Copenhagen owes its existence to the sea that surrounds it. It began life as a fishing village, grew as a coastal defence fortress and flourished on the sea trade and herring that passed by. These days Copenhageners don't need the water quite so much, but they enjoy it all the more, especially when the city's waterfront cafes, bars and bathing areas open for the season.
Summer in this city has never been so hot, with several groovy beach bars setting up beside the harbour and canals every summer. Here, as the sun
sets, you can recline in a comfy deck chair with a long, cool drink to hand, breathe in the mouth watering aromas from the barbeque, gaze up at the palm trees, wriggle your toes in the sand and relax to live DJ grooves. And yes, you are still in Copenhagen! A beforehand check by phone is always a good idea, before you venture to these places, as weather conditions and a possible private party may close them down for an evening.
Holmen
Behind the Opera House is a floating café, the Kontiki Bar, aboard the former ferry Ellen and the neighbouring beach hangout is Jubii, where caipirinhas in the bar, Brazil chill-music in the air and sand between your toes put you in a Latin mood meanwhile the view across the harbour goes to show you are in Copenhagen. The meat on the grill is from Brazil, and if you like oysters or lobster, both are on the menu. Sunday brunch and live DJ music.
Further east in Holmen, across the harbour from Langelinie and the Little Mermaid, is the Halvandet beach bar. Quite what Hans Christian Andersen's love sick fairy tale figure would make of this chilled out harbour front bar is anyone's guess, but she would certainly be at something of a disadvantage when it came to a game of beach volley ball or the football that draws the crowds here on a summer's day. If the weather turns ugly, Halvandet has an indoor lounge bar where food and cocktails are served into the night.
Ugrill(3 June-3 Sept) is another Holmen-based beach place, where for DKK 100 you can rent a Weber grill to prepare your own food. After a few moments people very sociably start exchanging grill tips, says owner Niels Thyge. You can purchase the ingredients for a meal on the spot if you prefer, and on sunny days DJ's give you lounge music. Brunch on Sundays.
The Opera House Restaurant moves outdoors on the waterfront with some 200 seats. Here the sun is on all day and the harbour view is fabulous.
Harbour Pools
Firstly there is Havnebadet at Islands Brygge, just across the ramparts from Christianshavn and a short walk from the city centre. In fact, this used to the be the location for the Copencabana pool until that was towed down the harbour to Fisketorvet, the shopping mall, in 2002 to make way for this magnificent new, permanent swimming complex, with five pools, a large a grassy bathing beach and space for 600 bathers. In 2006 both open 3 June and close 3 Sept.
At the other end of the harbour, is abovementioned Copencabana, now located by Fisketorvet, and the new Utzon designed Copenhagen Island Hotel. It is smaller and not quite as charming as its big sister at Islands Brygge.
On Islands Brygge you'll also find Bryggens Spisehus, a local culture house, with local atmosphere and reasonable prices. It is located right on the harbour front, where you can sit and watch the sun go down over the city.
Amager Strandpark
In August 2005 Copenhagen saw a completely new beach area on the island of Amager less than five kilometres from the City Hall Square. One million cubic meters of sand have been brought to the old beach pushing the coastline further into the water, which means better bathing conditions. The expenses have surpassed DKK 200 million, but Copenhageners will now have a new playground with cafés, clubs and many sports facilities.
It is a 4,6 kilometer long bathing beach divided into two parts. The beach on the mainland running along the road of Amager Strandvej and a two kilometer long island, which is connected to the mainland with three bridges. From the island there is a nice view of the Swedish coast, the touchstone and the Oresund Bridge. By autumn 2007 the new Metro line will bring you practically all the way, until then, you can go by bus number 12 from Copenhagen Airport or from the bus terminal at the City Hall.
City Centre
Restaurant Vivais located aboard a ship moored opposite the Black Diamond. Viva's chef Paulo Guimaraes is renowned for his creativity and though Viva majors on shellfish, his lengthy tapas-style menu has something to tempt everyone and Viva is open all year-round.
Aristo Café and Restaurant with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the harbour and a minimalistic interior design has a pleasant French inspired cuisine and exquisite wines on the menu.
