Copenhagen has lots to offer, even during the winter. It’s all about finding experiences that are even more beautiful and better in the dark and cold. Otherwise, you can stay in the warmth and do something indoors where you can sit and enjoy yourself, preferably with a hot drink. How about a concert, a board game or a trip to the sauna?

Winter also means Christmas, and this is when the capital is decorated with thousands of Christmas lights. These are our suggestions for winter activities in Copenhagen.

  • 1

    Ceramics at Creative Space

    Unleash your inner ceramist at this creative café

    Ceramics at Creative Space
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    Creative Space has two ceramics cafés to choose between in Copenhagen. Here, you can sit at a table, grab a brush and paint away on the ceramics of your choice, such as cups, bowls, dishes or animal figurines. The café in Frederiksberg is a half-hour walk from the centre and close to Frederiksberg Have, while the Østerbro department is located by Søerne, close to Østerport Station. There are 300 different kinds of ceramics to choose from, and you can decorate them with 90 different colours, while having fun with your friends, family or kids. The staff will be happy to offer advice and tips, and when you are done, they will also glaze and fire the ceramics, which can be picked up a week later.

    Location: Gl. Kongevej 154, 1850 Frederiksberg C, Denmark and Kastelsvej 1, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

    Open: Daily between 10 am and 7 pm, the first Wednesday and Thursday of the month until 10 pm.

    Phone: +45 33 79 00 72 og +45 33 79 00 71

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  • 2

    Spa and sauna at CopenHot

    Warm up in a floating spa bath or an outdoor tub

    Spa and sauna at CopenHot
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    • Unusual

    If Copenhagen’s winter chill gets to be too much, you can go for a truly exceptional spa experience at CopenHot on Refshaleøen. Here, in the industrial surroundings by the water opposite to Langelinie, you can find a number of stationary outdoor tubs and a panorama sauna, where you can enjoy the view of Copenhagen’s skyline.

    Join up with a few others and rent a floating spa boat, with speakers and its own captain, for a trip around the Port of Copenhagen. Both the spa boats and the sauna need to be booked privately as a group, unless you are attending a social event, in which case there is free access to the outdoor tubs and sauna for an hour and a half.

    Location: Refshalevej 325, 1432 Copenhagen, Denmark

    Open: Wednesday to Sunday, opening hours vary by season.

    Phone: +45 31 32 78 08

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  • 3

    The skating rink at Frederiksberg Runddel

    Go skating in idyllic surroundings

    The skating rink at Frederiksberg Runddel
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    Skating on the ice at Frederiskberg Runddel is one of the most delightful winter activities in Copenhagen. Every year, this square, located at the entrance to Frederiksberg Have and with a view to Frederiksberg Allé, is transformed into a skating rink, where skates can be rented by children and adults. If you have your own skates, it won’t cost you a thing, since using the rink is free.

    It is also possible to buy coffee or hot chocolate, so it is the perfect cocktail for a romantic date or a fun outing for the whole family.

    Open: Opens on the last Saturday in November and usually closes on the last Sunday of February; opening hours can vary with weather conditions etc.

    Phone: +45 40 10 60 50

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    photo by Jens Cederskjold (CC BY 3.0) modified

  • 4

    Christmas at Tivoli Gardens

    Get in the Christmas spirit in the old gardens

    Christmas at Tivoli Gardens
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    Christmas at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen lasts from the middle of November to the beginning of January. During this time, you can go on lovely walks, admire the Christmas lights and trees and maybe visit Santa. If you are still looking for Christmas gifts or want to bring home a souvenir, you may find something at the Christmas market, which offers arts and crafts as well as sweets.

    You will find the usual rides open in this magical winter land, to the delight of children and young souls of all ages.

    Location: Vesterbrogade 3, 1630 Copenhagen V, Denmark

    Open: Monday to Friday from 11 am to 10 pm and Saturday to Sunday from 10 am to 11 pm.

    Phone: +45 33 15 10 01

    Map
  • 5

    Christmas markets

    Buy your Christmas gifts, while you enjoy a couple of Danish doughnut holes

    Christmas markets
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    • Shoppers

    When it gets cold and dark in Copenhagen, a Christmas market and a hot glass of glogg is the perfect remedy. Luckily, there are many such markets to explore, and they can be found both indoors and outdoors.

