It was a relief that we could finally travel after more than a year, primarily at home. We didn’t want to travel far away last Summer. Luckily we have a family living in Sweden, that’s why we decided to choose the direction of Scandinavia.

Denmark was on our way there, and that’s why we decided to stop in Copenhagen for a few days. We have already visited the capital a few times, but always without kids. It was exciting to make this stay more kid’s friendly. I want to share with you a few of our favourites spots and activities. Maybe it will help you enjoy the city even more if you plan a visit? I highly recommend it. 

For those who didn’t know, Arek and I are architects. We love cities, not only because of architecture but mostly because of vibrant life, good restaurants and cafes. I also love visiting interior design stores. The Danish design and aesthetic is world known – and it’s one of my very favourites. I can imagine that this is not everybody’s cup of tea, but if you are an urban family, welcome to the club and let’s scroll around amazing Copenhagen! 

The laid back city lifestyle is perfect for enjoying time with kids. We never look for the tourist attractions like Tivoli or Nyhaven,

but we search for hidden spots to taste a more authentic feel of the city. 

First things first! Get the Bikes! 

Copenhagen ranks as the world’s best city for cycling, and locals take pride in getting around on their two-wheelers. Try it. One of the main reasons for the popularity of cycling in Denmark is the network of paths, including innovative bridges, which form cycling superhighways across the city. This is perhaps the key to understanding why Copenhagen is also one of the safest places to be a cyclist. If you are used to cycling in The Netherlands, as we are – you might find the Danes sometimes cycling a bit too cautious and at slower speeds. Just the right way for all the not ‘mad as Dutch’ cyclists 🙂

Favourite spots: 

Sydhavnen / Havnstrads Havnepark 

In Rotterdam, where we live, the river Maas crosses the city, creating a great vibe and open space. When we travel and visit towns with similar attitudes, we look at how the water is connected to the public space. In Copenhagen, we were a bit jealous! The harbourside is beautifully arranged! It’s a living area for people, and you can enjoy the green spots to relax. You can swim, jump into the river, play volleyball, or walk or bike. Try different areas, Havneparken, a public park located directly on the waterfront in the district of Islands Brygge. 

“… Sydhavnen is a less trodden path in Copenhagen and a neighbourhood that mixes nature,

an architectural boom and authentic harbourside living on the edge of the city…. (…) 

> Fresh Food market / Torvehallerne Copenhagen 

We love this place so much. I could come here for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It’s the perfect place where you can grab a delicious fresh treat. There’s everything: from fish stands, local butcher stalls, seasonal vegetables, sweets, ready to go meals. It would be best to try your traditional Danish smørrebrød; I had mine with shrimps and avocado. The market is hidden in two halls, and in between, there is a flower store and a fruit and vegetables market. All around, you will find tables to sit and enjoy your meal. Don’t forget to get delicious coffee and ice cream. 

You can find it on Frederiksborggade 21 – next to Israel’s Square. It’s a large playground. If you have smaller kids, maybe they would like to play there. Our boys are a bit too old, but we went a bit further, crossing a lovely little park. It can also be an excellent idea to have a picnic there, read a magazine, and enjoy the moment! 

From this spot, you can go direction – Dronning Louises Bridge. We did it and stayed on the cycle path along the water. 

 > FoodWhalhala

Copenhagen is known for its cooking scene. There is plenty of great restaurants offering modern Nordic cuisine. It all started with the food revolution cooked by Noma’s famous chefs. And as it often gets, the joy of eating good food trickles down from the Michelin-star establishments to restaurants, bars and eventually streets.

A great way to enjoy a day of culinary extravaganza is to head to the other side of the river to an area called Reffen.

It is a post-industrial plot in the harbour that was taken over by the food, art and entertainment scene. It all feels very raw and vibrant. The central area has plenty of street food stalls that tempted us with the smells and colours of its gorgeous food. We went for Parmigiano covered fries, tortillas, very Danish hot dogs, giant chocolate covered waffles with ice cream 😉

Our kids loved the informal vibe of Reffen.

