Copenhagen is a world leader in urban livability due to its natural spaces. The city has purposefully woven green and blue elements into its dense urban fabric, making nature an accessible, daily component of city life. This integration is evident in the city’s infrastructure and planning, transforming the capital into an expansive, green landscape. These areas provide residents and visitors with varied opportunities to engage with nature, from meticulously kept gardens to semi-wild coastlines and protected forests just a short trip away.
Designated Urban Oases
The city center is dotted with several green spaces. King’s Garden, or Kongens Have, is a prime example, established in the early 17th century as King Christian IV’s private garden. This historical 12-hectare park, set against the backdrop of Rosenborg Castle, is now a popular spot for picnics and social gatherings.
The Botanical Garden, part of the University of Copenhagen, is dedicated to the study and conservation of plant life. It features Denmark’s largest collection of living plants, with over 13,000 species across its 10 hectares. Visitors can explore the historical glasshouses, which include a notable Palm House dating back to 1874, providing a tropical environment within the city.
In the Østerbro district, Fælledparken is the city’s largest park, designed as a functional “park.” This expansive area is dedicated to active recreation, featuring the largest skate park in Northern Europe and numerous facilities for football, basketball, and running. The park also hosts a significant population of bats, which roost in the park’s many century-old trees, integrating wilder nature into the recreational space.
The Water’s Edge
Copenhagen’s harbor is a defining feature of the city’s nature experience. The water quality is consistently monitored, allowing for activities like swimming and kayaking directly in the urban core, a rarity for a major European capital. This achievement resulted from modernizing the sewer system and constructing underground rainwater reservoirs to prevent contaminated overflows.
The Harbor Baths, such as the iconic Islands Brygge, are built directly into the clean harbor water, offering public swimming. Islands Brygge features five separate pools, including dedicated shallow areas for children and a five-meter diving tower, functioning as a vibrant social hub during the warmer months. These facilities have transformed the former industrial waterfront into a place of leisure.
Further enhancing the coastal experience is Amager Strandpark, a 4.6-kilometer stretch of sandy shoreline just a few kilometers from the city center. The park features an artificial island that creates a calm lagoon, making it suitable for swimming, windsurfing, and kayaking. The clean coastal waters and nearby nature preserve support a variety of birdlife, offering a blend of beach recreation and nature observation.
Wildlands Just Outside the City
Several major protected areas are easily accessible from the city center via public transport. Dyrehaven, or The Deer Park, covers 11 square kilometers and is a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized for its historical landscape and ancient oak and beech trees. The park is home to approximately 2,100 free-roaming deer, consisting of Red deer, Fallow deer, and Sika deer.
The grazing of these animals is actively managed to maintain the open, park-like landscape, which was originally established as a royal hunting ground in the 17th century. Visitors can hike or cycle along the designated paths, observing the large herds, particularly during the autumn rutting season.
Kalvebod Fælled
To the south, Kalvebod Fælled, also known as Vestamager, represents a large area of reclaimed seabed that has evolved into a significant wetland and bird sanctuary. This 20-square-kilometer area is designated as a Natura 2000 site, supporting a range of vulnerable bird species, including marsh harriers and various wading birds.
The open landscape is maintained by the grazing of over a thousand livestock, including cattle and horses, which prevent the area from becoming overgrown with forest. Hiking and cycling trails provide access, with bird towers strategically placed along the perimeter of the protected Klydesø lake reserve for wildlife viewing.