Special Things in Copenhagen

July 30, 2021 8:17 AM

What are some special, quirky, cool, unexpected things I can do in Copenhagen with someone I want to surprise with a nice day?

That's basically it! It's this person's 40th birthday and I'd like to do something special for her in Copenhagen. She likes everything except maybe sports. We've already done some of the more obvious touristy things on a previous trip.

posted by artisthatithaca to Travel & Transportation around Copenhagen, Denmark (16 answers total)

This little cafe in a bridge tower is cool (though it looks like it may be fully booked).
posted by pinochiette at 8:49 AM on July 30, 2021

Best answer: The Worker's Museum is surprisingly fun. If you've never been, I can recommend it. The café is also worth a visit.
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:53 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: I'm sure you saw the Little Mermaid, or chose not to; but did you spot the underwater statues of merpeople under the Højbro Bridge?
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:15 AM on July 30, 2021

Best answer: Go to everywhere by bike (if she doesn't consider bicycling a sport). I worked at a bike rental and tours shop once, and people always came back very happy. Biking in a bike-friendly city is a good time. Copenhagen, I hear, is a great city for it.
posted by aniola at 9:17 AM on July 30, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This cafe just re-opened (info on the new owners here) and it is beyond cozy. It's right next to Landsbohøjskole Gardens, which are a really nice (and free!) historical garden to walk in associated with Copenhagen University. You could easily spend 2-3 hours getting breakfast/lunch here and then walking in the gardens. It's definitely off the tourist track.

I've also gone a fishing trip in downtown Copenhagen with these guys and it was super fun. The easiest thing is to just email their contact ([e-mail]), tell them what you're up for, and they'll arrange something.
posted by whitewall at 9:31 AM on July 30, 2021

The botanical garden is very nice, with big wrought iron victorian-style greenhouses and a cool alpine installation that you can walk over (if that's not too obvious/touristy a suggestion).
posted by terretu at 9:47 AM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

It might be too sporty but close to the city centre is a power station with a ski slope on top: the Copenhill.
posted by biffa at 9:54 AM on July 30, 2021

Best answer: I asked my SO and the first thing she would want to do is swim in the harbour. There are multiple locations where you can do this.
posted by biffa at 10:04 AM on July 30, 2021

Best answer: People also love CopenHot, which has all kinds of saunas, hot tubs, a hot tub boat, etc. It is right near Reffen, which is the big see-and-be-seen outdoor street food food court thing. There's also bungee jumping there, too.
posted by whitewall at 10:34 AM on July 30, 2021

You can also book a kayak for free if you agree to pick up garbage in the harbor. Not sure if that's too sporty, though.
posted by whitewall at 10:37 AM on July 30, 2021

Some of the best tacos I've ever had?
posted by Uncle at 11:13 AM on July 30, 2021

Best answer: A few of my favorite things in Copenhagen -

The David Collection - a small and quiet museum with beautiful collections
Contemporary art installations - submerged, underground - in The Cisterns
posted by moonmilk at 2:16 PM on July 30, 2021 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Half an hour by train from Copenhagen, but well worth the visit: Louisiana, great art museum in great surroundings.
posted by meijusa at 12:13 AM on July 31, 2021 [3 favorites]

Hven is nice. There is a little museum at Tycho Brahe’s observatory and it’s nice to bike around. I think there may be a distillery there too but I didn’t go to it.
posted by nat at 12:27 AM on July 31, 2021

Seconding moonmilk that if you haven't already been, the Cisterns is really special.
posted by snaw at 4:41 AM on July 31, 2021

Response by poster: thanks for all the suggestions! popping back to say that I marked as best answers everything we did -- which was a lot! and they were all fantastic. unfortunately the cisterns and the bridge tower restaurant were booked up, otherwise those would've been in the mix as well.
posted by artisthatithaca at 6:51 AM on August 19, 2021 [2 favorites]