Make sure you collect one of the free floorplans at the entrance, as the layout of the first few rooms is slightly confusing. Most of the ground floor is taken up with the stunning Prehistoric Denmark and the Viking Age collection, which begins on the far side of a central courtyard. By turns grotesque and enthralling, the highlights are the stunning Trundholm Sun Chariot - a flaking gold leaf disc pulled by a straight backed horse on broken wheels – and a number of oak coffins, the grisly, partially clothed remains of their occupants preserved in peat bogs for three millennia. The best known, the 3,400 year old Egtved Girl, was buried with a small bucket of beer on top of her body, still visible along with her blond hair and bronze jewellery. Even the exhaustive Viking artefacts – several rooms of clothing, weaponry and jewellery – pale just a bit in comparison.

Upstairs on the first floor, temporary exhibition space, the Royal Numismatic Collection and some 18th century Rococo interiors from The Prince’s Palace are housed alongside the wonderful Ethnographical Collection and The Danish Middle Ages and Renaissance. Stern, unadorned Viking crucifixes and elaborate gold altars from pre-Reformation Denmark are just some of the stand out exhibits from the Middle Ages; the ethnographical collection takes in indigenous cultures from five continents, including rooms devoted to New Guinea, India, Siberia and Japan.

Aside from small spaces for temporary exhibitions and toys, the second floor is split between Stories of Denmark 1660-2000- a fascinating look at every segment of Danish society, from displays on Royalty to provincial houses, WWII exhibits and women’s clothing from a bankrupt Copenhagen department store - and the Ethnographical Treasures section, with exhibits on China, Korea, Africa and superb Inuittreasures like the protective charm coated clothing belonging to the Amulet Boy and huge whalebone carvings.

The final floor is much smaller, with twenty rooms full of Near Eastern and Classical Antiquities that can be skipped without any real sense of loss. The artefacts are drawn from Egypt, Greece, Cyprus and Italian and include some interesting mummies, vases and Etruscan jewellery, but there’s really nothing here to compare with Denmark’s own treasures.

The only confusion is trying to follow the story in chronological sequence. It seems that the entry starts us in the middle. I wasn't sure how to get to the starting point. We muddled through but it would have been nice to know the right path. Upstairs, there is a children's toy area worth looking at as well as Danish history right up to the DVD.

I found the Viking exhibits to be the most interesting, because they have artifacts that are not found in most museums around the world. However, even in this museum, it was interesting to note the limited supply of actual artifacts. One sign explained this perfectly by saying that the Vikings came to take, not to give. I found this simple sentence to be so telling of that whole historical period.

Other permanent exhibits include a collection of coins, a segment on Victorian homes, and general facts about Danish history, ranging from prehistoric to modern times.

This museum is a must-see for history buffs or anyone wanting to learn more about Denmark.