Girl in Rold Forest in autumn

7 of the best things to do in autumn in Denmark

Photo: Dennis Lundby

It’s time to get your hygge on. Autumn in Denmark is full of cozy bars and cafes, snuggly warm jumpers and quality experiences. If you’re curious about where to go and what to do when autumn comes to Denmark, read on!

01

Get a culture fix

The autumn weather can be a bit temperamental (that’s our diplomatic way of saying you should bring a brolly) but inside our beautiful art galleries, you’ll find culture, cafes and a very warm welcome, whatever the weather. Even better, on the second Friday in October, Culture Night offers unique experiences across Copenhagen, and the Magic Days festival in Odense in mid-October sprinkles some magic dust all over the city.

02

Tuck into local and seasonal food

Autumn equals harvest season, and in Denmark, where farm to fork is a way of life, it’s the perfect time of year to eat apple cake, not to mention tarteletter, brunkål and Danish oysters. Visit Plukselvfrugt.dk to find out where you can pick your own fruit, forage for mushrooms, sea buckthorn, redcurrants and more, or just stroll down to Torvehallerne in central Copenhagen to buy seasonal food straight from the greengrocers.

03

Explore our forests

Lace up some hiking boots and explore Denmark’s characterful forests. Statskrode Forest in East Jutland is one of our finest, and is rated as a natural forest, untouched by humans, with a great walking route through and around it.

04

Chase colour

Yes, our buildings do come in all colours, especially in Copenhagen. The contrast between orange leaves and colourful buildings is like catnip for instagrammers, professional photographers and everyone who likes a little colour in their life.

05

Get active

Autumn is a great time of year in Denmark if you’re into water sports. It’s always a bit windy here, but things really pick up from September if you’re into kite surfing, windsurfing or just plain surfing. If you don’t like the water, the weather is still pretty good for hiking and cycling.

06

Go ghost hunting

This old country has some skeletons in its closets, and October 31 is the best time to golooking for them. With mist, spooky twisted trees and centuries-old castles to explore, it’s a great location for a ‘spook-action’ (that’s spooky and vacation put together!). Tivoli’s Halloween season could also be a good place to start.

07

Enjoy the late summer sun

Sensommer is a peculiar Danish mini season between summer and autumn that typically happens in September and sometimes through to October. Literally translating as ‘late summer’, it’s the warmest summeryish side of autumn and if you’re lucky, you can continue with your summer activities for a few weeks more. Or failing that, just go to Bornholm, where summer lingers a little longer than in the rest of Denmark.