If you have grown tired of plastic Christmas trees, fake Santas, and the same three Christmas songs playing on repeat in every single mall, then a Copenhagen Christmas vacation might be just what the Doctor ordered.
Visiting Copenhagen at Christmas time is a wonderful chance to visit delightful, and unique Christmas markets, such as the Tivoli and Christiania Christmas markets. You will also have the opportunity to experience uniquely Danish holiday traditions. Eating delicious Danish Christmas foods is a must when you visit Copenhagen for Christmas. Leave your Christmas shopping till the last minute, and shop for fun Danish gifts that your family, and friends will love.
Experience the best Christmas markets in Copenhagen with this free printable guide and map for the ultimate self-guided walking tour.
Experience Danish Christmas Traditions in Copenhagen
Being Danish but growing up internationally, Christmas in Denmark has always felt very special to me, even after spending six years living in Calgary Canada, for me to really get into the Christmas spirit I have to be in Denmark. As a culture, Danes have had several thousand years to learn how to cope with the shortest days of the year, the bitter biting wind, and of course how to celebrate the winter solstice. The upshot of this is that there are specific traditions that I look forward to every year, and without which Christmas becomes quite bland.
For example, a key component of a Scandinavian Christmas is the ‘Nisse’, a small elf-like creature. Although they do ultimately work for ‘Julemanden’, which directly translates to ‘the Christmas man’, aka Santa, they are most definitely not the elves that you may know from American movies. The ‘Nisse’ or ‘Nisser’ tradition evolved from the Viking era where it was believed that every farm had small gods that watched over the household. In order to appease them, and ensure that they would protect the farm, it was common to give them small offerings of sweet porridge. To this day a lot of Danish Christmas songs will reference Nisser, and urge you to leave out some rice porridge for them, so as to avoid upsetting them. Around Christmas you should also be very careful about leaving marzipan, and Christmas cookies lying around unattended as they may very well be purloined by a cheeky Nisse, or a christmas cookie loving husband, who simply shifts the blame to nisserne.
Although not limited to Christmas, the Danish concept of Hygge is an integral part of any Danish Christmas. Hygge is a Danish word, and concept that does not have a direct translation to English, but the word cozy will get you 70% off the way there. Hygge is extremely important for Danes during the long hours of darkness at winter time, and typically involves creating a warm atmosphere with soft lighting, candles, natural furnishings, and comfortable wool throws.
Another classic Danish tradition is the Julefrokost (Christmas lunch), there are no hard and fast rules for this lunch, but it will usually involve rye bread, pickled herrings, and either flæsk or flæskesteg. Although by no means mandatory, it is not unusual to consume copious amounts of beer and snapps as you take the opportunity to celebrate Christmas early with friends or family. There are a lot of restaurants offering Julefrokost, some more traditional than others, so your best bet is to take a look at different restaurants as you wander around town, and see which one catches your eye.
Visit Christmas Markets in Copenhagen
Although the French and the Germans may have invented the Christmas market, and would probably win a competition on sheer scale, the Danes should not be so easily dismissed, they are after all the land of Hygge.
Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark, and is a fantastic place to spend time in during the Christmas season. There are several Christmas markets throughout the city, and the numerous bakeries around town are busy baking all the Christmas goodies you could desire. During the Christmas season Strøget, one of the longest pedestrian shopping streets in Europe, is lined with vendors selling freshly roasted caramelised almonds, making it impossible not to get into the Christmas mood.
The biggest Christmas market in Copenhagen can be found at Kongens Nytorv, a beautiful cobble stoned square established in 1670 by King Christian V. Entrance to this market is free, and the huge square is filled with a spectacular display of lights, and stalls selling local goods, and naturally plenty of delicious Christmas food.
If you find yourself with a craving for even more Christmas market goodness you can take a short stroll to Nyhavn where you will find another Christmas market. At the Nyhavn Christmas market you will find lots of interesting stalls set against the pretty backdrop of the old harbour, and the charming old houses on both sides. If you find yourself feeling at home in Nyhavn you are in good company, as the famous Danish author H.C Andersen spent several decades living in Nyhavn starting in 1848.
If you are still capable of walking in a straight line, after the numerous mugs of gløgg required to stay warm, you can make your way to Christiania which is a ‘free town’ in the Christianshavn area of Copenhagen. This alternative town dates back to 1971, and has since then been home to people seeking a more communal, and sustainable way of living. Christiania also hosts a Christmas market every year, with a focus on their unique values.
Last but not least, Tivoli creates their own Christmas market, and experience every year. This market is not free, but if you have never been to Tivoli before it is worth paying the entrance fee. The whole park is wonderfully decorated, and there is a distinctly calm, and cozy atmosphere as you walk around the gardens.
