The Danish Paradise
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Guide to Copenhagen
With its eclectic capital full of colorful neighborhoods, innovative gastronomy, architecture, and inhabitants constantly ranking among the happiest people on earth, it’s not surprising why Copenhagen, is an ideal destination for a stress-free city break. Whether you move around on two wheels or two feet, Copenhagen offers many opportunities to experience hygge, from the beach towns to museums and wine bars. Head down and read our guide on where to relax, eat, and what to wear in the city this summer.
Where to Explore
Copenhagen's surrounding region is easy to reach and packed with beautiful landscapes, historic castles, and modern museums that make for a perfect day trip. Whether you want to spend all day outside, or cozy up indoors, here are a few notable places worth checking out in the morning.
NY CARLSBERG GLYPTOTEK
There are some fine collections of antiquities and Danish art on display at Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. But even if you’re not interested in its cultural attractions, it’s well worth a visit to enjoy the exquisite Winter garden at the heart of the building, where palm trees flourish beneath a vast glass-domed roof.
THE LOUISIANA
Set about 25 miles north of Copenhagen and with views of Sweden across the Sound, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is one of Denmark’s most lauded cultural attractions and contains more than 4,000 artworks within virtually all genres with an emphasis on painting and sculpture.
COPENHILL
CopenHill also known as Amager Bakke, is a power plant located on an industrial waterfront that is capable of converting 440,000 tons of waste into clean energy annually. It doubles as public infrastructure and is complete with tree-lined hiking trails and ski slopes on its roof along with the tallest artificial climbing wall in the world.
Where to Dine
Apart from the popular attractions in the city center, Copenhagen may have the most famous gastronomy scene. Not only are they culinary front runners in the Nordics, but their anti-food waste practices have put them in a global spotlight. Whether you're looking for an exquisite dining experience, or you're just curious about where your food is coming from, read on to discover which restaurants you can treat yourself this summer.
POMPETTE
Pompette means tipsy in French, and that’s exactly what you can expect to get at this charming Nørrebro neighborhood wine bar which serves natural wine at prices that call for another glass. The co-founder Martin Ho spent ten years working with natural wines and their producers across Europe and the US to make natural wine more accessible for everyone.
GRO SPISERI
Gro Spiseri is a rooftop restaurant at the urban farm ØsterGro serving local and organic food in the greenhouse all year around. On top of a former car auction house, they source most of their ingredients from the farm. Every season, their menu changes according to the freshness of the field and season and reflects based on the organic products they source from their local producers.
AMASS
At Amass, chef Matt Orlando is taking fine-dining to the extreme with a zero-waste approach. Orlando and his dedicated team serve push-all-the-envelopes food with a mission to generate 75 percent less waste. From fermented potato bread to sourdough ice creams, their food is created based on seasonal resources and the food surplus they collect.
Where to Sunbathe
With 5,440 miles of coastline, it’s no surprise the Danes are big swimmers. As a seafaring nation hailing from the Vikings, ocean dips are deeply ingrained in Danish culture. Even in the dark winter times, it’s not uncommon to see eager Danes brave the cold temperatures for a quick dip in the harbor. For many Copenhageners, it’s a daily ritual. In the far-more-preferable summertime, swimming in Copenhagen is often a social, languorous affair where friends spend long afternoons listening to music, sipping on wine, and plunging into the clean water. Scroll down and explore the most exquisite beach towns and harbors in the city.
Amager Strandpark
Amager Strandpark is a seaside public park located in the South Central of Copenhagen. It has calm lagoons, a sandy beach, and views of the Øresund Bridge to Sweden. Just a 10-minute Metro trip or 30-minute bicycle ride away from the city center, Amager Strandpark is a popular day-trip destination for city-dwellers, surfers, and kayakers. During the torrid heat of high summer, we suggest pairing The Swim Shorts with a softly crumpled Linen Shirt – they're low-key cool enough to wear around town just as often as at the beach.
Kastrup Havsbad
Kastrup Sea Bath is one of many architectural gems of København’s Ørestad region. Conceived as a fully-accessible outdoor swimming facility, Kastrup Sea Bath transformed an overlooked brownfield site into one of Denmark’s most enchanting leisure destinations. Also known as The Snail due to its curving form, the semi-enclosed interior provides shelter from the wind and an apt retreat for swimming and sunbathing. Designed by architecture firm White Arkitekter, who are known for their sustainable landscape architecture projects and urban design, the sea bath stretches into the Øresund strait, with views of Saltholm Island and Sweden ahead. Head over to the pier in the late afternoon when the water gets slightly warmer.
Islands Brygge
Located on the northwest coast of Amager, Islands Brygge is still the most-visited landmark in Copenhagen. Characterized by a mixture of old industrial buildings and modern architecture, the harbor baths are laid out as a welcoming, open-plan complex - as a social meeting place for visitors of all ages, with paddling pools for children and pools for swimming and springboard diving. On hot days, many Danes pass the pool for a quick dip on their way home from work. If you want to take a tour around the area, you can hire one of GoBoats' solar-powered vessels and steer along the harbor and canals. Pack a picnic to take with you – each boat has a large table in the middle so you can graze as you go.
Photos by Denisse Ariana Pérez & Ceen Warren
