Uber cool Copenhagen

Try not falling in love with this city. We dare you. Words by Nikki Wallman

Five minutes in the back of a cab on a balmy, beckoning, spring Saturday evening and I fall hard and fast for Copenhagen.

Cruising past the twinkling, fairytale lights of the Tivoli Gardens; blinking wearily out the window at the impossibly gorgeous, fashionably-clad people milling on pavements and drinking at footpath tables, all laidback and happy and casually gorgeous; taking in the seamless juxtaposition of architecture and nature, I’m shocked by how quickly it creeps up on me.

It’s kind of like that first date that feels like the tenth: you know the one, where “Maybe one glass of wine and a main" becomes “Champagne, starter, bottle of wine, mains, bottle of wine, dessert, coffee… one more back at mine?"

I’ve just never arrived in a city and felt so, well, at ease. This, I later realise, is because Copenhagen is almost certainly the coolest city in the world.

Copenhagen, I love you. Let me count the ways.

Cool people

Something hits me in the light of day as I venture into the stress-free streets.

Everyone – I repeat, everyone – is either outrageously good looking; ridiculously good looking; or just plain old good looking.

And not only are they really, really good looking: they’re totally cool about it. They stroll or cycle around (55 per cent commute by bike), committing random acts of coolness without a hint of artifice.

A Ryan Gosling lookalike cycles past, his two mini-me children perched upfront in a little basket.

A few blocks later, at the entrance to the Botanisk Have (an urban oasis where hipsters and lovers lounge on the grass), a woman wearing Birkenstocks, a dress from Prada’s current collection, and a battered leather backpack is being photographed by a street-style blogger. Cool.

Copenhagen girls can pull off white jeans with ease; mix floral skirts with tough ankle boots; and love Breton stripes and forest-green military jackets, subtly accessorised with the finest gold chains and rings.

Make-up is minimal – all that cycling seems to not only keep them trim, but beautifully glowing too (mental note: buy bike). The men may also be the only ones on the planet to be able to wear man-shorts and cardigans, and still look sexy.

In a bid to avoid being outed as a non-native, it’s clear I must go shopping.

Strøget – the longest pedestrian shopping strip in Europe – is an obvious choice, with highlights including the posh Birger Christensen, a hit list of luxe and high-street chains and, just off the main strip, the department store Magasin du Nord, where I find global and local favourites including Day Birger et Mikkelsen and classics with a Copenhagen-cool twist from By Malene Birger.

For a boutique experience, venture into the sidestreets off Strøget or head to Gothersgade, a major street running from the Lakes past the Botanisk Have and Rosenborg Castle.

Here, I pick up a delicate burnished silver ring set with a tiny, perfect diamond from Line & Jo, a jewellery boutique beloved by Nordic fashionistas.

Just down the road at Lot #29, I admire their own-label, super-soft cashmere jumpers and sigh over Grecian leather sandals and silk print pieces from Danish label Nuit Comme Oui.

Finally, I hit up the affordable knitted jumpers, neon scarves and colourful coats at Superlove. Sorted.

Cool city

I’m pleasantly surprised to find that my Segway Tour with Tours CPH is not only ridiculously fun (once I forget about looking like a massive dork), but a fantastic way to get both an oversight of, and some brilliant insight into, the city.

Seamus, our small group’s guide, is a wealth of insider information.

Zipping around the city streets on our upright chariots, he relays via microphones in our helmets just how bike-friendly Copenhagen is (cars are always at fault in car/bike accidents; green lights are guaranteed along certain stretches of road if cyclists keep to 20 kilometres per hour); and shows us the tiny café where Princess Mary apparently gets her hot chocolates (Kafferiet), and one of the prettiest parks in the city, the Kulturcentret Assistens – the final resting place of Hans Christian Andersen.

Cool design

I decide to brush up on my knowledge at Designmuseum Danmark.

It’s a comprehensive collection cataloguing design in its various guises from around the world, from the Middle Ages through to today. And yes – there are heaps of original, über-cool chairs from Arne Jacobsen and co to gawk at too.

A couple of hours later, feeling decidedly design-savvy, I head back to Strøget to exercise my newfound design nous.

The hallowed, four-storey turf of Illums Bolighus has been lauded by the Financial Times as ‘the best place in the world for furniture and design’ and is artfully packed with homewares and furnishings from the big-hitters (Royal Copenhagen, Georg Jensen) to the up-and-coming.

I seriously ponder the cost and wisdom of shipping a white, ceramic moose head lamp back to Sydney before regaining my senses and heading to Hay, where I admire bright bobble carpets, geometric kitchen platters in a pastel rainbow of colours, and quirky office accessories.

Cool nights out

Things happen easily in Copenhagen; you stumble upon good times.

One night, I get talking to two guys who look like they might be plotting the new Facebook over a boutique ale outside one of Copenhagen’s hippest drinking spots, microbrewery Mikkeller Bar.