    When walking down Strøget enjoying the Christmas decorations, you should take a detour past the Christmas markets at Kongens Nytorv and Højbro Plads, with their small wooden cabins and Christmas delights. At Nyhavn, you can also find a traditional Christmas market along the quay, where the beautifully-decorated ships enhance the atmosphere. In Christiania, the Christmas market is in Den Grå Hal, where you can find clever and creative Christmas presents. A bit further out on Holmen, the Royal Danish Academy has its Christmas market, where architectural, design and art students sell their own crafts.

  • 6

    Winter Jazz (Vinterjazz)

    Go to a jazz concert in the darkness of February

    Winter Jazz (Vinterjazz)
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    • Nightlife

    Bebop, children’s jazz, electronic and swing are just some of the genres when Copenhagen’s venues and jazz clubs open the doors to the jazz festival Vinterjazz. Every year in February, you can enjoy lots of jazz music for three weeks at this music festival, which also tries to spread the genre to places where jazz is not normally played. You might even be surprised at what the word jazz can refer to. Some concerts are small and intimate, while others take place on the largest stages in the city.

    Open: It is held in February at varying dates and times.

    Phone: +45 33 93 20 13

  • 7

    Glogg in Hviids Vinstue

    Come to this historic establishment and taste the famous glogg

    Glogg in Hviids Vinstue
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    Who makes the best glogg in Copenhagen? This is a question that is subject to heated discussions leading up to Christmas, and one of the places that features on most lists is Hviids Vinstue. Facing Kongens Nytorv with a view to The Royal Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater), you can find this traditional pub, with a history dating back 300 years.

    The glogg production starts as early as May, when red wine and port are left to infuse with raisins and spices. In November it is ready, and the wine bar produces an impressive 8,000 litres to keep up with demand. You can taste test it yourself in the cosy premises with low ceilings, and you can also buy it by the bottle.

    Location: Kongens Nytorv 19, 1050 Copenhagen, Denmark

    Open: Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 1 am, Friday and Saturday until 2 am and Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm.

    Phone: +45 33 15 10 64

    Map
  • 8

    Round Tower (Rundetårn)

    Take a trip up the spiral ramp and look over the roofs of the city

    Round Tower (Rundetårn)
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    The view of Copenhagen from the top of the Round Tower (Rundetårn) is a classic attraction when you are out for a walk in the capital, and it is equally beautiful in the winter. From the entrance on Købmagergade a few minutes’ walk from Nørreport Station, you can walk up the famous spiral ramp, which twists seven and a half times before reaching the stairs to the observation platform.

    The tower was originally built as an astronomical observatory, but today it is home to exhibitions, concerts and other events in the former library.

    Location: Købmagergade 52A, 1150 Copenhagen, Denmark

    Open: Every day from 10 am to 8 pm from April to September, and from 10 am to 6 pm from October to March.

    Phone: +45 33 73 03 73

    Map
  • 9

    Illum

    Visit one of the capital’s oldest department stores

    Illum
    • Couples
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    • Food
    • History
    • Shoppers

    A shopping trip in Copenhagen is a good winter activity, and Illum is like a world in itself when you step into this historic, 5-storey department store. With its location in the centre of Copenhagen on the corner of two large walking streets, Strøget and Købmagergade, Illum is a natural place to stop and visit. Here, you can find beauty products, fashion, interior decorations and a wonderful food market in the basement.

    If you need to take a breather up above the shoppers, you can visit the roof terrace at the very top. Here you can find restaurants, cafés and bars as well as an impressive view of the capital.

    Location: Østergade 52, 1001 Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Open: Daily from 10 am to 8 pm.

    Phone: +45 33 14 40 02

    Map

    photo by Leif Jørgensen (CC BY-SA 4.0) modified

  • 10

    Bastard Café

    It’s all about fun and board games at this game Mecca

    • Couples
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    Bastard Café is one of the very first board game cafés in Copenhagen, and it is a cosy place for a gaming evening once darkness sets in. The café is in the Inner City, and it is part of the culture house Huset-KBH, which is located on Magstræde by Gammel Strand.

    Here, you can play one of the 100 free games over a beer or cup of coffee, and if that isn’t enough, you can become a member and gain access to thousands more. You can find old favourites as well as brand new games, and if you need help with the rules, you can ask the establishment’s game gurus.

    Location: Rådhusstræde 13, 1466 Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Open: Monday to Friday from 12 pm to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm.

    Phone: +45 42 74 66 42

    Map