Things To See in Copenhagen: Culture & Cuisine in a Cosmopolitan City

For a capital city, Copenhagen is wonderfully easygoing. People cycle, swim in the harbour or relax in one of the many parks in the city centre. Surveys repeatedly show that the happiest people in the world live here. This is said to have something to do with hygge, the Danish art of relaxation. On a stroll through the city, you quickly get a sense of what this might mean. Away from the well-known sights, the city is especially cosy and relaxed. And what better way to experience this feeling first-hand than with a city break to Copenhagen? Here's our pick of top things to see in the Danish capital.

If this is your first time in Copenhagen, it's worth getting an overall view of the city first. Enjoy heights? Climb the 90-metre-high black-and-gold church tower of Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour) in Christianshavn. A spiral staircase leads up there via 400 narrow steps, the last 150 of which wind around the outside of the tower in true stairway-to-heaven style. At the top, you'll be rewarded with a fantastic view over the Danish capital.

Nyhavn, or 'new harbour', is not really that new – ships have been docking here for over 300 years. Formerly a busy trading port with quaint sailors' pubs, Nyhavn is high up on lists of things to see in Copenhagen. A salty sea breeze wafts in the air and old cutters rock gently on the water. Thanks to the seagulls circling low in the joyful hope of a bite to eat, there's a distinctly Nordic harbour vibe. Chic restaurants and cafés occupy the brightly coloured, typically Nordic gabled houses on the harbour basin, with a buzz of visitors snapping shots of this picture-postcard idyll. You can enjoy a particularly beautiful view of the former home of fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen and the filming location of The Olsen Gang from the quay wall and the Nyhavnbroen bridge. Fancy staying here? Book into 25hours Hotel Indre By for a centrally located boutique stay.

Less than 15 minutes' walk from the harbour is one of the most unusual things to see in Copenhagen. In search of a freer lifestyle in autumn 1971, a group of Copenhageners occupied the former military grounds on the edge of the historic city island of Christianshavn. A month later, they declared it Freetown Christiania. Today, a close-knit community of people live there largely autonomously in small, self-built and occasionally wonky houses right on the waterfront. Many of the former military barracks are sprayed with colourful graffiti, with small artists' shops in between and occasionally live music in the evenings. The residents don't really like being photographed, so best put your camera away and just enjoy the here and now.

A melting pot of cultures, a neighbourhood of contrasts, Denmark's little slice of Berlin – Nørrebro has many nicknames, and not without reason. As you stroll through the narrow streets, you'll pass independent boutiques, cosy cafés and global restaurants, kebab shops and towering street art. At the vintage shop Dora on Værnedamsvej street, also known as Little Paris, you can buy small home accessories to take that hygge feeling home with you. A little further on, at the Assistens Cemetery, where Hans Christian Andersen and the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard are buried, Copenhageners picnic among the graves and ponder the meaning of life on balmy summer evenings.

In summer, relaxing means enjoying the small pleasures of life in one of Copenhagen's many parks. Once a 17th-century fortress, star-shaped Kastellet in Indre By district is now a laidback park where you can stroll among the locals, jog or cycle. And keep your eyes open, as you may just spot a member of the royal family walking their dogs.

Less than 5 km from the city centre yet far enough from the bustle, enjoy a coastal vibe at Amager Beachpark. Here, breathe in the fresh sea air between the dunes and the beach, and admire the huge Öresund Bridge rising on the blue horizon, connecting the people of Copenhagen and Malmö in Sweden.

For a unique thing to see in Copenhagen, head to Søndermarken park, where hidden deep beneath the green grass you'll find the city's old cisterns, which are open seasonally for visitors to explore. Where hundreds of litres of drinking water were once stored, changing art installations now flicker through the eternal darkness. Sometimes a little water seeps through the concrete structure, which is why you can borrow rubber boots at the entrance.

If you're a first-time visitor, the city's iconic bronze statue will be on your list of things to see in Copenhagen. Just 125 centimetres tall, The Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the sea off the Langelinie promenade, gazing wistfully at the water. But there is so much more to discover in Copenhagen, if you know where to look.

