Lonely Planet names Copenhagen the world’s top city in 2019

Kayaking Frederiksholm Canal, Copenhagen

Thomas Rousing

“Denmark’s capital of cool is unstoppable” raves Lonely Planet in its description of its number one city.

Already world-renowned as a centre for Scandinavian design and architecture, the city’s booming food scene, amazing sustainable credentials and new shoulder season activities are mentioned as some of Copenhagen’s defining qualities. Copenhagen is in the middle of a hotel boom and over the next four years, some 8,500 hotel rooms will be added to the existing 21,000 rooms while the anticipated mid-2019 completion of the Cityringen metro line means even easier cross-town adventures. Unmissable experiences in the city recommended by Lonely Planet’s experts include:

- Savouring the region’s terroir and ingenuity at one of Copenhagen’s lauded New-Nordic restaurants such as Noma and Kadeau or more moderately priced Høst and Mes.

- Catching the train to Louisiana Art Museum for its world-class collection of Danish and international modern art, modernist architecture, sculpture garden and dreamy setting.

- Indulging your inner child with an evening at Tivoli Gardens, which now offers a new Winter season throughout the month of February.

Kim Wyon

Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of editors, researchers, locals and influencers, and are then decided upon and ranked by a panel of judges. The outcome is an eclectic list of destinations with unique, compelling and topical reasons to visit in the year ahead – as well as underlying travel trends to look for.

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Editorial Director, said, “This is a city well versed in the cutting edge. Cobbled streets boast groundbreaking menus and trend-setting design. Centuries-old palaces, churches andwarehouses share streets and waterways with bold contemporary architecture, while the city’s former Meatpacking District hums with galleries, locavore eateries and on-point indie bars. Copenhagen is the epitome of Scandi cool and deserves to be recognised on the global stage.”

Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO, Wonderful Copenhagen, said, ”In Copenhagen we enjoy our own special way of life. Cycling is our preferred mode of transport. We swim in the harbour's clean waters. We love gastronomy and great dining experiences – no matter if it’s Michelin starred or street food and we are very into culture and design. The city lives and breathes these things. And this is why Lonely Planet recommends that you come to Copenhagen and join us in enjoying our way of life. We’re really excited to welcome even more guests,”

Dennis Englund, VisitDenmark’s Director in the UK & US, said, “This accolade highlights the city’s fundamental traits and iconic characteristics and proves that Copenhagen is one of Europe’s hottest destinations. The city is renowned for its constant innovation in culture, design, architecture andgastronomy and as the epitome for Danish culture, the same characteristics apply to the rest of Denmark where exciting new hotels, restaurants and attractions are set to open in 2019.”

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel book is now in its 14th edition and the landing page, www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel, features tips and videos on visiting Copenhagen and the other top 10 cities, countries and regions. More information on Copenhagen can be found here.

Lonely Planet names Copenhagen the world’s top city in 2019

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