With a wealth of museums and design stores to marvel and a wide choice of cosy cafés to recharge, and with locals who are masters of hygge (Denmark’s untranslatable word for cosiness) Copenhagen is a perfect place to embrace and enjoy the cold weather!
Take a walk into winter wonderland
Bring a woollen sweater and some warm boots because the parks of Danish capital has a plenty of picturesque passages to stroll. For instance, the famous Kongens Have (King’s Garden) or something more off the beaten path – Ørstedsparken. Another place for wintery walk is Christianshavn. The 17th-century harbour area is crisscrossed by canals and waterways and the row of colourful houses looks even more fairytale-like when covered in white blanket of snow. Entering a warm and cosy café after a brisk walk is ever more hyggelig.
Have a lunch break at food market
After a hard day’s sightseeing, stop by Copenhagen’s food hall Torvehallerne. With over 60 stands, a lack of choice is not an issue here. The collection varies from craft beer stalls, gourmet chocolate stands to quick-and-easy restaurants serving pizza, sushi and even something for those who prefer paleo diet. Try the traditional Danish lunch course smørrebrød – the open-top rye bread sandwich with a range of different toppings from fish to meat, cheese and tasty spreads. Take a seat next to the glass walls and do some people-watching while enjoying your smørrebrød.
Indulge yourself at the spa
Spoil yourself with a top-notch spa experience at the Bella Sky Hotel spa. It offers a wide range of treatments, fitness programmes, the Aqua Spa and an incredible views over the city. Or thrive for something more on a budget like Sofiebadet, a renovated bathhouse dating from 1909 which provides an array of treatments and bath experiences with a focus on ecology and sustainability. The standard two-hour session offers use of all the house’s treatments based on traditional Turkish bathhouse practices.
Hit the books
For the locals settling down with a good book in a hyggehjørne (a ‘hygge corner’) is an essential winter activity. The most iconic of the city’s bookstores is Thiemers on Tullinsgade. Thiemers describes itself as a ‘delicacy bookstore’, and visitors will instantly discover why, whether from the atmosphere of the place or from its stock. Or combine the dual pleasures of reading and eating at Café Paludan, a second-hand book emporium that doubles as a sturdy bistro. The food, from a set menu, offers extreme value for money which is not that common in this expensive city, while the walls, lined from floor to ceiling with books, gives the place a comforting air.
Take a Nordic design 101
Despite the sea of homely cafés, the most important place to achieve the state of hygge is in your own home. So allow Copenhagen to offer some advice on how you might make your own place even more functional and cosy. Get acquainted with the best of Nordic interior design at Illums Bolighus. This famous four-storey department store offers far more than furniture and homeware, it also sells clothes and an array of blankets, cushions, and candles.
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