48 hours in… Copenhagen

Ever since Mads Mikkelsen gained worldwide recognition as a Bond villain in the noughties, our love of his native city, Copenhagen, has turbo-charged. After all, they rarely make cheekbones like that outside Scandinavia; or Lego, or lovestruck little mermaids, for that matter.

But scratch the surface of Denmark’s capital and you’ll find more to it than its world-famous exports. It’s an urban heavyweight for fashion, food and architecture, but its easygoing pace of life and enthusiasm for all things outdoors lend it a distinctly village feel. Our weekend city guide will pedal you to the city’s most hygge hangouts. So hop on your bike, here’s how to spend 48 hours in Copenhagen…

FRIDAY: EVENING

Scandinavian efficiency and a conveniently close airport (just a 20-minute drive away) make your arrival into the city a breezy one. Take the M2 Metro to Kongens Nytorv station, or ride the DSB train a couple of stops to København H in the city’s centre. From there, it’s but a shuffle to Nimb, a one-of-a-kind hotel housed in a historic palace dating back to 1909. Check in and freshen up in dazzling rooms which merge Danish minimalism and Moorish maximalism. And just wait until you see its grounds — opened in 1843, Tivoli Gardens is the amusement park which is said to have inspired Disneyland. The best bit? A ticket for unlimited rides is included in your stay. Make a beeline for the Rutschebanen, a classic rollercoaster — one of the oldest still functioning today — get competitive with Galoppen, a horse-racing game with a twist; or jump in a Dragon boat for a romantic glide around Tivoli lake. Once you’ve exhausted the park’s delights, fuel up in Fru Nimb, one of the hotel’s multiple restaurants, where you’ll find over 50 different kinds of smørrebrød (an open-faced sandwich). Leave room for dessert: Lakrids by Bülow’s artisan liquorice soft-serve is not to be missed.

SATURDAY: MORNING

Rise and shine to Nimb Brasserie’s breakfast buffet, an Alice in Wonderland-esque Continental spread with ‘eat me’ jars filled with Scandinavian specialities. Fuel up — today you’ll navigate the city the Danish way: by bike, one from Nimb’s achingly stylish Velorbis fleet. First, stop at Frederiksberg, a leafy residential area to the west of the city. Pull up at picturesque Frederiksberg Gardens, a favourite of beloved 19th-century Danish King Frederik VI, who saluted the public as he was ferried around its canals. In summer months, you can follow in his footsteps with one of Svendsens Bådfart’s boat tours. On your way, you’ll pass the resplendent, sunflower-yellow Frederiksberg Palace, perched on a towering hilltop; an 18th-century Chinese Pavilion, erected as a royal teahouse; and — if you’re lucky — a glimpse of the local elephant herd feeding in neighbouring Copenhagen Zoo.

There’s a lot to discover underneath the park too — Cisternerne is a departure from your average white-cube gallery; housed in a former reservoir, the dark underground space hosts atmospheric art installations. It’s cool, but damp too, so swap your Stine Goya flats for some scruffier sneakers instead. Speaking of which, don’t leave the area without paying a visit to Tété, a fashion concept store focused on fine craftsmanship and under-the-radar designers; or Paloma Vintage, a wellspring of pre-loved pieces.

SATURDAY: AFTERNOON

Cycle back along Vesterbrogade to the city’s central station, and catch the train to Humlebæk in the city’s northern suburbs. Here you’ll find Louisiana, a modern-art museum housed in a 19th-century country house (yes, the kind with a porch) and named as such because of the original owner’s fondness for women called ‘Louise’. So fond, in fact, that he married three of them. Aside from a dazzling collection of artworks — by the likes of Louise Bourgeois, David Hockney, Philip Guston and Franz West — the gallery boasts Architectural Digest-worthy mid-century interiors, a sculpture-strewn clifftop garden with views across the Øresund strait to Sweden, a rotating cast of contemporary exhibitions and an annual literature festival each August. The restaurant is noteworthy too, serving pheasant terrine with pickled figs or salted salmon with seaweed, as the gallery’s Alexander Calder mobile dances on the lawn outside.

On returning to the city, take a stroll through the centre, passing Kongens Nytorv square, where you’ll find Magasin, Denmark’s answer to John Lewis — if John Lewis was housed in a French Renaissance Revival building and stocked big-deal Nordic designers, that is. Nearby you’ll find Nikolaj Kunsthal, an ancient church-turned-gallery in a quaint mediaeval square; and Charlottenborg, a beautiful art space with exceptional programming and trendy bar-restaurant Apollo. Continue through Gammel Strand, where you’ll pass Christiansborg Palace, the ornate base of the Danish Parliament, and on to the Meatpacking district, which has a buzzy atmosphere, excellent seafood spots (like Kødbyens Fiskebar) and a beer galore — there’s barbecue brewpub Warpigs for rowdy rock-n-rollers and tank bar Åben for minimalism aficionados.

SATURDAY: EVENING

Start your evening with apéritifs at Grand Joanne, a hip Vesterbro stay with a feminine touch and all-pink decor. The hotel’s namesake bar-slash-restaurant is as hygge as they come, with velvet sofas, terrazzo tables, zig-zag-tiled flooring and curvy furnishings, plus a drinks menu full of feel-good hits craft beers, pop-inspired cocktails and Italian wines. On balmy nights, head up to its roof terrace, where DJ’s spin till the small hours.

For dinner, head to Kanalhuset on the historic island of Christianshavn. Fællesspisning, or communal dining, is an old Danish tradition that’s been undergoing something of a renaissance in the city, and this is the place to try it. These dinners can be an enriching experience, not to mention a nourishing one, with daily-changing seasonal menus. There’s always a vegetarian option, and you’ll save some significant kroner compared to a standard restaurant. With that in mind, head to Ruby, one of Copenhagen’s most acclaimed cocktail bars, where you can put those savings towards a creative concoction or two.

