Grundtvig's Church

Grundtvig's Church is one of Copenhagen's most remarkable buildings and a rare masterpiece of Expressionist church architecture. Standing in the Bispebjerg district in the north of the city, it is named after N.F.S. Grundtvig, the Danish poet, priest and thinker who shaped so much of modern Danish culture and church life. Construction ran from 1921 to 1940, and the result is unlike any other church in the country.

The vast west facade rises like a giant organ, its stepped gable soaring upward in pale yellow brick. The whole building — inside and out — is made from around six million yellow bricks, a material chosen to echo the traditional village churches of Denmark while pushing them to a monumental, almost cathedral-like scale. Step inside and the effect is just as striking: a tall, light-filled nave with soaring vaulted ceilings and an atmosphere of calm, stripped-back grandeur.

The church is free to visit, making it one of the best-value cultural stops in Copenhagen. Come in the morning for the best light through the windows, or on a Sunday if you would like to experience a service. Don't rush away afterwards — the surrounding Bispebjerg neighbourhood was designed as a unified whole, and the symmetrical rows of yellow-brick houses framing the church are a quietly remarkable piece of urban planning in their own right. To get there, take bus 6A to Bispebjerg Hospital and walk the short remaining distance.