City guide: Copenhagen for design lovers
Your wintertime guide to saunas, smørrebrød and Scandi-chic shopping in this Danish design hub
It’s no secret that the Danes have mastered the art of living well during dark, bone-chilling winters. And after snagging an insane Black Friday airfare deal and spending a mid-February weekend exploring Copenhagen, we’re pleased to report that the famous spirit of hygge is indeed alive and well. With a plethora of indoor attractions (World-class museums! Michelin-starred restaurants! Scandi-chic shops!), Copenhagen is an ideal wintertime destination, especially for art and design lovers.
Read on for our recs for all the must-sees and must-dos in Copenhagen for design lovers. Even better? We’ve pinned every last rec to this Google Map for easy reference.
Your Copenhagen city guide at-a-glance
Central Copenhagen is relatively compact and easy to navigate on foot, bike or public transport – making it an ideal destination for weekend warriors.
- Where to stay: Villa Copenhagen
- Where to eat & drink: Copenhagen Food Tour, POPL, Sanchez, Mother, Det Lille Apotek
- What to see & do: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Rosenborg Castle, Designmuseum Danmark, canal tour by boat, Finn Juhl’s house, Glyptotek Museum
- Where to shop: Stilleben, Studio Arhoj, Arket, ILLUM
Where to stay in Copenhagen
For historic environs with modern amenities and a multimillion dollar art collection:
When Villa Copenhagen opened in 2020, it was the buzziest new hotel in town – and with good reason. A thoughtful, high-design renovation of the historic Danish post office headquarters building? Check. Top-notch (and sustainable) onsite food and beverage options? Check. And an art collection purportedly worth more than $2 million USD? Check.
What took our stay from good to great, though, was the iconic heated rooftop lap pool and sauna circuit. The pool is open year-round and offers a stunning view of the property’s historic facade (which is especially dramatic on winter nights, when the exterior is lit to impress and steam rises off of the pool’s surface). While the pool is sufficiently heated for lap-swimming in winter, it can feel a bit cool if you’re stationary – that’s why we recommend spending a few minutes in the nearby sauna to heat up before jumping in.
We spent 4 nights at Villa Copenhagen in February 2023 and loved it so much, we made a return visit in 2024. For the inside scoop on the details that made our stay unforgettable, read our detailed review of Villa Copenhagen.
Where to eat & drink in Copenhagen
For a smorgasbord of Danish classics – smørrebrød, organic hot dogs, a candy shop that supplies sweets to the royals, and more:
We’re big fans of food tours. Why? They’re a great introduction to a city’s culinary scene, you’re able to try more eateries and more dishes than you could on your own time, and they’re a a fun and easy way to meet people (especially if you’re traveling solo). Best of all? Food tour guides tend to give the best recommendations for other restaurants, bars and bakeries to check out during your trip.
Our Culinary Experience Tour in Copenhagen did not disappoint. Over the course of 4 hours, we clocked thousands of steps and sampled delicacies ranging from gourmet cheeses and smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches, a Danish classic) to organic hot dogs, local beers and artisanal chocolates. It was the perfect introduction to the “New Nordic” food movement and its emphasis on local, seasonal produce. And we left with a long list of recommendations from our local guide – too many, in fact, for us to cover during our limited time in the city.
Pro tip: Schedule your food tour early-on in your itinerary (we usually shoot for out first full day). That way, you’ll still have plenty of time to make good on your guide’s recommendations.
For burgers & beers, courtesy of Noma alums:
📍 POPL
While it’s nearly impossible to snag a reservation at Noma, Copenhagen’s infamous fine dining mecca, it’s quite easy to find Copenhagen restaurants led by Noma alums. That’s how we stumbled upon POPL – a burger joint that began as a humble summertime pop-up restaurant in 2020, and became so popular that the owners put down permanent roots in Christianshavn shortly thereafter.
The menu is simple and streamlined, with a focus on high-quality, locally-produced ingredients – and it shows. Do as we did, and pair your cheeseburger with fries, a dash of herbed mayo, and a raspberry sour beer brewed by BRAW, a local 100% organic brewery.
Make sure to snag a reservation in advance – we ate at 5pm after a long day of travel, and every seat was filled by the time we left at 6pm.
