Copenhagen

A travel diary

text: Sarah Knigge

Guide

No. 30 • June 2023

text: Sarah Knigge

While visiting Piet Oudolf’s Garden of Eden, the editors of See All This explored the area. Find our favourite places to eat, stroll, stay and look at art, in this travel diary of Copenhagen.

text: Sarah Knigge

1. Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

Gl Strandvej 13, Humlebæk

A forty-minute train ride from the city centre of Copenhagen takes you to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, in the coastal town of Humlebæk. The museum was founded in 1958 by Knud W. Jensen, who intended for it to be a home for modern Danish art. It turned out to be an immediate success: in its first year, the expected 40,000 visitors would actually be no less than 225,000. On the property you’ll find the Old Villa with works from the collection, exhibition pavilions, the famous Giacometti Gallery and Kusama’s installation Gleaming Lights of the Souls, and a spectacular sculpture park, with works by artists such as Henry Moore, Alexander Calder and Alicja Kwade. Each relating to their stunning sur- roundings: ‘Each work demands to be seen without too much competition from other works of art and without a restrictive landscape setting’, Jensen said..

Fig 3. Works by Alicja Kwade in the garden of the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

2. Jerome Vintage and Brigade Store

Vesterbrogade 36 and 75, Copenhagen

Vesterbrogade 36 and 75, Copenhagen

In Copenhagen, they know style. For the most unique pieces, head over to Jerome, a boutique specialized in vintage clothing, with a curated selection with items from fashion houses like Hermès, Yves Saint Laurent and Issey Miyake. Once you’re at Versterbrogade, walk over to Brigade, a store with a gallery space where you can browse through a beautiful selection of art magazines and books, sit down with a coffee and a croissant, and look at works by upcoming artists.

Pick up a copy of See All This at this beautiful bookstore, coffeeshop, and gallery. BRIGADE

Fig 5. Noma copenhagen

3. Statens Museum for Kunst

Fig 6. Discover the works of Danish artist Sonja Ferlov Mancoba in the museum’s collection.

3. Statens Museum for Kunst

Sølvgade 48-50, Copenhagen

The National Gallery of Denmark, SMK, is Denmark’s largest art museum. The collection was originally founded as the royal collec- tion (the private property of the Danish monarchy), but when the the country transitioned to a democracy in 1849, the art collection was passed on to all Danes. Since then, it has been amplified with art from the past seven centuries.

4. Kødbyens Fiskebar

Flæsketorvet 100, Copenhagen

Fig 7. Fresh seafood and natural wines are served at Fiskebar in the meatpacking district.

Flæsketorvet 100, Copenhagen

How about a blushing pink langoustine tartar, poached king crab, and mussels steamed in apple cider, with a slice of milk bread or sourdough? Kødbyens Fiskebar is the place to spend the evening if you’re in for fresh fish and a glass of natural wine. The restaurant is situated, ironically, in a former butcher’s shop in the commercial meat market, a buzzing industrial area with many more restaurants and bars that are all worth paying a visit.

5. House of Finn Juhl

Vilvordevej 110, Charlottenlund

Fig 8. House of Finn Juhl

Vilvordevej 110, Charlottenlund

Visiting homes and studio’s is probably the best way to get close to the inner workings of an artist. As is the case, when entering the universe of Finn Juhl (1912-1989) in Ordrup, a forty-minute train ride up north from Copenhagen. He designed the place from the inside-out: allowing the furniture and interior to influence the design of each room, and for each room to in turn influence how the exterior of the house would be shaped. Even though the designs of the modernist pioneer were not always understood in his time – critics once described his chair as a ‘tired walrus’ and a ‘punctured tennis ball’ – today, they are hailed as mid-century classics, appreciated for their organic shapes and lightness. While you’re there, don’t skip the adjacent Ordrupgaard Museum, designed by Zaha Hadid, nor a smørrebrød with herring at the museum café.

Finn Juhl

‘One cannot create happiness with beautiful objects, but one can spoil quite a lot of happiness with bad ones’

Fig 10. The way the light falls into the rooms was of great importance to Finn Juhl when designing his house.

6. Noma

Refshalevej 96, Copenhagen

Fig 11. Thin slices of scoby with rosehip berries, apple and a quince broth | photo: Sarah Knigge

Refshalevej 96, Copenhagen

You have to have a little bit of luck and quite a bit of pocket money, if you want to take a seat at the world’s best restaurant but it’s worth trying, because you are in for a once in a lifetime experience. The restaurant, which has its own Piet Oudolf garden, will not be serving guests daily, from 2025 on, so make sure not to wait for too long.

7. Nobis Hotel

7. Nobis Hotel

Niels Brocks Gade 1, Copenhagen

If you enjoy staying at elegant and luxurious places without too much hassle, then look no further: Nobis Hotel is where you need to be. The rooms of the striking building feature classic and contemporary Scandinavian design, with attention to material and detail – see the stunning light installation in the monumental staircase, or the handcrafted furniture. The hotel is situated in the ideal location, next to the Tivoli Gardens and within walking distance of the train station.

8. Ruby

Nybrogade 10, Copenhagen

Nybrogade 10, Copenhagen

The old townhouse from 1740, in the oldest part of town, used to accommodate a book press, a private bank and cultural ministry. Since 2007, it’s become the place where you can source the best cocktails in town. From the classics to funky, fizzy and refreshing blends, they have everything you might crave on a long summer’s day.