Cosy cafes, snug pubs and candle-lit restaurants combine to make the Danish capital of Copenhagen one of the top destinations for a hit of hygge. The Danish word that sums up feelings of cosiness and contentment, hygge encapsulates everything from a good old-fashioned games night with friends to a solo snuggle by a crackling fire. As winter drags on, there's never been a better time for heaps of hygge and if you want to see how it's really done, head to Copenhagen where it's a way of life.
Perfect Pastries
A sure-fire way to get a hit of hygge in Copenhagen is to indulge your sweet tooth. While you're enjoying wintery walks around the city, nothing beats ducking into a bakery for a just-out-of-the-oven treat to warm your hands on. Meyers Bageri is one of the top spots in town and while you may struggle to nab a seat inside, you will get the chance to taste the famous Danish kanelsnegl (cinnamon snail).
Food Glorious Food
After spending your day bakery-hopping around the city, swap sweet for savoury with a taste of Copenhagen's delicious foodie offerings. Neighbouring the famous Tivoli Gardens - the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world - Tivoli Food Hall is a must-visit. Offering a mix of international delicacies and local favourites - including a stall dedicated to scandi smorrebrod (open rye-bread sandwich) - this is a haven for food lovers and a wonderful hygge pit-stop while exploring the city. For the serious foodie-lovers, we can also arrange for you to enjoy a fabulous foodie tour. Accompanied by a local guide, set off to visit some of Copenhagen's best restaurants and food producers and taste their fare along the way.
Crazy About Candles
As evening rolls in, bundle up against the cold and take a stroll around Copenhagen to see it lit up like a Christmas tree. Fairy lights adorn the trees, lamps glow from apartment windows and bars and restaurants are filled with candles. Head to Nyhavn - the city's iconic 17th century canal - for a nightcap in one of the many snug pubs and a walk along the waterfront which dances with lights. Hygge at its finest.
Gallivanting Around Gardens
If you want to get really hygge, fill up a thermos and warm up with a brisk walk around one of Copenhagen's pretty parks. See shrubbery fit for royalty in The King's Garden - one of the oldest parks in the city - and escape the cold in the Botanical Garden's plant-filled greenhouses. Reconnecting with nature, getting out and about with friends, sipping hot cocoa from a thermos flask... all very hygge.
Laid-Back Boat Trip
Don your snuggliest hat, gloves and scarf and pull on a pair of cosy woolly socks (a hygge must-have) and take to the water on a boat trip. Set off from Nyhavn to see this picturesque port from a different perspective and then bob along the canals while a guide points out the city's landmarks. See The Little Mermaid sculpture - one of Copenhagen's most famous attractions - pass the Black Diamond, a magnificent modernist addition to the Royal Danish Library, and squeeze along waterways so narrow you can touch both sides.
Bike On
If you really want to feel like a local on a visit to Denmark's cosy capital (also known as the 'City of Cyclists') hop on a bike and explore the city on two wheels. Cycling is big in Copenhagen and a great way to feel part of the community as you whizz along the city's beautiful bike-friendly streets. We can arrange for you to see the city's most iconic sights on a bike tour with a local who can give you a crash-course in biking etiquette in the city as you pedal along a seven-mile route.
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