You stroll around, and if you see someone eating a tasty looking dish, ask where to get it! A good indication of the crowd favourite dishes is longer lines in front of the stalls. When our boys felt like running, they went off to a skatepark full of little kids, where parents sit on the sun chairs around with their food and beers, watching over their offspring. We ate, listened to music, saw some Bravehearts bungy jumping from a crane above the water. On the way back, we discovered a fantastic flower shop hidden in an old shipyard hall. It was an experience! Plan at least a half-day trip to Reffen and some good weather – you will love it!

> Interior Design Stores 

Behind touristic and busy streets of the Nyhavn, there is a lovely and cosy store of TineKhome. The minimal and sophisticated Danish esthetic can feel a bit overwhelming and maybe a bit cold. This place will let you feel welcome, relaxed and very hygge. Look around this lovely area with more design furniture stores like Carl Hansen & Søn, to mention just one. 

We sat in the sun and had a drink at a little Sankt Annae Pl. street, plain at Cafe No.11 

In the heart of old town Copenhagen, with its charming old buildings, you will find a department store dedicated to Scandinavian designs: Illums Bolighus. This universe is worth visiting if you need a little piece of Danish luxury as a present or wish to treat yourself with a dose of the iconic Danish design brands.

> Where to Stay? 

We tried two different spots; one was Zoku Loft, and the other was Steel House. You wonder, why? We couldn’t choose, as both location and concepts were fresh and exciting, and we wanted to try it. 

> Zoku Loft Copenhagen

The concept was created in The Netherlands, and the first location is in Amsterdam, followed by Copenhagen and Vienna. It’s a home-office hybrid with hotel service. The rooms are like loft studios, with a kitchen, living room, and bedroom hidden on a small mezzanine. It doesn’t feel like a hotel, but a rented intelligent space to live. On the top of the hotel is a lobby and restaurant, with significant common areas! Do you need a perfect individual unit for working? You got it! A place to arrange meetings with more people? Yes! or you can relax and play ping pong. We loved this spot. The design of rooms and focus on modern details and furnishing is just great. This is not a sponsored post! We just really enjoyed the time there. Our boys had a separate room and loved their independance. They spend most of their time on the rooftop playing games running around the sunny terraces. The little min point could be that the Zoku Loft is outside the city centre, but you can quickly cycle there! 

“….In a regular hotel room or studio apartment, the bed always dominates. In Zoku, the big kitchen table is the paramount center for either laptops or candles and a bottle of wine….” 

> Steel House Copenhagen

Did you ever sleep in a hostel with your kids? We never did it before! We only stayed in hostels while being students. Considering that our boys are now 10 and 15 we wanted to show them something other than a hotel. The Steel House is a luxury hostel, nicely designed and just wonderfully located. It’s in the Vesterbro area, a walking distance of popular attractions, cafes, restaurants, green spaces, and the shopping streets. If you are on a tight budget, this is an excellent option for the city standards. You only need to sleep on the cool modern bunk bed, and the rooms are very compact. We took a room with six beds just for ourselves, and it was enjoyable! Kids loved the gaming areas, the swimming pool. We enjoyed the design of the hostel. Materials, details, graphic design – something you expect at a boutique hotel and not a hostel.

We came to Copenhagen from Billund, visiting the excellent Lego House. We were pretty tired but decided to go for a short walk to The Round Tower. Nice spot to see the city from the top. Look for known landmarks and green areas.

On our way back, we stumbled on a Faraos shop, and we knew we were in trouble. If you or your kids are into comics, mangas and costumes – plan some time for that place. Luckily I have discovered a lovely cafe with a corner window just next door. When my boys were nerding away at Faraos, I could sip there some good coffee and watch the Danes cycling home back from work. My favourite activity 🙂