Conquer the spring in Copenhagen on bike

But is it something in Danish culture, is it in our DNA, or is it maybe something entirely different that makes half the Copenhageners choose the bike for their daily commute? 

Anyway, you can do just like the locals at get around Copenhagen in the most enjoyable fashion. It’s not only fun, fast and safe, but most importantly, it’s the authentic way to soak up the true Copenhagen spring atmosphere. 

The Harbour Circle 

The Harbour Circle is the ultimate Copenhagen harbourside experience, a 13-kilometre-long walking and cycle path that runs from significant sights at Nyhavn to the quiet backwaters of Christianshavn and Sydhavn. 

Grab your best shoes or rent a bike and let your trip of the day be the Harbour Circle. The route snakes its way through the neighbourhoods Islands Brygge, Amager, Sydhavnen, Vesterbro, the Inner City, Holmen, and Christianshavn, so it is guaranteed to leave you with insights into how diverse Copenhagen really is.

The path mixes city life and raw nature in the best way. You will pass by historical attractions and up-and-coming areas being developed at the speed of lightning. You will see unspoilt green areas, houseboats, swim zones, architectural gems and much more.  

If 13 kilometres sounds like too big of a commitment, the route is designed so you can do shorter chunks of the route of 2, 4 or 7 kilometers. 

Superkilen  

Superkilen is a public space in Nørrebro designed by Bjarke Ingels Group, Superflex and Topotek1. It’s popular with families, skateboarders and visitors and aims to unite communities. 

The park is divided into three main areas: The Red Square, The Black Market and The Green Park. While The Red Square offers modern, urban life with café, music and sports, The Black Market is the classic square with a fountain and benches. The Green Park is a park for picnics, sports and dog walking. 

The park opened in 2012 with the intent of creating a melting pot right in the most diverse area of Copenhagen. The vision was to create a park like a world exhibition, filled with interesting things from around the world, that would bring people together. 

Among other things, you can find fountains from Morocco, swings from Iraq, benches from Brazil and a black octopus slide from Japan. The smooth open spaces are popular with skateboarders, while the sculptural shapes and artistic lines make it an excellent backdrop for an Instagram post. It is regularly listed as one of the best sights in the city and has won and been shortlisted for multiple global design and architecture awards. 

The Circle Bridge 

Probably the most beautiful bridge in Copenhagen, The Circle Bridge is on the harbour in Christianshavn. Designed by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, it recalls the shape of ships from years ago. 

The design uses five masts and resembles a ship by the quay to reference Copenhagen’s maritime history. It also has five differently sized circular platforms, for which the bridge is named. On a larger scale, the circle refers to the circle drawn by the inner city of Copenhagen, which the bridge helps to complete by connecting the Christiansbro area to Appelbys Plads. It opens in a graceful movement when ships want to pass by, with the circular platforms moving apart to let them through. 

As mentioned, the bridge is thought up by the world-renowned and award-winning Danish-Islandic artist Olafur Eliasson. During his career, he has held solo exhibitions in Copenhagen, New York and Berlin, among many other places, and of course, he has made many installations, artworks and architectural design all over the world, now including The Circle Bridge. 

The bridge encourages bicycles and pedestrians to reduce their speed and take a small break on their journey and enjoy the view.  

La banchina 

The simple café and restaurant in Copenhagen’s rustic Refshaleøen in Copenhagen takes harbour front hygge to new heights. 

Recently, the area of Refshaleøen has been buzzing with activity. New cafés, bars, creatives and entrepreneurs are claiming the land previously dominated by shipyards and industry and exploiting the urban, post-industrial vibe of the peninsula - Especially on the sites right by the harbour front which offers perfect sunsets and an obvious opportunity to jump in the clean water. 

La Banchina is exactly one of those (slightly) hidden gems, where Copenhageners go to soak in the sun, take a dip and of course, indulge in the Italian-inspired food, nature wine and coffee. 

Translating directly to “the quay”, La Banchina boasts one of the city’s best spots for sunbathing and jumping in the water from early spring to late autumn. The restaurant has its own designated swimming zone, open all year round and buzzing with life during summer. During winter, the wood-fired sauna gets you all set after a cold dip in the harbour. 

The Bridge Street Kitchen 

By the Inner Harbour Bridge between Christianshavn and Nyhavn, you can visit The Bridge Street Kitchen which combines world-class street food with phenomenal views over the water. 

At the Greenlandic Trade Square just across Nyhavn you will find The Bridge Street Kitchen. Here, you can taste world-class street food with an organic focus from Haddocks, Strutto, Strangas – Greek food, Lola Impact, Gasoline Grill, Crepes a la cart, Pasta la pasta, Sweet treat, District tonkin, Khana Co. and Poulette 

With a location in the city centre, this is the perfect spot to enjoy the beautiful view over the harbour as well as a spectacular sunset.