Despite its striking presence in Copenhagen's harbour, few visitors stray here. Blox is home to the Danish Architecture Centre, and one of its many highlights is the huge slide that leads from the second floor to the basement.

• Bryghuspladsen 10, 1473 Copenhagen
• Open daily 10am-6pm (Thursdays until 9pm)

‘Unjudge someone’ is written at the entrance to a small garden decorated with fairy lights in Nørrebro, which leads to the Human Library and invites visitors to leave their prejudices behind. Instead of books, you ‘borrow’ people here, such as a Danish grandmother or a marijuana fan, who talk to you about their lives for half an hour.

• Nørre Allé 7, 2200 Copenhagen
• Open Sundays noon-4pm

In a complex of huge welding halls, installation art by internationally renowned and emerging artists is on display across more than 7,000 sqm. Some installations are as gigantic as the exhibition venue itself.

• Refshalevej 173A, 1432 Copenhagen
• Open Tue-Sun 11am-6pm (Thursdays until 9pm)

In protest against the parking operator Q-Park and plans to build a car park under Dantes Square, one of the city's craziest sculptures was created in 2021. Four busts of Dante, shouting in anger, are mounted on a pedestal around a fist with an extended middle finger, surrounded by a quartet of anthropomorphic pig figures in long capes.

• Dantes Plads, 1556 Copenhagen

Sampling the city's cuisine should be high on your list of things to see and do in Copenhagen – after all, it's known as a city for epicureans. But it's not just the world-famous restaurants, of which the city has many, that offer good food, but also the many small stalls and market stands.

If you continue walking from Nyhavn towards the water and cross the modern Inderhavnsbroen pedestrian bridge, you'll find Christianshavn on the other side – home to the lively Broens Gadekøkken food market. Here, on picnic benches overlooking the water and in front of small market stalls, hungry locals and visitors sample New Nordic cuisine showcasing fresh, regional and seasonal ingredients.

The one must-try dish? Typical Danish smørrebrød, open-faced rye bread topped in particularly creative ways. At the Palægade Smørrebrød stand, you can taste classic combinations with fish, crab or caviar, as well as more unusual variations such as thinly sliced roast beef, remoulade, fried onions and pickled gherkins. Stay near this yummy goodness at 25hours Hotel Copenhagen Paper Island, a haven of Scandinavian serenity surrounded by water.

• Strandgade 95, 1401 Copenhagen
• Open Mon-Thur 11am-9pm, Fri 11am-10pm, Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-9pm

Many Danes will tell you that a cinnamon roll is always a good idea, and strolling through Copenhagen with a Danske kanelsnegle is absolutely one of the things you need to do here. These buttery cinnamon rolls made from puff pastry are a true Danish classic. At Sankt Peders Bageri, Copenhagen's oldest bakery, the traditional version of this sweet pastry has been sold since 1652. Bageriet Brø in the trendy Vesterbro district is a little more experimental, offering kanelsnegle with cardamom or saffron. Even vegans can indulge their sweet tooth: Det Rene Brød sells a delicious vegan version at six locations throughout the city.

Although not a traditional Danish dish, the local love of sausages is unmistakable in Copenhagen, and one of the things you'll definitely see is hot dog stands on almost every street corner. Not mobile, but still an institution, is Harry's Place in Nørrebro, which has been selling hot dogs and other sausage-based treats since 1965. Regulars come mainly for the Børge, a huge bratwurst with mustard and hot ketchup sauce. A luxury version of the classic hot dog is available at DØP along Strøget pedestrian street. Here, even the remoulade sauce is organic, and you can choose between pork, goat and vegan sausages.

Wondering when it's best to visit Copenhagen? That really depends on what you want to do, although there's always something to discover thanks to its many attractions. Winters are long and dark, but they also offer the opportunity to explore the city in peace and quiet, while spring brings longer days and more visitors. For things to see and do beyond Copenhagen, check out our insider city guides to weekend breaks and the best places to eat and drink.