They happen to have just met up with Dave, a chef at Relae in the super-cool Norrebro district. I’ve been dying to visit this offshoot from Christian Puglisi, a former chef at Noma, but alas, it’s shut while I’m here.

“You wanna write about something cool?", asks Dave. “Go to Manfreds & Vin."

He also works in the kitchen at this tiny neighbourhood restaurant, across the road from Relae (also run by Puglisi).

So the next night I rock up to the unassuming, cosy underground restaurant.

I’m guided to a stool at the bar where two bartenders are busy opening, smelling, sipping and spitting bottle after bottle of organic wine.

I go for the seven-course ‘Chef’s choice’ menu (matched with three glasses of wine, handpicked by the bartender), a parade of simple, perfectly formed dishes: baked beets in a vibrant green sorrel sauce; tender roulade of veal on shaved celeriac; green salad with elderberry capers and rye bread crisp; poached 65-degree egg on a mushroom compote with toasted buckwheat and edible flowers… I never want it to end, but it does so in spectacular fashion – with a decadent yet light-as-air chocolate mousse topped with crunchy chocolatey biscuit.

Two words: go here!

Cool café culture

I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to sampling the best smørrebrød – Danish open sandwiches – in town.

If you’re on Strøget, head to Royal Smushi Café. The whimsical space is decorated with spectacular rainbow lighting, which hangs from the roof like the Northern Lights, and serves ‘smushi’ – a combination of smørrebrød and sushi.

I try three – shrimp with chive mayonnaise, herring marinated in a light curry sauce, and cockerel salad with olives and celery. They’re mini pieces of art – small, precise and carefully constructed.

If you’re after something more substantial, head to Aamanns Deli & Takeaway.

I bag a table out the front on the street (but you can also order a picnic to enjoy in a nearby park). It’s here that I enjoy one of those serene, transformative moments that keeps you searching for the next one.

There’s no fancy food or expensive bottle of wine. Just me in the sunshine; a pretty bottle of light Danish beer; and two perfect pieces of smørrebrød – a ‘summer tartare’, consisting of delicately minced raw beef topped with capers, tart yellow tomatoes, capers, splotches of sour cream and crispy, tiny potato chips for crunch.

It’s everything I love about Copenhagen: restrained, balanced; cleverly planned for maximum enjoyment – yet with exciting contrasts; little surprises of genius and originality; style and substance in equal measure.

For all these reasons and many more, Copenhagen, I love you. I will be back for that second date soon.

Weekly travel news, experiences
insider tips, offers, and more.

The details

How to get there
You’ll need to stop over somewhere, depending on your carrier.
www.singaporeair.com offers return fares from Sydney to Copenhagen with a stopover in Singapore from $1505; British Airways stops in London with fares departing Sydney from $1800.

When to go
Winter allows you to experience true hygge (cosiness), as the city cosies up against the brutal cold. Spring and summer are perfect for street, music and food festivals.

Where to stay

Affordable
Hotel Fox won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you want to embrace Copenhagen’s design obsession on a budget, try the Fox, with whacky rooms designed by different artists. Medium rooms from $148 per night. Jarmers Plads 3, DK-1551; +45 339 577 55.

Comfortable
Bertrams Hotel Guldsmelden is a boutique hotel that has a bit of a Balinese vibe going on, with four-poster beds. From $240 a night. Vesterbrogade 107 DK-1620; +45 33 25 04 05.

Luxury
Nimb Hotel has just 17 rooms and suites, situated in the fairytale grounds of the Tivoli Gardens, The Nimb – housed in a Moorish-inspired ‘palace’ – adds a little magic to any stay in Copenhagen. From $796 per night. Bernstorffsgade 5, 1577 Copenhagen; +45 88 70 00 00.

You can’t leave without
Trying to get snapped by a street-style photographer. Observe the locals, dress the part and go for it!

Best bit
Feeling like you’ve entered some kind of modern day utopia, filled with beautiful, happy, healthy people; amazing architecture; cutting-edge food and fashion; and an overwhelming sense that this is the good life.

Worst bit
Christiania, the ‘freetown’ area of Christianshavn renowned for its liberal approach to drugs (and, seemingly, personal hygiene). Some hail it as a brilliant social experiment, but to me it felt like Nimbin after the apocalypse.

You should know
Walking or cycling around Copenhagen is cheap, easy and allows you to experience the city’s street life.

Taxi drivers often ask for your credit card before your trip begins – they pre-authorise it and you just sign before jumping out.

Many restaurants, museums and bars are closed Sunday, Monday and/or Tuesday so plan accordingly to avoid disappointment.

A Copenhagen Card gives you free public transport and free or reduced entry to a number of museums and attractions for 24, 48, 72, or 120 hours.

For more information see visitcopenhagen.com

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.