Never mind the Little Mermaid or Tivoli Gardens — it’s the water that makes Copenhagen magnificent. The three harbours and their many canals send long fingers of light into the heart of the city and throw out sudden, dazzling perspectives — just as you’re seeking respite from shopfronts and traffic. Of course, there’s plenty to see besides bobbing boats and dreamy spires, but it’s the quays, bridges and waterfronts that really make it sparkle. Spend as much time on them as you can.
What to do
▶ Copenhagen vies with Amsterdam to be Europe’s cycling capital. So get the wind in your hair at the start of your trip by pedalling around the central harbourside districts, making the most of the bike-friendly bridges and flyovers. Cph:cool covers the ground in a hassle-free private tour that takes 2½ hours (£415 for up to seven people, including bikes; cphcool.dk). Alternatively, rent your own wheels (£15 for 24 hours; bikerentalcopenhagen.dk) and follow the Harbour Circle itinerary at visitcopenhagen.com.
▶ You might think that you are going to the Designmuseum Denmark to lust after Arne Jacobsen armchairs and other Scandi design classics. And yes, the former 18th-century hospital in Frederiksstaden does house a mouthwatering display of furniture, fabrics and crockery. What you’ll remember most, however, is its terrifying exhibition The Future is Present, which asks how designers can make the modern age less alienating. Among the displays are four visions of future employment, two of them decidedly dystopian. They’re so close to where we are now that they’ll turn your hair white (until June 1; £15; designmuseum.dk).
▶ An antidote to the exhibition lies at the northern end of the 2A bus line. In the apparently bleak surroundings of Refshaleoen’s former dockyard, Copenhagen Contemporary is a shining beacon of hope. The installations in this upbeat 21st-century gallery change every few months. But one you can see right now shows 14 different films projected onto huge screens, each one following a group of children, utterly absorbed in their favourite outdoor game. You’ll leave with a smile as wide as the Baltic (until April 10; £14; copenhagencontemporary.org).
▶ Don’t abandon Refshaleoen just yet. Instead, wiggle westwards, past some unpromising warehouses, until you hit Hottub Copenhagen, a friendly oasis of warmth and comfort. An hour in a glass-fronted private sauna costs £94 for up to six people — you get the mesmerising sunset view across the harbour to the Amalienborg Palace for free, plus the use of an ice-cold plunge pool. Every furrow on your brow will melt away. As the name suggests they do hot tubs too (hottubcph.com).
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▶ Time for one more watery must-do? Then set sail into Danish history, courtesy of the extraordinary Viking galleries at the National Museum of Denmark. Gathered around the original timbers of the longest longship ever unearthed is an eye-popping display of loot from the 9th, 10th and 11th centuries. Stolen reliquaries, silver pennies paid as Danegeld (or protection money) by the English, intricate golden brooches — they’re all there, as well as slave chains, battleaxes and gravestones. The tone is never triumphant, especially in the spooky, beautiful and sombre film that reimagines a Viking raid (£14; theraid.natmus.dk).
The coolest neighbourhood
See the giant “Refugees Are Welcome” mural? That means you’ve almost reached Jaegersborggade. The most happening street in up-and-coming Norrebro, it’s packed with urban artisans making all kinds of irresistible stuff — from lush women’s sweatshirts at Polymorph (Jagtvej 31), to woollen caps stitched on-site at Wilgart (wilgart.dk) and bewitching bentwood lamps at Flaco Design (flacodesign.dk). This is Copenhagen, so everyone speaks flawless English. Even if your budget only stretches to the edible souvenirs at Chocolate by Hartman (selected-gourmet.com), you can pass a happy hour or two chatting to the owners and trying things on.
Where to eat and drink
Silberbauers Bistro
This is exactly the restaurant Jaegersborggade deserves: a pitch-perfect neighbourhood joint brimming with charming staff, potted plants and hearty, off-the-cuff dishes chosen from a blackboard menu. Start with the deep onion tart topped with olives and follow with pumpkin, pine nuts, mozzarella and sage, and you won’t be hungry again until Christmas (mains from £21; silberbauers.dk).
● Best things to do in Copenhagen
● Top cycling cities
Kanalhuset
Social dining is big in the Danish capital and the restaurant at the lovely, low-key Kanalhuset hotel in the harbourside district of Christianshavn is the place to try it. You book ahead for the two-course 7pm sitting and the mains come in big, generous dishes designed to be shared. The food is unfussy and delicious, but it’s the warmth of the evening’s chat that will stay with you (£18; kanalhusetcph.com).
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Selma
Smorrebrod is a traditional Danish open sandwich served on dark sourdough rye — and at Selma in Indre By they’ve turned it into an art form, notable as much for the colour as the flavour of the food. Herring is traditional but sometimes here tends to overpower the other ingredients, but grilled celeriac is, by contrast, a delicate treat (smorrebrod from £15; selmacopenhagen.dk).
La Banchina
If you’re visiting Copenhagen Contemporary, this is the place to refuel: a warm and welcoming cabin overlooking the water that serves an ever-changing lunchtime menu featuring dishes such as mushroom toast with sauerkraut and salmon with seaweed. In winter it’s a quiet and cosy retreat. In summer it swarms with sunbathing locals who spread along the dock (mains from £11; labanchina.dk).
WarPigs
The old meatpacking district in Vesterbro is one of the city’s Saturday night hubs, and the WarPigs brewpub its buzziest venue. Go early to get a seat at the long benches and take your pick from 22 different beers. The names, from Doom Sauce to Frank the Tank, are definitely imaginative (from £4; warpigs.dk).
Curfew
Don’t fancy a beer? Then book a table, ring the doorbell, and watch a bookshelf swing open to reveal Curfew’s speakeasy bar in Vesterbro. The secrecy is all very tongue-in-cheek and it’s a fun, welcoming place, but at £18.50 a glass you may only want one of its rich and punchy cocktails (curfew.dk).
Where to stay
Kanalhuset
Kanalhuset launches you straight into a world of quiet canals, bobbing yachts and neighbourhood cafés. The building is a treat too — a former 18th-century school with simple but comfortable bedrooms, a cosy bar hung with patterned rugs and a sociable, chatty atmosphere (room-only doubles from £118; kanalhusetcph.com).
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25hours Hotel Indre By
Downstairs, the many bars and lounges are colourful, characterful places to sprawl, packed with delicious details — and there’s more of the same upstairs in the 243 bedrooms. Meanwhile, Copenhagen’s tight, historic core awaits on the doorstep: a bit heavy on the tourists perhaps, but still full of charm (room-only doubles from £143; 25hours-hotels.com).
Villa Copenhagen
In a former post office by the central station, Villa Copenhagen is a big, bustling hotel, with well-equipped bedrooms, lots of period detail and an endless breakfast buffet, which includes some of the city’s best cardamom buns. From here, metro and bus lines will whisk you to any key sights that aren’t within easy walking distance (B&B doubles from £201; villacopenhagen.com).
If you do only one thing
Book a 90-minute paddle with GreenKayak. The environmental NGO lends you a free kayak from a range of canal-side sites; all you have to do in return is pick up any rubbish you spot on your trip and share the experience on social media. This year’s clean-up begins on May 1 (greenkayak.org).
Sean Newsom was a guest of Wonderful Copenhagen (wonderfulcopenhagen.com) and Visit Denmark (visitdenmark.com)
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