5 things to do on a cold day in Copenhagen

Baby it’s cold outside!
We know Copenhagen can get cold and dark during the long winter. But that is no excuse not to visit! There is still great food to be eaten, so please come and help us out!

Great new restaurants are popping up constantly. Beside from eating, here is some of our favorite things to do on a cold winter day in Copenhagen.

1. Museums with great food
2. Wellness
3. Movie night
4. Let the fames begin
5. Short distance shopping

Museums with good food – what could be more “hygge”?

Our expertise being food, we would like to guide you to the museums with the best food. Ready? Let’s go!

If you’re up for a trip to the suburbs go to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. They have a vibrant, seasonal buffet for lunch and dinner. You can enjoy your meal overlooking the ocean and if you’re lucky get a glimpse of Sweden in the horizon.

The National Museum of Denmark has just opened a new exhibition on the Vikings. Their restaurant Smör is focused on traditional open-faced sandwiches in modern interpretations.

Just around the corner behind the Botanical Garden you find the SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark. At Kafeteria they serve great food using the best Danish products e.g. artisanal apple cider and some of the world’s best chocolate.

Last but not least we want to highlight Kunsthal Charlottenburg. They exhibit contemporary art and house a gem of a café called Apollo. Apollo serve every meal of the day and even stay open in the evening for you to hang around with Copenhagen’s aspiring artists over a glass of wine.

Treat yourself with some wellness

You have battled the elements walking the streets of Copenhagen and you deserve a break! What about soaking in a tub or heating up in a sauna? Here are some of our favorite places to go for wellness – for every budget and preference!

Pure and simple:
For the purist we recommend going to La Banchina at Refshaleøen. It is simply a great little restaurant on the water with its own sauna. Nothing fancy, but you go for the view, the silence, the food, the clean and cold ocean – nothing beats it!

History and hamam:
If we go back 50 years, most Copenhageners didn’t have their own showers. Instead they would go to communal baths. Sofiebadet at Christianshavn is one of the few remaining. The place has been modernized since then, but without losing its charm. Soak in one of the tubs, order a hamam treatment and chat with the locals.

Exercise and saunagus: 
Øbro Kurbad at Østerbro is located in the basement of a public swimming pool, called Øbro Hallen. With an entry ticket to the wellness area, you can swim as many laps in the upstairs pool as you want. For locals the place is known for the guided, aromatic sauna sessions called “saunagus”.

Views and boating:
If you want to enjoy a spa day without missing out on sightseeing, CopenHot has just the thing for you. You can rent one of their floating hot tubs, try one of their stationary one on top of a tower or relax in their sauna – either way you will enjoy panoramic views of the city while heating up.

Luxury by the ocean:
If you are up for an extraordinary wellness experience, spend a day at Kurhotel Skodsborg. Just half an hour north of the city you find this luxurious spa offering treatments as well as the polar bear experience: a chance to jump into the cold waters outside the hotel.

Movie night

Snuggling up inside the comforting darkness of the cinema sounds good on a cold day, right? Most movies are in English with Danish subtitles except from children’s movies and a few Danish and European movies. This is why going to the movies here is a great idea! We love going to the movies and would like to guide you to Copenhagen’s most unique cinemas.

The Old:
n the city center Grand Teatret hides on a side street to Strøget (our very long pedestrian shopping street). The building has served as cinema for more than 100 years and they are known for great quality, both in terms of their movies and the snacks they serve. The movies are appraised and niche and the food is sourced among small local producers.

The Hip:
Empire in Nørrebro on trendy Guldbergsgade is beloved by the locals for a great mix of blockbusters and smaller films. To accommodate both, their smallest cinema only seats 25 persons and the biggest 227. Next to the cinema you find three of the area’s best places to eat: Mirabelle serves amazing bread, pastry and pasta, BRUS is all about amazing, fresh craft beer and inventive bar food and BÆST offers Copenhagen’s best sourdough pizza made locally sourced produce.

The New:
A little north of Copenhagen Movie House has just opened as Denmark’s first roof top cinema. Located on the science museum Experimentarium, their goal is to create the most luxurious cinema experience the Danes have ever seen. Recliners, side tables, pillows and blankets, all contributes to your comfort. This is “hygge” in style!

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Ready to let your inner child loose? We have just the thing for you!

Copenhagen has several cool bars offering different playful activities. In the colder months this is a “hyggelig” (the Danish word for coziness) way of socializing with friends and family.

We would like to introduce you to some our favorite places to play around on a cold day.

In the city center Bastard Café is dedicated to board games – the walls are packed with games, most of them in English, and the café serves comforting snacks, hot drinks and a decent selection of beer.

Boulebar is another great option in the city center, where you can challenge your fellow travelers to a game of petanque. The food and interior reminds us of the south of France, just what we need on a gloomy winter day!

Just around the corner you find BIP BIP BAR, a bar filled with arcade games and pinball machines. Ready to break one of the records? Whether you do or not, you can always treat yourself to one of their cocktails, all inspired by iconic games.

Venturing out of the city center to Nørrebro, we find Dupong. Here it’s all about cocktails, beer and epic games of ping pong!

Our final recommendation is the Vesterbro gem hidding in an old church; Absalon. A vibrant community house open all day with a ton of different activities. They offer anything from themed bingo, concerts, yoga and communal eating.

We would recommend checking out their Facebook calendar prior to going to see if the event of the day appeals to you.