Orlogsmuseet

Description:

• Do you ever lie awake at night wondering what happened to the propeller from the German U-boat that sank the Lusitania? Look no further: It's here at this former naval hospital in Søkvasthuset, opening onto the Christianshavn Kanal. That's not all that's here, as you can follow the history of Denmark, a maritime nation, through the exhibits of its royal navy. Although there are a lot of artifacts that won't interest you, many will. More than 300 model ships, many based on designs that date from as early as 1500, are on view, and some of them were designed and constructed by naval engineers, serving as prototypes for the construction of actual ships that ventured into the cold, dark waters of the North Sea. The models are wide ranging -- some are fully "dressed," with working sails, whereas others are cross-sectional with their frames outlined. You get a vast array of other naval artifacts too, including an intriguing collection of figureheads, some of which are artworks themselves. For us, nothing is as glamorous or splendid as an ornate state barge from 1780.

• © Frommer's 2012