Klods Hans and Ole Lukøje, the Canaltour Boats, are used for a floating candlelight meal. Every Friday twice in June and four times in August/September they sail from Nyhavn at 7 pm. While silently gliding past the harbour front sights you are served a 2 course supper coming from the Admiral Hotel's Restaurant Salt.
Another company arranging lunch and dinner cruises owns Saga Queen, a sailing restaurant, where guests can enjoy both a gastronomic and maritime experience while sailing through the Copenhagen Harbour.
Flakfortet, Middelgrunden and Trekroner Fortresses
You will need to have your sea legs about you if you fancy a meal at Restaurant Flakfortet and on the other artificial island: Middelgrunden. You sail with a Spar Shipping ferry from Nyhavn. Indoors are rooms with vaulted ceilings, candlelight and fine paintings, outdoors a pavilion with room for 350. Grill buffets and traditional lunch menus. Trekroner is reachable with the barge-like Canal Tour boats that have a hop-on-hop-off service all summer long (May-Sept). On Trekroner is also a restaurant in one of the old military buildings.
How to get around
And if you are wondering how you are going to get to see all these fantastic venues, don't worry. You are never short of a ride on Copenhagen's waterways with two sightseeing boat companies operating annually from the end of March until the end of October (board at Nyhavn or Gammel Strand), as well as the yellow hop-on, hop-off Havnebus (harbour bus) service, a hop-on, hop-off Vandbus (water bus) and an imminent harbour taxi service, all competing for your fare. Failing that, you could always rent a boat from Christianshavn's Bådudlejning (boat rental) and row your own way round the waterways of Copenhagen.
Holmen and Amager
Kontiki Bar
http://www.kontikibar.dk 1, Takkeloftvej & Fabriksmestervej
Tel.: +45 29 46 54 17
Halvandet
http://www.halvandet.dk 325, Refshalevej
Tel.: +45 70 27 02 96
Jubii
www.kontikibar.dk 10, Fabriksmestervej
Tel.: +45 30 32 90 29
Restaurant Viva
http://www.restaurantviva.com Kaj Plads 570, Langebrogade
Tel.: +45 27 25 05 05
Opera House Restaurant
www.kglteater.dk 10, Ekvipagemestervej
Tel.: +45 33 69 66 19
Ugrill
www.ugrill.dk 1, Masteskursvej
Tel.: +45 27 62 48 01
Others:
Aristo
www.cafearisto.dk 4, Islands Brygge
Tel.: +45 32 95 83 30
Bryggens Spisehus
www.bryggens.dk 18, Islands Brygge
Tel.: +45 32 54 00 82
Restaurant Flakfortet
www.flakfortet.dk Flakfortet
Tel.: +45 40 63 06 88
Restaurant Trekroner
www.fortet.dk Trekroner
Tel.: +45 38 25 44 44
Restaurant Middelgrundfortet
http://www.fortet.dk Middelgrundsfortet
Tel.: +45 38 25 44 44
Harbour Pools:
Havnebade(harbour bathing)
www.ki-kbh.dk Islands Brygge
Tel.: +45 23 71 31 89
Copencabana Havnebadet
(by Fisketorvet)
www.ki-kbh.dk Havneholmen
Tel.: +45 35 42 68 60
Transportation:
Havnebusserne Nos. 901 and 902
http://www.hur.dk (Danish only)
DFDS Canal Tours
http://www.canaltours.dk &
http://www.sejlogspis.dk 51, Havnegade
Tel.:+45 33 42 33 20
Netto Boats Havnerundfart
(harbour tours)
www.havnerundfart.dk Tel.: +45 32 54 41 02
Spar Shipping
www.sparshipping.dk Tel.: +45 33 33 93 55
Copenhagen Water Taxi (Flyvefisk)
www.copenhagenwatertaxi.com 320, Refshalevej
Tel.: +45 32 96 49 64
Kajakole
www.kajakole.dk Tel.: +45 40 50 40 06
Saga Queen(lunch and dinner cruises)
www.sagaqueen.dk Tel.: +45 46 75 64 6046 75 64 60
Amager Strandpark Beach
www.amager-strand.dk Source:
Wonderful Copenhagen