The best film and TV locations in Denmark
You don't have to just see these places on screen! Discover the filming locations from Denmark's most watched films and TV series. From Another Round to The Bridge, we've got the best places to take a selfie and act like you're a Nordic Noir star...
Another Round (Druk)
Winner of the 2021 Oscar for Best International Film, and nominated for Best Director, Another Round (Druk in Danish) stars Mads Mikkelsen and tells the story of four burnt-out teachers in search of the perfect blood-alcohol ratio. Toldboden and Restaurant Lumskebugten are two easy locations to visit while in Copenhagen (Mr Mikkelsen's final jazz ballet routine takes place at Toldboden too), while the school scenes were shot at Aurehøj Gymnasium in Gentofte.
The Danish Girl
Another Oscar-laden film, The Danish Girl tells the story of Danish painters Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener and the pioneering gender reassignment surgery Elbe goes through in the mid-1920s. It's easy to slip into its 1920s world - just visit Nyhavn, Rådhuspladsen, and Nyboder in Copenhagen.
Festen
Thomas Vinterberg's first Dogme 95 film, Festen, tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate their father's 60th birthday, and a terrible secret that emerges during one of the toasts. The grand Skjoldenæsholm Castle was the setting, a 50-minute drive from the heart of Copenhagen in beautiful Zealand, and it's also a hotel and conference centre.
Babette's Feast
Babette's Feast, from the short story by Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen), was the first Danish film to win an Oscar, back in 1987. Telling the story of two sisters and a magical feast, it takes place on the west coast of Denmark with Mårup Church near the town of Lonstrup, clearly featured in the background.
1864
The most expensive TV series ever made in Denmark, 1864 is a historical drama set in the south of Denmark during the Second Schleswig War of 1864 between Denmark and an alliance of Prussia and Austria. You don't have to go far in south Jutland to find remainders of the historical war - Dybbøl Banke, near Sønderborg, is a particularly good historical centre to visit. Other filming locations include Dybbøl, Svanninge Hills in Fyn, and Hagenskov, Hvidkilde and Egebjerggård manors on Fyn.
The Killing, The Bridge & Borgen
If you're a fan of Nordic Noir, you could do worse than take a trip to Copenhagen. Nordic Noir Tours run trips showing the locations of The Bridge (including the Øresund Bridge between Denmark and Sweden), The Killing and Borgen (which of course focuses on the Danish Parliament, Christiansborg). Another good location is The Radisson Collection Royal Hotel where Swedish police detective Saga met up with her Danish counterpart in the second season of The Bridge.
The Rain
This timely Netflix series The Rain is about a group of teenagers surviving the fallout of a deadly virus and came out in 2019-2020. Some parts of the show featured an abandoned theme park - the fully operational theme park Bakken was used - and others used the abandoned military facility Naturlejren Auderød as a stand in for abandoned facilities. Today it's a lovely place to visit, with flower fields and a range of time capsule-like rooms from when it was operational.
Nordisk Film
Denmark's Nordisk Film (Nordic Film) is the oldest running movie company of the world. Film fans can visit the movie company in Valby, a suburb of Copenhagen, and take a museum tour.