SUNDAY: MORNING

Spend a wholesome Sunday morning with a mood-boosting splash — Nimb’s emerald-green rooftop pool is heated and open daily from April to November. If you’re feeling particularly brave, there’s plenty of urban harbour baths where you can take a dip. Join the plucky locals at Islands Brygge to get your Wim Hof on, or take a plunge from the five-metre diving platform. And if that doesn’t wake you up, the sugary waft of Sankt Peders Bageri will. The bakery is the oldest in the city, founded in 1682, and is famous for its ‘onsdagssnegl’ or ‘Wednesday snails’: mammoth cinnamon buns which fly off the shelves in their thousands each Wednesday thanks to a handsome midweek discount.

While it’s early, hit the markets for antique and vintage finds. Vera’s market is one of the most popular thanks to its weather-proof location under a bridge and seemingly endless supply of Ganni pieces. You’ll pass through Superkilen on your way there, a typically Danish example of great urban design that brings people together through public interventions (think skate parks, swings, picnic benches, chess boards…). From there, dedicated treasure-hunters can continue thrifting at Byens Lopper in Trianglen (each Sunday from April to September), where labels like Isabel Marant, Chloé and Cecilie Bahnsen can be frequently spotted.

SUNDAY: AFTERNOON

Ride the yellow harbour bus (you can bring your bike with you) back south, stopping at Jægersborggade, Nørrebro’s coolest street. Here, you’ll find a stretch of clothing boutiques, ice-cream parlours, ceramic and homeware stores, alongside stellar wining-and-dining haunts. Speaking of haunts, just next door lies Assistens Cemetery where existentialism pioneer Søren Kierkegaard is laid to rest, though a cheerier pit-stop may be the Design Museum Denmark, which traces aesthetic history from the 1920s to the present day. From Nordre Toldbod, take the boat one stop to the industrial island of Refshaleøen, which is bustling with grass-roots creativity. Hit Copenhagen Contemporary for installation art by emerging and established artists, or top-up your vitamin D at Reffen, a sprawling outdoor complex of street-food stalls and shack-style bars open during the warmer months. Keep an eye out for their rotating run of events: art shows, workshops, DJs and live music. Nearby, you’ll also find Copenhill, an urban ski spot which doubles up as the highest climbing wall in the world at 80 metres. Conquer it, then rest your weary knuckles at La Banchina, a restaurant and bar with its own dock to paddle in come summer, and a soup-and-sauna club in the winter.

If you’re still peckish, cycle down to Broens Street Food which is open year-round (and has an ice-rink come November). Sink your teeth into one of Poulette’s spicy fried chicken sandwiches (or fried mapo tofu for vegetarians) made famous by TV show The Bear. From here, you can get a great view of Paper Island, an artificial landmass once used by the Danish press to store reams of newsprint, now the site of an award-winning housing project by architecture studio Cobe — as well as some of the most expensive apartments in the Nordics. Keep your eyes peeled for the Kengo Kuma-designed aquatics centre, set to open next door in 2025.

SUNDAY: EVENING

Cycle across Inderhavnsbroen bridge and back into the centre, stopping at Nimb to pack up the day’s vintage finds and slip into something for dinner. Park your bike, don some heels and jump on the Metro to Frederiksberg Allé. From here, Værnedamsvej is a couple of minutes’ walk away, another hip street on the border of Frederiksberg and Vesterbro. It’s known by locals as the ‘Paris of Copenhagen’, which you can lean into with a pre-dinner Crémant at Falernum, a French-style bistro with street-facing seating perfect for people-watching. For dinner, make a reservation at Italo Thai next door, a petite but perfectly-styled Italian restaurant which serves — bizarrely — one or two Thai dishes, as the name suggests. All the pasta dishes here are worthy of applause, but the tiramisu is in a league of its own. Finally, record-shop-slash-cocktail-bar Bird makes the perfect finale for your Scandi city break, a place where the drinks list is surpassed only by the playlist.

NEED TO KNOW

Flights Copenhagen International Airport lies south of the city in the borough of Kastrup and is about a 20-minute drive away. Take the Metro and you can reach the city centre in 15 swift minutes.

Transport Do it the Danish way and navigate the city by bike. Most Mr & Mrs Smith hotels have their own fleets for guests to borrow, though Donkey Republic bikes can be picked up at various hubs across the city (DKK179 for 48 hours). The city’s Metro is another sustainable option. Single and day tickets are available from the Dot app, but it may be cheaper to use a Rejsekort card you can top up, instead.

When to go ‘No bad weather, only bad clothes’, is a common Danish saying. Accordingly, every season in Copenhagen has its merits — thermals permitting. February sees pastry-induced mass hysteria sweep the streets for Fastelavn, as Danes lead up to Lent. Summer brings with it a jovial atmosphere as the city’s bathing spots open up. And Christmas in the city creates its own kind of magic with festive markets serving up ladlefuls of warm gløgg.

What to buy Shop Danish homewares at HAY House, the brand’s multi-storey flagship store, buy colourful ceramics from Arhoj in the East Docklands, or bag yourself a jacket made out of wool blankets by slow fashion brand Frauen.

Good to know Be vigilant for busy bike lanes, keep cash handy when frequenting markets, and never eat your bolle med ost (a breakfast staple of a buttered bun with cheese) like a sandwich if you want to blend in with the locals. Psst: you split it.

See our full collection of hotels in Copenhagen, or get inspired for your next weekend break… how does Edinburgh sound?