Scenic Sites You Can’t Miss in Copenhagen

Nestled in the middle of the city, Tivoli Gardens feels like a magical realm hidden in plain sight.

Tivoli Gardens

Arguably the most famous landmark in Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens is something of theme park royalty. Having first opened their doors in 1843, it’s the second-oldest amusement park in the world (the first being the nearby Dyrehavsbakken, which opened in 1583). Walt Disney pulled immense inspiration from it. Michael Jackson earnestly tried to purchase it. What is its “secret sauce” ?

In a word: charm. Or at least, a charm that seems to predate popular culture as we understand it. An air of tranquility hangs over this amusement park — no doubt helped by its many cozy gardens, delightful fountains and scenic benches. From the get-go, this park has always housed cafés, gardens, flower beds and whimsical buildings. That’s not to say you can’t find thrills here: The Dæmonen (or, “Demon”) coaster opened in 2004, and can certainly provide a thrill ride that compares with the best of them stateside.

There truly is no better view of Copenhagen than atop the church's spire.

Church of Our Savior

For a bird’s eye view of the city, no perch can rival the Church of Our Savior. As you first lay eyes on the corkscrew-shaped spiral that tops the church tower, you’re only 150 counterclockwise steps from staring out over all of Copenhagen. The story of this scenic view’s origin is fairly straightforward: In one of Copenhagen’s periods of growth under King Christian IV in the 17th century, a newly founded section of the city required a church. Decades later, it was general consensus that the tower of the church could use a spiral, and so Lauritz de Thurah drew inspiration from the spiral of Rome’s Sant’Ivo alla Sapienza. Added up, these little — but meaningful — choices from several centuries ago have equated to a can’t-miss view of the city every day since.

The unique design of Grundtvig's Church makes it more than worth an afternoon pilgrimage.

Grundtvig’s Church

Another church well worth admiring is Grundtvig’s Church, just outside of Copenhagen. Built in honor of N.F.S. Grundtvig — a 19th century poet, philosopher, historian and reformer — the monument is what you’d call “an expressionist church.” Compared to the more traditional churches and cathedrals, it’s a sight for curious eyes. The design blends several building fashions; geometric expressionism melds with traditional Danish styles on the scale of Gothic architecture to result in a site strikingly unique (and worth a visit).

Skiing down a power plant without snow? The future is now!

 CopenHill

If midway through your visit to Copenhagen, you’re suddenly stricken with a hankering to hit the ski slopes, don’t despair: You don’t need to wait till your next trip to satisfy your craving. Instead, you can just head over to CopenHill. Located in the industrial neighborhood of Amager, this combination of reusable energy power plant and ski slope looks like a structure out of the Jetsons. The reality is just as fantastic: Inside the boxy silver exterior, enough energy is being generated to power 150,000 homes per year through the incineration of 440,000 tons of waste. Above is a dry,grassy slope for year-round skiing. If hiking the 85 meters to the top of the hill is potentially too “active” for a day on the slopes, don’t worry — there is a ski lift!

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Connect with a travel agent today to get started planning your next foray into wanderlust.