Issue 23. * June 21st, 2023 

Alright, alright, alright - We're back. Your favourite newsletter with a handful of fun recommendations for your next trip to Copenhagen. 

Copenhagen is a city that welcomes kids, and the possibilities are endless when it comes to things to do as a family. So in this month's edition of Copenhagen Unfolded, we’re zooming in on fun and different experiences for the whole family. But don't worry if you're not travelling as a family; these experiences aren’t just for kids. You can easily enjoy these recommendations as a kick-start to a fun and different summer day.

• Walk above the treetops
• Explore Copenhagen from the water
• Great kid-friendly places to eat
• Danish design museum
• I want to ride my bicycle

We have a little something for the palate, a little something for the little ones, a little something for the water and a real hidden, very photogenic gem so you can really show off to everyone else.

👍

Buckle up - and let the fun begin.

WALK ABOVE THE TREE TOPS

Beyond Copenhagen, you'll find some amazing things to see and fun activities to do for the whole family, and usually, no more than an hour's drive from the city. One thing you shouldn't miss is Skovtårnet or The Forest Tower.

Hidden in the woods south of Copenhagen, you'll find a twisting structure towering over the tree tops. Take the beautiful and idyllic path through the forest until you arrive at the foot of the tower. Here you can walk up the circular path through the trees until you reach the top and are rewarded with an amazing view over the surrounding landscape.

Foto: Visit Sydsjælland og Møn

At the top, you'll be 135 meters above sea level, which may not sound like a lot, but in Denmark, that's quite tall and the tallest point on Zealand. You'll get a beautiful view over the rolling farmland of Southern Zealand, and on a really clear day, you can see all the way to Copenhagen and Sweden. 

The surrounding areas of Copenhagen have so much to offer and are perfect for day trips. So why not check out our guide to Copenhagen Beyond? And see what else to explore.

BECOME CAPTAIN FOR A DAY

Copenhagen ahoy! Become captain for a day and rent a small electric boat at Islands Brygge and discover Copenhagen from the water. The boat fits up to 8 people, includes a picnic table, and only sails at 7 km/h maximum. It's a nice and easy ride.

GoBoat has developed several kid-friendly activities while sailing, which you can ask for before boarding. This includes a Viking mission, pirate tales and a starfish mission. It is also a great opportunity to play games children already know from car rides, such as “I spy with my little eye” so everyone aboard gets to be creative with the Copenhagen landmarks.

Photo: GoBoat

The boats have a picnic table, so it is easy for every member of the family to enjoy food, snacks, and drinks. You can either bring your own or pre-order food from GoBoat, who have made snack boxes to enjoy.

The boats do not have professionals steering the boat, so before you board, you will be instructed so you and your family can have a fun and safe journey on the water. Lifejackets will be provided for all members of the family, regardless of age.

GREAT KID FRIENDLY PLACES TO EAT

Copenhagen is known for its food scene. This also applies to food for smaller mouths and not yet fully developed taste buds. You don’t have to compromise when you have your children with you, and there are countless great places to visit.

On Nørrebro lies Diamond Slice, a New York-style pizza restaurant that fits all ages and stomachs, where both adults and children can get their favourite slice or a full pizza. There are several soft drinks available for children, while adults can enjoy the Diamond Pilsner or a cocktail. 

Copenhagen is, despite of changing seasons, full of people who love ice cream and can eat it year around. That means that the city is filled with several phenomenal ice cream shops. We have assembled a Copenhagen ice cream guide, where every allergen, favourite, and age is looked after!

DANISH DESIGN MUSEUM

Copenhagen is filled with museums that have exhibitions on everything from the history of Denmark to crazy experiments.

Not many people may realize it, but Danish design has actually had a huge influence on the rest of the world and is still one of the pioneers in the field. We're super excited about this, so we had a chat with Designmuseum Danmark's Head of Communications, Mille Maria Steffen-Nielsen Smith, to find out more about what Designmuseum Danmark can and what her perfect day in Copenhagen looks like with and without kids.

Tell us a little about yourself and your role at Designmuseum Danmark

My name is Mille and I am the Head of Communications at Designmuseum Danmark. My team and I work to make the museum's exhibitions, events, library, café, and shop as visible as possible to as many different people as possible. I love museums - simply put. I have previously worked at art museums such as Ordrupgaard and ARKEN, and museums have always been a big part of my daily life and my work life. At museums, I find peace, inspiration, and new perspectives. Therefore, I have always taken my children to museums - since they were very young. Alongside my work, I have been running the Instagram profiles @ROCKTHATMUSEUMGIRL and @ROCKTHATMUSEUMKID for almost 10 years, where parents and other interested parties can find inspiration for cultural experiences for families.

What experience can one expect to get at Designmuseum Danmark (with children/as a family)?

At Designmuseum Danmark, you can get close to Denmark's entire design heritage. You can experience everything from new, groundbreaking contemporary and future designs to the proud Danish design tradition with figures such as Kaare Klint, Arne Jacobsen, and Verner Panton. You can come face-to-face with a chair made of mushrooms and a lamp made of cow intestines, or suddenly discover the high chair you have at home or the lamp from your grandmother's living room. The museum is filled with big and small design experiences - some spectacular and surprising, others familiar and filled with memories. 

The museum's various exhibitions are packed with excellent conversation starters - whether you are taking your children to the museum or you’re visiting with grandparents. This is exactly what I love about museums: that you can immerse yourself in the details and have conversations that you wouldn't otherwise have time for.