Here’s a free printable Christmas market walking tour guide with map directions, for the best Christmas markets in Copenhagen:
Try Delicious Danish Christmas Food
The most important Christmas food items to try in Denmark are gløgg, and æbleskiver. Gløgg is the Scandinavian version of the German glühwein (mulled wine), but since it has been around since the 16th Century, it has definitely become unique. The biggest difference is that gløgg tends to be sweeter, and includes raisins, orange zest as well as blanched almonds, whether it also includes rum or schnapps is a personal preference. Æbleskiver are pan fried pancake balls that are served warm with powdered sugar, and your choice of raspberry or strawberry jam. I can assure you that they taste as amazing as they sound, and you will quickly become addicted to these warm dough balls.
If you opt for the gløgg and æbleskiver combo, which I strongly suggest you do, you will find yourself pleasantly warmed up, and ready to keep soaking in the Christmas spirit of Copenhagen.
Last but not least, if you want a more substantial meal, I would keep a keen eye out for stalls that will sell you a flæskestegsandwich. Flæsktesteg is a traditional Danish pork roast served around Christmas with a crisp, and crunchy layer of fat on top. It is usually served with boiled caramelised potatoes, sweet stewed red cabbage, and of course plenty of gravy made from the roast drippings. The sandwich version essentially squashes all of that deliciousness between two buns. Although mind bogglingly delicious, it is definitely not a sandwich to eat on a first date as you will end up with gravy, and cabbage everywhere.
Treat Yourself with a Little Christmas Shopping in Copenhagen
Whether you choose to start your Copenhagen experience at Kongens Nytorv or Rådhuspladsen, Strøget is a great place to find Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers, for all budgets. For clothing, perfume, and make-up a trip to Magasin du Nord, one of the oldest department stores in Europe, is a must.
If you still have money left over, and you love to drool over classic mid century furniture pieces, then you can pop into Illums Bolighus, and admire the timeless Danish classics. The ground level of Illums Bolighus is also a great place to pick up Scandinavian design gifts that will fit in your luggage. Last but not least you can pop into Søstrene Grene where you will find a lot of affordable Christmas decorations, and stocking stuffers to take back home.
Experience the Wonder of Christmas at Tivoli Gardens
If you want a unique Christmas experience at one of the oldest theme parks in the world, a trip to Tivoli is a must. Although technically a theme park, since there are rides, Tivoli is best thought of as the sophisticated European cousin of the North American theme park.
At Christmas time Tivoli is transformed with beautiful traditional Christmas decorations, and cozy lights. There is also a Christmas market inside Tivoli, where there are booths set up with heated tents that provide cozy seating with sheepskin rugs, and blankets. Naturally they also sell æbleskiver, and gløgg which makes for an incredibly ‘hyggelig’ atmosphere. Just be careful not to lean back too far, and fall backwards off your chair like I did last time I went.
There is an entrance fee to enter Tivoli, unlike the other Christmas markets, which is around $22 per person. However, if you plan on visiting more than twice I would recommend buying an annual pass that will grant you unlimited access for 12 months, and it also creates the perfect excuse to come back, and explore the park in the summer.
Getting to the Christmas Markets
If you want to visit the Christmas markets we discussed above, but also minimise the time you have to spend in the blustery wind, and cold of a Danish winter, you can easily take the metro from almost anywhere in Greater Copenhagen to the centre of Copenhagen. If you get off at the Kongens Nytorv stop you will find yourself in the heart of the city, and only steps away from the eponymous Christmas market.
However, as I alluded to earlier, I would really recommend taking a walk along Strøget, which is the main pedestrian street that runs through the old town, and soaking in the atmosphere. If you are taking the metro, you can simply take the M3 or M4 metro line and get off at Rådhuspladsen, which is a large square in front of the iconic town hall building. If you want to visit Tivoli, then you can also use this stop, as it is only a short walk from Rådhuspladsen to Tivoli.
If you stick to Strøget, and the pedestrian streets that branch off from it, you will have a hard time getting lost, and if you just keep walking you will find yourself in Kongens Nytorv. If you do find yourself wandering around without a clue as to where you are, feel free to ask a local as most Danes speak fluent English.
Is Christmas in Copenhagen Worth It?
Of course I have to admit to a certain degree of bias here, but I would have to say that it is absolutely worth it. Because Copenhagen is a relatively small city you do not have to spend a lot of days here to soak in and enjoy the Christmas spirit. In fact if you want to spend longer in Denmark, I would definitely recommend leaving the capital, and exploring the Christmas markets in Århus and Odense. If you have a rental car, you can also explore a lot of the other lesser known, but probably more intimate, Christmas markets that pop up around the country.