For tacos & margs at an intimate bistro in Copenhagen’s trendy meatpacking district:
📍 Sanchez
Another day, another meal by a Noma alum – this time, courtesy of Rosio Sánchez, former Noma head pastry chef. In 2015, Sánchez opened her first eponymous taco stand, Hija de Sanchez, at the buzzing Torvehallerne food market. Her emphasis on authentic Mexican flavors and preparation techniques – a rarity in European interpretations of Mexican cuisine – was a hit with the Danes. Today, her empire has expanded to include a network of 4 taquerias across the city, plus full-service restaurant Sanchez, located in trendy Vesterbro.
We kept our order simple, sipping on mezcal-laced margaritas, noshing on crispy corn tostadas laden with guacamole, and practically inhaling our tacos de cochinita. For more adventurous palates, a 5-course, family-style tasting menu is also available. The restaurant’s vibe is cool and intimate (it seats only 46), with an open kitchen where diners can watch the chefs at work.
For hygge vibes and wood-fired sourdough pizzas:
📍 Mother
On a cold winter evening, Mother’s dining room is about as hygge as it gets. With long, rough wood hewn tables, tapered candles, and the warmth of wood-fired pizza ovens, to call it merely cozy would be an understatement. We spent a lovely evening sipping Aperol spritzes, loading up slices of sourdough with fresh burrata and olive oil, and stuffing ourselves with slices of wood-fired pizza. The pizzas are enormous (easily shareable between 2 people, especially if you also split an app).
We were lucky enough to snag a table without a reservation, but would not recommend that strategy (the line was out the door and the wait was over an hour by the time we left).
For vintage ambience and classic Danish dishes:
In search of authentic Danish dishes with a dash of local history? Look no further than Det Lille Apotek, purported to be the oldest restaurant in Copenhagen and a frequent haunt of writer Hans Christian Andersen (Danish, 1805-1875). The decor reflects the establishment’s long history – the walls are hung with an eclectic mix of vintage oil paintings, porcelain plates, and rickety shelves of antique books. The overall effect is quite charming.
What to see & do in Copenhagen
For blockbuster exhibitions, a stunning outdoor sculpture garden, and a Yayoi Kusama infinity room:
📍 Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
Louisiana Museum of Modern Art occasionally flies under the tourist radar, largely because of its location 35 kilometers north of Copenhagen. But we found the journey from central Copenhagen to be efficient, easy and well worth the trip: a 35-minute train ride from Copenhagen’s Central Station, followed by a well-marked 10-minute walk. Trains depart to (and from) Humlebæk Station every 15 minutes.
Visitors who make the trek are rewarded with a stunning setting. Long, low exhibition spaces nestle seamlessly into the surrounding landscape (in many ways, reminiscent of Frank Lloyd’s Wright’s prairie style architecture). The outdoor sculpture garden draws visitors out onto the lawn, with its sweeping views of the Danish coastline and iconic Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) mobile, among many other artworks.
Louisiana mounts an impressive roster of special exhibitions each year, so keep an eye on the exhibition calendar ahead of your visit. We caught Between Us, a show-stopping survey of works by Dana Schutz (American, b. 1976). And don’t skip the permanent collection, either – especially the installation Gleaming Lights of the Souls by Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, b. 1929).
The gift shop is well-worth a browse, too: you’ll find everything from exhibition catalogues and artists’ monographs to homewares, clothing and jewelry by Danish designers. It’s a great spot to pick up one-of-a-kind souvenirs from high-quality local makers.
For Renaissance-era royal interiors and a peek at the Danish crown jewels:
Built in 1606, Rosenborg Castle once served as a summer palace for King Christian IV and his family – though the dark carved wood paneling and blood-red tapestries hardly give off summertime vibes. It’s well worth a stroll through the castle’s many rooms – especially to see the king and queen’s coronation thrones (last used in the 1840s, when the absolute monarchy was abolished).
The real gem (pardon my pun) of Rosenborg Castle can be found in the underground treasury, where the Crown Jewels are housed (except, of course, when the sitting queen wears them for state functions and other special occasions). The crowns themselves are impossibly ornate (and in the case of Christian IV’s crown, quite heavy – clocking in at a whopping 6.38 pounds of solid gold, precious stones and pearls). The queen’s jewels are equally impressive, with necklaces, earrings and brooches dripping with diamonds, emeralds, and pearls.
In total, we spent about 90 minutes at Rosenborg Castle – which gave us more than enough time to explore the rooms and spend quality time admiring the crown jewels. If you arrive a few minutes before 11:30am, you can also catch the beginning of the changing of the guard – when the Danish Royal Guard members march from their barracks at Rosenborg Castle to their stations at Amalienborg Castle.