In addition, there are various offers - digital and analog - especially aimed at families at the museum, and during most school holidays, we run workshops for families, ‘fastelavn’ in the museum garden, as well as Kulturnat (Culture Night) and Lille Kulturnat (Little Culture Night)..

What should you see/experience when visiting Designmuseum Danmark?  

When you arrive at the museum, remember to look up at the newly renovated version of one of Denmark's most beautiful rococo buildings. The building used to be a hospital, so you should also remember to visit the green museum garden, where there used to be recuperating patients, there are now changing outdoor exhibitions, design objects, and, not least, the museum café's outdoor seating under white umbrellas. 

One of my personal favorites at the museum is the exhibition THE FUTURE IS PRESENT, which is about how innovative design solutions can help solve future challenges, from the climate crisis to refugee flows. The exhibition showcases a string of quirky, beautiful, and exciting objects and projects that really get your thoughts going. If you want to experience the classics, you should visit the exhibition THE MAGIC OF FORM, which showcases the very best in design and art - everything from Alexander Calder's mobiles to Verner Panton's iconic, colorful universe.

What does a perfect day in Copenhagen look like for you (with children/as a family)?

My perfect day starts with breakfast at The Sixteen Twelve in Jægersborggade in Nørrebro - their coconut yogurt is very good. Then we head to Assistens Cemetery, which in my opinion is one of the city's most beautiful parks - with plenty of space for children to play hide-and-seek, ride bikes, or have a picnic. Later in the day, we’ll visit the children's workshop at the National Gallery of Denmark, where my children love to paint and do crafts inspired by the museum's current exhibitions. If the youngest members of the family are up for it, it's on to the cargo bike and off to the playground in Kongens Have, where the little ones can play while the adults get coffee from Herkules Pavillonen. 

From May to July, the small marionette theater in the garden plays free shows for children from two years and up, and their poetic and experimental universe is always very nice. On the way, we swing by Torvehallerne, where I love to buy flowers, and the children love the small Asian stand where you can buy candy and mochi ice cream. We’ll have dinner in Vesterbro, where there’s Sunday pasta at the small restaurant Italo Disco. There’s pasta for everyone - even a children's version - and for the adults, there’s a glass of wine included.

Do you have a hidden gem that you would like to share with our readers?

We have children of many different ages, and I am therefore a big fan of the city's various parks. If you stand at Frederiksberg's roundabout and, instead of following the crowd towards Frederiksberg Have, go a little to the left of the garden entrance, you will end up in the beautiful Haveselskabets Have. The garden is divided into smaller "rooms" where you can experience plant life in different ways. There are fountains, basins, bushes, trees, and pavilions. We have spent endless hours playing hide-and-seek, skating on the ice in winter, and looking at the wisteria in full bloom. The garden is especially lovely in the summer, but it has something to offer at all times of the year.

I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE, BICYCLE, BICYCLE

It's no secret that Copenhageners' preferred method of transportation is the bicycle. Bikes make it quick and easy to get around the city; plus, the bike is the perfect sustainable option for transportation, as it runs on pure human power 😉

But if you want to experience the city the real Copenhagen Way, you need to familiarise yourself with the rules of riding a bike in the city. If you learn them as a child, navigating traffic as an adult is much easier.

The traffic playground, in Fælledparken, is a wonderful and educational place for children and their families. Here people come to familiarise themselves with bikes and traffic in a very safe environment before venturing onto Copenhagen’s many bike lanes.

Foto: Thomas Høyrup Christensen

The playground is designed to look like a miniature city, complete with streets, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, and various road signs. Kids can bring their bikes, scooters or roller skates and navigate through the park's well-marked roads and simulate real-life traffic situations.

The traffic playground is one of the many staffed playgrounds in Copenhagen, which means that there are trained supervisors to guide and instruct the children on traffic rules, such as obeying traffic signals and giving way to pedestrians. But be aware that a staffed playground doesn't mean they will babysit your children. That part is still up to you 😉

The playground is mainly reserved for children, but it also works perfectly fine if you're an adult who's a little rusty on the rules of the road 😉

COPENHAGEN CARD

If you're travelling to Copenhagen with kids and want to get the most out of the trip; You know, visit all the museums, see all the attractions, and soak up all the city has to offer. Then you should really check the Copenhagen Card, the official city pass to Copenhagen. 

Foto: Visit Copenhagen

Get access to more than 80 attractions and museums, like Tivoli or The National Museum, and free public transport, so you don't have to worry about how to get around. And best of all, you can have two kids with you on your Card for free. There's literally not any good reason why you shouldn't get a Copenhagen Card.

OVER AND OUT

We hope you've been inspired to do some great activities to keep yourself and/or your family entertained this summer - with these recommendations; you can't go wrong.

You can get much more inspiration for fun and "Insta-worthy" experiences on our Social Media, so make sure to follow us on Social Media as well. Links below. 

We'll be back in two weeks with more of the best of Copenhagen.

Kasper, Frederik, Christina & Julie, Copenhagen Unfolded

Copenhagen Unfolded is published by VisitCopenhagen. Our goal is to tell the world about Copenhagen and the great experiences that are to be had here. Be sure to also check out www.visitcopenhagen.com and our social channels.

This issue of Copenhagen Unfolded is put together by Kasper Syhler, Frederik Ibsing, Christina Daubjerg Newman, Julie Horn and Andrea Sonne.

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