Copenhagen was voted one of The Best Cities in the World in the 2024 Readers’ Choice Awards. To find out all the winning cities, read here.
In the summer of 2021, I took a solo trip to Copenhagen, a city I’d never visited but expected to love. I remember stepping out of its airport into the gentle sunshine and weighing my options for how to reach my hotel. Eventually I chose the bus, thinking it would be a good way to get a feel for the city. As I settled in for my 30-minute ride, Christine and the Queens streaming through my headphones, I texted my husband: “I can’t explain it, but this place already feels like home.”
Many visits later the bus remains my favorite way to move around Copenhagen, but you really can’t go wrong with any mode of public transportation. The metro runs 24/7 and is considered among the world’s most efficient. In 2025 the city will unveil a light rail line that will connect the north and west.
But there is no better symbol of Copenhagen than the bicyclists perpetually whooshing through its streets, forcing you to leap out of the way. For a few decades, mobility here has become increasingly centered around biking because of its climate-friendly and democratic nature. Now the cycling infrastructure is spreading beyond the capital: In 2022 Denmark announced a $458 million plan to build more bike lanes across the country, adding to Copenhagen‘s existing 239 miles of routes. But cycling here is more than just a way to get from A to B; it’s a way of life. The streams of cyclists headed to work and the cargo bikes on school runs are a representation of the Danish proclivity for spontaneity and efficiency—even style.
If Copenhagen’s bike lanes favor speed demons, its pedestrian thoroughfares—and favorable topography—are well suited for leisurely exploration. A day could include grabbing cardamom snurrer at a bakery in Østerbro, poking around the design shops of Frederiksstaden, stopping for a dip at one of the harbor’s swimming spots, and ending up at a biodynamic wine bar in Christianshavn. The city’s ease of navigation can be attributed to its innovative architects and future-facing city planners. Nowhere is that forethought more evident than in the areas abutting Copenhagen’s harbor, which continue to evolve into vibrant public spaces. The new Opera Park features six gardens and a greenhouse. Nearby Paper Island, a reimagined industrial district, houses a hotel, shops, and eateries. Elsewhere, a plan is underway to turn the waterfront district in Nordhavn into a carbon-neutral city-within-a-city linked by canals and green corridors.
Copenhagen is constantly evolving to be more accessible and low-impact, and the city hopes visitors will do their part. This summer it announced perks for eco-conscious travelers, including free ice cream or wine, even turns on the ski slopes of CopenHill, the Bjarke Ingels-designed power plant, in exchange for walking and taking public transit. Further incentive: American Airlines and SAS have launched new direct routes from Philadelphia and Atlanta, making it easier than ever to visit. But a word of advice before you go: Make sure to learn the biking etiquette. As one of my Danish friends likes to say: “Whatever you do, please don’t cycle like a tourist.”
This article appeared in the November 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
