Den Blå Planet (National Aquarium Denmark)

Den Blå Planet, the National Aquarium Denmark, stands at Jacob Fortlingsvej 1 in Kastrup on the island of Amager, near Copenhagen Airport and the Øresund waterfront. It opened in 2013 in a distinctive building by the architects 3XN, shaped like a swirling whirlpool and clad in aluminium, and it is the largest aquarium in northern Europe. The exhibits hold more than 20,000 animals across a range of habitats from Danish waters to the tropics. Visitors follow a route that begins with the Nordic seas and moves through the Amazon, Africa's lakes and rivers, the Arctic and the Pacific Ocean, each area re-creating the surroundings of the species. The main attraction is the Ocean Tank, a huge basin with hammerhead sharks, rays and large schools of fish, which can be viewed through a long window and a tunnel. Other highlights include otters, piranhas, electric eels, jellyfish and a coral reef with colourful fish. Feeding sessions and talks are posted at the entrance, and the timing allows visitors to plan their route. A visit typically lasts two to three hours, and families often stay longer. The aquarium is quietest on weekday mornings outside school holidays and busiest on weekends and in holiday periods, when queues at the entrance can be long. Buying tickets in advance helps. Metro line M2 stops at Kastrup, about a ten-minute walk, and the journey from the city centre takes around fifteen minutes. A cafe and shop are inside. The waterfront outside offers views of the Øresund and the Øresund Bridge, and the building is worth photographing from outside for its curved shape.