Copenhagen Design Tour by Bicycle
As part of my first trip to Scandinavia, which has always been on my bucket list, my girlfriend and I spent a few days in Oslo visiting my Mum who had travelled across from Australia. As those three days whipped past we were on our way to Copenhagen as we thought ‘hey while we’re over here why not visit’.
On day two we visited the Designmuseum Danmark which is just outside the city centre and well worth a visit. I learned quite a bit about where the Danish design style had begun all the way through to where it is now. We spent about 1-2 hours walking through the various sections which take you from the beginnings to the current period of design.
To reward your knowledge intake there is a little cafe and also a design shop which is always worth a walk through.
After a few days walking through this marvellous town which in some ways is similar to London but a little more relaxed and easy going we decided to rent some bicycles and visit some design shops.
We used the great bicycle rental system of Donkey Republic which uses a mobile app to activate your bike for a day of cycling or shorter period if you prefer. We wanted the bicycles for a day and it set us back DKK100 which is roughly £12 for each bicycle. The best part of the system is you can lock and unlock your bicycle at each destination meaning you won't have someone else using the app come along and take your bicycles.
So we started North East of the city where we had been staying at an amazing AirBnb near Nordhavn St Station which we would highly recommend: Copenhagen AirBnb.
Our first stop was Studio Arhoj which is an amazing little ceramic studio that has about 12 people making ceramic pieces from egg cups to vases. The pieces can be found in Saatchi Gallery in London amongst other shops globally.
Cycling time: 20mins
Second stop was for some lunch at Copenhagen Street Food which we had learned through our boat cruise had moved slightly further away but still worth the trip and by bicycle didn't take long at all.
There are so many food stalls to choose from so you're sure to find exactly what you're after.
Cycling time: 17mins
So now we had refuelled it was on to the next stop which was Nordic Nesting a new design store in central Copenhagen.
The thing I love about these stores is that you can find such a vast array of design wares from cups to nifty gadgets for the home but all with that amazing Danish style.
Cycling time: 18mins
The next destination was just down the road where we would lock up our bikes and visit three different shops as they were so close together.
The first shop was Royal Copenhagen Flagship Store which was recommended and if you have a keen interest in fine ceramics then this is the store for you.
One that I was very keen to check out was the HAY House where you can find all things HAY for your home. Set in the main shopping district you have to walk up a few flights of stairs to find this two story oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the streets. Definitely worth checking out if you love the Danish style.
Finally we walked around the corner to Republic of Fritz Hansen, another well known brand. This was more of a high end flagship store with a little less to browse through than the previous shops but a keen purveyor of design will still love the browse.
What better way to end the day of cycling than head over to the main canal where all the boat cruises launch from and enjoy a delicious ice cream while watching the world go by.
We ventured to Rajissimo 3 which is on the corner of Lille Strandstraede and Nyhavn.
Cycling time: 5mins
Hopefully this guide helps you by checking off two boxes when visiting Copenhagen of the design world and cycling around the local streets.
If you have any questions, send them through to designation.design@outlook.com and I can answer as best I can.
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