This is a selection of various art galleries and museums that we like. Some are world famous, others are less known, but definitely worth a visit. The listing is organised by country.

Denmark

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk (about 30 km north of Copenhagen). Truly one of Europe’s great galleries of modern art, located in beautiful surroundings right on the coast between Copenhagen and Elsinore. Great permanent collection and temporary exhibitions. Also an excellent organic lunch buffet in the restaurant.

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Just like Louisiana, this museum was started with private money, in this case in the 19th century, by the son of the founder of the Carlsberg brewery. This is a very traditional art museum, with collections ranging from ancient Egypt to the 20th century. It is a beautiful building, an attraction in itself, and it is located within walking distance of Christiansborg Castle, Tivoli and many other attractions of central Copenhagen.

ARoS museum of modern art, Aarhus. Located in Denmark’s second city, ARoS (the name is derived from the old Viking name of Aarhus), this museum aims “to become one of the top 10 museums in the world”. Big ambitions for a museum in a city in Jutland more or less the size of Alicante, but it is certainly a breathtaking place, both because of the architecture of the building and the art it contains. Like Louisiana, it combines an interesting permanent collection with a vibrant exhibition schedule.

Netherlands

The Cat Cabinet, Amsterdam. Quoting from the website: “The Cat Cabinet was founded in commemoration of the ginger cat John Pierpont Morgan (1966-1983). This special cat was the stubborn, headstrong companion of the museum’s founder, Bob Meijer.” It is a wonderful little place on one of Amsterdam’s iconic canals, containing an eclectic selection of art with one unifying theme: all the works have cats as a theme. Several actual cats live here too.

The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Unquestionably on the world’s great art institutions. This is the place to go and see the Flemish and Dutch masters that we all know. It has undergone significant remodelling in recent years, and is now even grander, more visitor-friendly, and better in every respect. There are also interesting innovations, such as being able to observe the restoration of Rembrandt’s Night Watch, one of the best-known masterpieces in the museum. And if you cannot come to Amsterdam right now, the next-best thing is the Rijksstudio, the virtual museum that lets you curate your own collection from hundreds of thousands of pieces and enjoy them on your screen.