reigns supreme as the Royal Danish Library, operating out of both Copenhagen and Aarhus, like a literary superhero with two lairs.

Inside are as many as 37 million physical items, over 2.4 million e-titles, manuscripts, music scores, maps, photos, rare prints, and four annual digital snapshots of the entire Danish internet. Yes, Denmark backs up its memes...

You can enter this bookish empire through the sleek and shiny modern wing known as the Black Diamond. Hop on the escalator inside鈥攊t鈥檒l whisk you up into the old section, which is worth the detour just for its majestic interiors. Every Saturday at 3 pm, they offer public tours of the Black Diamond (for a fee, but hey鈥攌nowledge always comes at a price).

There鈥檚 also a cafe that serves up coffee with a side of river views, outdoor seating when the sun鈥檚 feeling generous, and a restaurant called S酶ren K. Don鈥檛 forget the gift shop鈥攜ou might just find the perfect bookmark to go with your existential crisis there.

So, go ahead, wander in, and don鈥檛 expect to leave without having learned something...

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Copenhagen. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Royal Library (Kongelige Bibliotek)
Sight Location: Copenhagen, Denmark (See walking tours in Copenhagen)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

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