Copenhagen

Living the urban future

Published: 20 April 2023, 10:30

The Danish capital offers the perfect all-round package for a city break: beautiful old town districts for shopping and wandering around, a varied restaurant scene, major attractions and a diverse cultural programme. With its picturesque waterfront location and numerous colourful houses, Copenhagen exudes a special kind of Scandinavian cosiness – also known as “hygge” in Danish.

Harbour Nyhavn

In the middle of the city centre is the historic harbour Nyhavn, where colourful gabled houses line up along the canal to make one of Copenhagen’s most popular scenes for photos. © Nikolay N. Antonov/AdobeStocks

For years, the port city has regularly enjoyed being named one of the world’s most liveable cities and in 2023, Copenhagen was named “World Capital of Architecture” by UNESCO. For many years now, innovative ideas coming out of the city have been showing us what urban life might look like in the future: from an (almost) car-free city centre to the abundance of squares and green spaces to spend your time, the focus here is clearly on quality of life. Welcome to the city of the future!

Numbers, Data, Facts

Population: 644,000
Official language: Danish
Currency: Danish krone (DKK)

Ten Copenhagen highlights

The bronze statue of the Little Mermaid is one of Copenhagen’s landmarks and pays homage to Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the same name. © jordi2r/AdobeStocks

Christiansborg Palace is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court and the royal reception rooms. It is the largest castle in Scandinavia. © Alexi Tauzin/AdobeStocks

The legendary Freetown Christiania has been the firm home of the alternative scene for over 50 years. The district still enjoys cult status. © vlamus/AdobeStocks

Tivoli Amusement Park in the centre of Copenhagen is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. It offers a colourful mix of rides, restaurants and gardens. © anko_ter/AdobeStocks

The Round Tower, built in 1642, is a popular lookout point. The special thing: the tower doesn’t contain any steps – just a winding, serpentine path. © Joerg Sabel/AdobeStocks

Strøget is one of the largest pedestrian zones in Europe. Work began here to optimise the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists as early as the 1960s. © anko_ter/AdobeStocks

Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour) offers a awaits you at the top. © eskystudioAdobeStocks

In the middle of the city centre is the historic harbour Nyhavn, where colourful gabled houses line up along the canal to make one of Copenhagen’s most popular scenes. © Nikolay N. Antonov/AdobeStocks

The Botanical Garden is located in the middle of the city and is an impressive variety of plants. The grounds are free to enter; the historic greenhouses charge admission. © Isabell/AdobeStocks

Rosenborg Castle was used as a royal residence until 1710. Today it is a museum where the royal art treasures such as the crown jewels are on display. © yegorov_nick/AdobeStocks

Copenhagen sets standards for urban living

Copenhagen has set itself the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2025. With that goal in mind, appropriate measures have been initiated over the years, from sustainable architecture to expanding the transport network and creating green niches around the city.

Harbour basin

Bathing in the middle of the capital? No problem – the water is clean thanks to a sophisticated sewage system, and harbour baths all over the city are the perfect place for a swim. © Torval Mork/ AdobeStocks

The impact of the measures on the residents’ quality of life can be seen in many places: whether bathing in clean water in the inner-city harbour basin or the “bicycle highways” that run through the city as fast route networks – here the infrastructure is oriented towards the needs of the people. In doing so, Copenhagen is showing the way to the urban life of the future.

Innovative must-sees in Copenhagen

Superkilen park opened in 2012 in the multicultural district of Nørrebro. The park contains distinctive elements from over 60 cities worldwide, such as swings from Iraq. © OliverFoerstner/AdobeStocks

The Amager Bakke incineration plant doubles as a ski slope – this building is one of the best examples of pioneering architecture. It is also known as “Copenhill”. © OliverFoerstner/AdobeStocks

Copenhagen’s city centre is geared towards bicycles rather than cars. The city is best explored by bike along its numerous cycle paths and bridges. © Laur/AdobeStocks

The northern harbour area of Nordhavn is currently being developed into the sustainable urban district of the future and also setting an example internationally. © OliverFoerstner/AdobeStocks