Rooftops in Copenhagen: the Danish capital from above
A capital on the Øresund
The capital and largest city of Denmark, Copenhagen stretches along the east coast of the island of Zealand and onto the island of Amager, facing the Øresund strait that separates it from Sweden. Since 2000, the Øresund Bridge has linked it to Malmö. The municipality of Copenhagen (Københavns Kommune) has around 667,000 inhabitants, and nearly 1.4 million people live in its urban area. At the heart of its territory, Frederiksberg forms an independent municipality, entirely enclaved within the city.
The historic centre, Indre By, is home to Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Parliament, the Round Tower, Amalienborg Palace and the colourful harbour of Nyhavn. Right next to the central station, Tivoli Gardens, opened in 1843, is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. All around, each district has its own character: Vesterbro and its former meatpacking district turned trendy, Nørrebro and Østerbro, Christianshavn and its canals, the former Carlsberg brewery transformed into a neighbourhood, and Nordhavn, the new district rising on the old industrial harbour. A city of design, Nordic cuisine and cycling, Copenhagen is easy to explore on foot or by bike.
Why head up high
Copenhagen is a low-rise city: few buildings in the centre rise above six storeys, and church towers, spires and green copper roofs still dominate the skyline. That is precisely what gives its rooftops their charm. From a roof terrace, even a modest one, you can take in the spires of the old town, the City Hall tower or that of Christiansborg, the cranes of the new districts and the reflections of the harbour. Higher up, from a former silo or the top of a power plant, the eye sweeps all the way to the sea and, on clear days, to the Swedish coast. The long evenings of the Scandinavian summer, when the sun sets late, are the best time to enjoy them.
Where to get a view in Copenhagen
Around the harbour and Christianshavn
On the 8th floor of the NH Collection Copenhagen hotel, on the quays of Christianshavn, ROOF Bar & Lounge offers from April to October a 360-degree lounge terrace overlooking the harbour, the Christiansborg tower and the spires of the centre, with cocktails named after the landmarks in view. On the other side of the harbour basin, right in the centre, Sanders Rooftop hides a bright, plant-filled conservatory on the 5th floor of Hotel Sanders, near Kongens Nytorv, open to all for weekend brunch or a seasonal cocktail.
In the historic centre
On Strøget, the main pedestrian street, the top floor of the ILLUM department store has become ILLUM Rooftop: several restaurants, bars and cafés beneath a glass roof, extended by a terrace over the rooftops of the old town. Just above Nørreport station, Level Six, the rooftop bar of the Scandic Nørreport hotel, serves its cocktails on a wooden terrace facing the church spires, with a DJ at weekends. Near City Hall Square and Tivoli, Hotel Danmark opens its small 7th-floor terrace to all, facing the City Hall tower.
Vesterbro, the station and Carlsberg Byen
A stone's throw from the central station, Grand Joanne Rooftop has laid out a terrace planted with olive trees on the roof of a renovated century-old hotel, open to all and overlooking Vesterbro. A little further on, on the 12th floor of the Tivoli Hotel's Harbour Tower, Sticks'n'Sushi serves sushi and skewers behind large picture windows and on a vast terrace from which, on clear days, you can see as far as Malmö. To the south-west, in the former Carlsberg brewery, Tramonto, at the very top of Hotel Ottilia, combines Italian cuisine, a bar and a terrace with an outdoor fireplace, facing the brewery's brick towers.
Unusual spots
Copenhagen also has a few surprises in store. In Nordhavn, Silo CPH occupies the fully glazed 17th floor of The Silo, a converted former silo: its restaurant and cocktail bar enjoy one of the most spectacular views in the city, over the harbour, the Øresund and the rooftops. In Østerbro, Gro Spiseri sets its long communal table in the greenhouse of ØsterGRO, Denmark's first rooftop urban farm, for an organic seasonal dinner surrounded by crops. And on the island of Amager, CopenHill Rooftop Café awaits walkers 78 metres above the ground, at the top of a waste-to-energy plant topped with a ski slope, with a unique panorama over the sea and Sweden.
As a couple, with friends or with family
For a dinner for two, Silo CPH, Tramonto or Sticks'n'Sushi combine fine food and a view. With friends, ROOF, Level Six and Grand Joanne Rooftop lend themselves to sunset drinks, while ILLUM Rooftop and Sanders Rooftop suit a break during a day of shopping or a brunch. With family, CopenHill Rooftop Café, free and open during the day, combines a walk, a view and skiing, and Gro Spiseri will delight lovers of local food and out-of-the-ordinary places.
Getting around easily
The driverless metro, running day and night, has four lines: Kongens Nytorv station serves ILLUM Rooftop and Sanders Rooftop, Christianshavn leads to ROOF, Nørreport to Level Six, Rådhuspladsen to Hotel Danmark and København H, the central station, to Grand Joanne Rooftop. Line M4 runs to Orientkaj, near Silo CPH. S-tog suburban trains stop at Dybbølsbro, near the Tivoli Hotel, and at Carlsberg, not far from Tramonto. Cycling is still the simplest way to reach Østerbro, Nordhavn or CopenHill, however, thanks to a highly developed network of cycle lanes.
Tips for enjoying the rooftops of Copenhagen
Season, booking and budget
The climate is cool and windy: open-air terraces come alive mainly from May to September, and some only reopen in spring, like ROOF, open from April to October. The glass-walled rooms of Silo CPH, Sticks'n'Sushi and Tramonto, the conservatory at Sanders Rooftop and the greenhouse at Gro Spiseri, on the other hand, welcome visitors all year round, and several terraces are equipped with heaters and blankets. Denmark does not use the euro: prices are shown in Danish kroner (DKK), and bank cards are accepted almost everywhere. Copenhagen is an expensive city, and a cocktail on a rooftop generally costs 130 to 160 kroner. Finally, remember to book for sunset, especially at weekends; booking is essential at Gro Spiseri, which operates by reservation only.
Photo : Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0