For a deeper understanding of Danish design and eye-catching exhibitions:
Reopened in 2022 after a 2-year renovation, the Designmuseum Danmark is a must-visit attraction for design aficionados. The ways in which the collection of objects – ranging from antique ivory snuffboxes to patterned textiles to mainstays of Danish furniture design – is displayed is as engaging as the objects themselves.
Our favorite part of the collection features backlit display cases painted in punchy primary colors and filled with historic objects, channeling the spirit of Renaissance-era cabinets of curiosities through a thoroughly contemporary lens. Before you leave, plan to make a pit stop in the museum gift shop, where you’ll find shelves filled with glossy design books and quirky trinkets.
For an easy introduction to Copenhagen via its famous waterways:
There’s no better introduction to Copenhagen than a 1-hour canal tour, where you’ll get a front-seat view of Nyhavn Harbor, the iconic Little Mermaid sculpture (though note that you’ll only be able to see her backside from the boat), Amalienborg Castle, and more. Boats are covered year-round and heated in winter; they depart every 90 minutes from Ved Stranden and every 30 minutes from Nyhavn. Sit on the right side of the boat to ensure the best views.
Bonus: Tour an architect’s home & wander museum galleries
With only 4 days in Copenhagen, our time was tight. But if we’d had another day or two, we would have prioritized a tour of architect and furniture designer Finn Juhl’s (Danish, 1912-1989) home in Charlottenlund (8 kilometers from central Copenhagen and accessible by public transportation). There is also an onsite museum, Ordrupgaard, known for its collection of Danish and French art. Note that while the museum galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday (hours vary throughout the week), Finn Juhl’s home is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm – so plan your visit accordingly.
The Glyptotek art museum also came highly recommended, although we did not have time to visit. It’s particularly well-known for its collection of ancient art, with representation from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. You may also recognize its palm tree-filled winter garden from your Instagram feed.
Where to shop in Copenhagen
For handmade glassware & ceramics:
Stocked with a carefully-curated selection of delicate, handblown glassware, clean-lined ceramics, and cozy textiles, Stilleben’s flagship store in Indre By is a design lover’s dream. Founders Ditte Reckweg and Jelena Schou Nordentoft both trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and their shared eye for quality materials and skilled craftsmanship shines through in every collection.
Keep an eye out for their limited edition collaborations with iconic, design-forward brands like Scandinavian textile producer Silkeborg Uldspinderi, French tableware designer Blue Leaves, and Danish-Japanese fusion label Motarasu.
For quirky ceramics and a behind-the-scenes look at the onsite studio:
Part gallery and part working artisan’s studio, Studio Arhoj is the perfect place to pick up one-of-a-kind ceramics (like goofy ghost figurines) and glasswares (like their eccentric ‘misfit’ glasses).
More traditional types will gravitate towards the hand-thrown bowls, mugs and cups that come in a wide range of glazes. Come for the broad selection of whimsical ceramics and tablewares, stay for the glimpses of local artisans at work at the potter’s wheels and glazing tables.
For affordable and sustainable Scandinavian fashion:
📍 Arket
Arket’s collection of affordable, high-quality fashion and homewares is a self-described product of the New Nordic movement’s focus on “vackrare vardagsvara,” which translates to “more beautiful everyday goods.” You’ll find elevated basics – think well-cut tees and trousers, knits and dresses with subtle, elegant details – in a largely neutral palette and at exceptionally affordable price points.
Note: While Arket is owned by H&M Group – they do not currently offer shipping to the US. So if you see something you love, make sure to snag it in person!
For high-end designer wares:
📍 ILLUM
ILLUM’s sprawling, 5-story department store in the heart of Copenhagen’s pedestrian shopping district is a storied institution (and no surprise, as it’s been in business for 125+ years). Whether you’re in search of a high-end designer splurge (you’ll find Balenciaga, Celine, and Max Mara on display, among other luxury brands) or simply a quick bite to eat at the rooftop restaurant or food market stocked with local delicacies, ILLUM has something for every shopper.
It’s also the perfect rainy day destination – head to the 4th floor to lose yourself in ILLUM’s wide-ranging home collection. Here you’ll find everything from classic Royal Copenhagen porcelain patterns to minimalist homewares by Japanese brand Muji, and plenty of sustainably-made, locally-produced decor treasures in-between.
More Copenhagen tips, tricks & recs
- Design diary: Copenhagen for field notes on the city’s art and design scene
- Review: Villa Copenhagen for an in-depth review of our stay at Copenhagen’s newest grande dame
For even more travel recs for the design-obsessed, subscribe to Armchair Traveler on Substack.
