How to spend 48 hours in a city designed for life
If design is Denmark’s USP, then Copenhagen is its masterpiece. It is the world’s greenest and most liveable city. You can swim in its canals, eat biodynamic local produce and cycle everywhere on dedicated bike lanes. Its identity is equally shaped by its waterways, from the harbour to a network of canals (including much-photographed Nyhavn, with its iconic rows of pastel-coloured houses). Even the bridges are not just crossings, but kinetic sculptures that tilt, swing or spiral. Yet for all its cool modernity, Copenhagen’s half-timbered houses and baroque churches sit tidily alongside minimalist wine bars and New Nordic restaurants, the kind of harmony that is both of, and by, design.
5pm: Start with a glass
Check in at Hotel Kong Arthur, an elegant boutique hotel in a cobbled courtyard in Nansensgade, a short walk from Nørreport station. Then stroll east along Peblinge Lake to Rødder & Vin (rodderogvin.dk), a speakeasy cellar. Still thirsty? Drink on at Pompette, a cute, good-value natural wine bar in hip Nørrebro (etteetteette.dk/pompette).
7.30pm: Dine at Bæst
Copenhagen is obsessed with tasting menus. But simple is genius, too, hence the popularity of buzzy pizzeria Bæst, which also serves cheese and cured meats from its on-site dairy and salumeira. The open kitchen lets you watch chefs spin and toss dough for pizzas so light and airy you will want to eat all your crust (baest.dk).
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Saturday 9am: Fuel up the right way
Dense, creamy, the right amount of salty, dedicated porridge restaurant Grød serves a beloved Danish breakfast (groed.com).
10am: Shop old and new
Browse Nørrebro’s plethora of vintage shops – Elmegade is a great street for designer finds. Or, head to design emporium Illums Bolighus (illumsbolighus.com) for Scandi homeware brands like Hay and Normann Copenhagen.
12pm: Explore good taste
Sample Denmark’s design culture at the Danish Architecture Center (DAC) from Romanesque arches to Kaare Klint chairs… Head to its rooftop café for coffee, an unbeatable view and a 40m slide to the ground floor. Or, discuss design styles over crêpes with whipped ricotta and mushrooms at neighbourhood eatery Lido. For something heartier, try POPL, a not-your-average-burger bar from the Noma team.
3.30pm: Get out on the water
You really oughta. Hire a solar-engined GoBoat, with a captain who can show you the hidden corners of the harbour and canals. Or borrow a GreenKayak (greenkayak.org; it’s free in exchange for collecting litter), then grab a craft ale at Mikeller Baghaven’s harbourside brewery.
7pm: Make new friends
Kanalhuset, a historic, butter-yellow building on one of Christianhavn’s most picturesque canals, is a design hotel where a relaxed communal dinner is served daily at 7pm (kanalhusetcph.com).
Sunday 8.30am: Enjoy buns and botanics
Cardamom buns and kimchi grilled-cheese sandwiches are the thing at Hart Bageri, founded by famed baker Richard Hart. The spacious Holmen venue is also a stone’s throw from Opera Park, a garden island with an amazing spiral greenhouse that won 2025’s European Garden Award.
11am: Hit the slopes
Ride an ebike to CopenHill. This impressive architectural oddity is an urban power plant, producing energy from waste. But its slanted roof offers not just an observation deck but a ski slope, and the world’s tallest climbing wall runs down its side.
2pm: Don’t forget the smørrebrød
Wrap up your visit at the historic Kanal Cafeen for an authentic smørrebrød (open sandwich) topped with pickled herring or scrambled egg, and pair with a crisp local beer for the road.
In brief
Stay At Kanelhuset. Its apartments are an homage to Danish design (from £140 a night).
Eat Bæst’s house-made produce makes for seriously noteworthy pizzas.
Do See the city from the water, with nibbles and drinks, on a captained GoBoat.
Editor’s note: our recommendations are chosen independently by our journalists. The Observer may earn a small commission if a reader clicks a link and purchases a recommended product. This revenue helps support Observer journalism.
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