city guide.
copenhagen
NEIGHBOURHOODS
CITY CENTRE: STRØGET
Pedestrianised shopping area in the commercial heart of Copenhagen’s city centre; mix of high-street, mid-market and designer boutiques
CITY CENTRE
Small squares and turn-of-the-century buildings; mix of designer boutiques, independent stores and commercial high-street fashion; busy tourist and retail district
VESTERBRO
Hip, fashionable neighbourhood vibe; kitschy boutiques; cool vintage stores; local food markets; bohemian cafes and bars; energetic nightlife; red-light district
NØRREBRO
Trendy cafes and good local restaurants; emerging designers and vintage stores; quirky boutiques and independent lifestyle stores; style-conscious artists and students, as well as young families
ØSTERBRO
Five-storey houses with stucco and neoclassical decorations; wide open spaces, waterfront and charming side streets; local labels, retro furniture shops and speciality stores
CHRISTIANSHAVN
Artistic, bohemian and up-and-coming area; renowned Danish restaurants; home of Christiania, the Danish freetown; charming 19th-century houses and picturesque canals; a handful of nice boutiques and vintage stores; a mix of creative students, families and couples
FREDERIKSBERG
Residential and business district surrounding Frederiksberg Palace; quaint boutiques and independent stores featuring Danish and international designers
48-HOUR RECOMMENDATION
COPENHAGEN CITY GUIDE | 48 HOURS
Wake up at...
Hotel Sanders, a luxury boutique hotel founded by former royal ballet dancer Alexander Kølpin. The cocktail bar Tata on the ground floor is frequented by locals. The hotel also boasts a courtyard, but the plant-filled rooftop conservatory delivers the wow factor. The hotel is centrally located, so start the day checking out retail nearby. Stop by the Henrik Vibskov boutique for the designer's own creations alongside avant-garde lines, and Stilleben for interiors inspiration. Shopping streets Amagertorv and Ostergade are not to be missed, offering both mid-market and designer wares, including & Other Stories, Weekday, Birger Christensen and Mads Norgaard, alongside design store Hay House.
Spend the afternoon...
One of restaurateur Frederik Bille Brahe's popular food haunts, Café Atelier September or Apollo Bar & Kantine. Expect to be surrounded by creatives during fashion week; Frederik's sister is fine jewellery designer Sophie Bille Brahe, and his wife is Danish model Caroline Brasch Nielsen. Afterwards, check out the chic mid-market and luxury stores along Pilestraede, including Samsøe & Samsøe, By Malene Birger and Acne, as well as locally loved streetwear stores such as Naked, Norr and Norse Projects. Find beautiful jewellery at Maria Black on Silkegade, as well as slick menswear and eyewear at Han Kjobenhavn. Wood Wood and Storm are cutting-edge multi-brand stores filled with hard-to-find, covetable brands.
Spend the evening...
The heart of Vesterbro. If you’re in the mood for a light bite, stroll to former Noma pastry chef Rosio Sanchez’s taqueria Hija de Sanchez and sample her highly acclaimed tacos, or if you prefer a more formal setting, head to her restaurant Sanchez for a constantly changing à la carte Mexican menu. After dinner, venture north to the original 1950s music venue Vega for some live music, or alternatively opt for post-dinner drinks at cocktail bar Curfew. Here, the fashion pack gathers to enjoy classic yet modern cocktails, many of which are made with the owner’s homemade syrups and bitters, alongside a delicious tapas menu. Interiors envy is sure to set in thanks to the ornately tiled bar, vintage furniture and glass cabinets full of collector’s vintage silver and crystal bar paraphernalia.
Wake up at...
Hotel Ottilia, the latest addition to the the Brochner group, which is housed within the former Carlsberg brewery buildings. Enjoy an organic breakfast on the rooftop restaurant overlooking the urban renewal that is rapidly taking place in the district, then head towards Nørrebro. Spend the morning exploring trendy Jaegersborggade, with its lesser-known retail finds and workshop-stores, such as minimalist fine jeweller Malene Glintborg and ceramicists at Vanishing Point. Don't miss the colourful Moroccan-inspired rugs and soft furnishings at Craft Sisters. For lunch, sample small plates at farm-to-table restaurant Manfreds. Afterwards, head for an arts fix at Statens Museum for Kunst and a coffee at Kafeteria, or if time permits, jump on a 30-minute train to the incredible Louisiana Museum, unmissable for its modern art exhibitions and staggering views of the coast.
Spend the afternoon...
Cycling around Copenhagen's up-and-coming neighbourhood Refshaleøen. Set off from Magasin, the city's go-to department store for Danish fashion, beauty and interiors, and cycle past the colourful buildings that line the canal at Nyhavn to cross the inner harbour bridge to Christianshavn. Continue on past Noma and past all the beautiful houseboats, then stop off at unassuming waterside restaurant La Banchina for a quick bite to eat and a swim (or a sauna in the winter). After lunch, continue round to Lille bakery and sample the delicious sausage rolls, then check out the latest exhibitions at the Copenhagen Contemporary. Cycle on through the old shipping yards to the waterfront and enjoy a cold beer from Danish brewery Mikkeller at its extremely Instagrammable Baghaven taproom, and if you're still peckish, sample some street food from Reffen next door (open May-September only).
Spend the evening...
Baest, the latest opening from Michelin-star chef Christian Puglisi of Relae and Manfreds. Regularly touted as offering some of the best pizza outside of Italy, Baest uses a combination of mozzarella made from Puglisi's own herd of organically reared cows, plus naturally leavened pizza dough made by Mirabelle, the bakery next door, also owned by Puglisi. After dinner, walk across to Brus, a brewery, bar, restaurant and shop set in an old iron factory, or head to Pompette, a newly opened natural wine bar and shop that both locals and tourists are obsessed with. Alongside a range of natural wines available by the glass and bottle, this cosy and unassuming space offers a selection of delicious small plates.
COPENHAGEN CITY GUIDE | FAST FACTS
COPENHAGEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CPH)
This is Copenhagen’s main airport, located in Kastrup, six miles (10km) southeast of the city centre. There is a direct air rail train service to Copenhagen’s Central Railway Station every 20 minutes for a one-way fare of 36 DKK, with a trip time of 13 minutes. A taxi to the city centre should cost 250-300 DKK.
DSB
When travelling from other cities in Europe, another easy option is to take the DSB. Trains arrive at Copenhagen’s Hovedbanegården (Central Station) on Banegårdspladsen in the city centre, where connections can be made to Copenhagen’s bus system.
Walking is the best way to explore the city’s downtown – most sights are within one square mile. Another popular option is to follow the Danish example and rent a bike. Some rental options include Østerport Cykler (Oslo Plads 9, 45 33338513) and Urania Cykler (Gammel Kongevej 1, 45 33218088).
Copenhagen’s efficient transit system includes the light rail Metro, buses, harbour buses and suburban S-trains. The Metro runs
between 5am and 1am and all night on weekends; buses run from 5am to midnight. A discount klip kort (clip card) is good for
10 rides, costs 145 DKK and must be stamped in the automatic ticket machines on buses or at stations. A city pass is a popular
option, giving you unlimited travel for 24 hours (80 DKK) or 72 hours (200 DKK).
Harbour buses, ferries that travel up and down the canal, board outside the Royal Library’s Black Diamond and stop at Knippelsbro, Nyhavn and Holmen, with lovely vistas along the way. They run six times an hour daily from 6am-6:25pm, with tickets around 45 DKK. Taxis can be found at taxi stands, or can also be called: Amager Øbro Taxi (45 27272727) and Københavns Taxi (45 35353535).
tipping guide
Service charges are often included at Copenhagen
hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes – if so, tipping is
optional, but for excellent service when dining, an
extra 10-15% is customary.
Waitstaff: 10-15%
Bartender/Cocktail waitress: leaving a few coins
is appreciated
Porter/Doorman: 5-10 DKK per bag
Taxis: rounding up your bill and giving a few kroner
extra as a tip is appreciated
SHOPPING HOURS
Stores are open Monday-Thursday 10am-6pm; Friday
10am-7pm; Saturday 10am-4pm.* Most shops are
closed Sunday, except souvenir shops and the kiosks
and supermarket at the Central Railroad Station.
*This is a general guideline as hours are flexible and different
for each store. Please check store websites or call for more
specific information
other
Time Zone: Central European: UTC +1/+2
Electricity: 220-240V
Common Language: German
