Summer is up and cities across Europe have planted palm trees and trucked in tons of sand to urban riverfronts to create the feeling of a lazy day at the shore. Urban beaches are a hit and Momondo guides you to our favourites.
COPENHAGEN
Island Brygge Harbour Bath Photo: Jeaneeem
Author David Rich
Beach life in Copenhagen!! To many this doesn’t sound too tempting if possible at all. However, the beach scene up here in the ‘far north’ is actually alive and vibrant (at least on those few days during the summer when the sun actually shines). Copenhagen’s local authorities have put a great effort into cleaning the city’s once polluted waters and today the Danish capital can boast about having a swimmable inner harbour with several places that offer the perfect combination of urban coolness and beach life laid-backness.
Islands Brygge Harbour Bath
Photo: Nomanson
Islands Brygge used to be an industrial and rundown harbour area, but is now Copenhagen’s epicenter on a hot summer day. This is the place where the local youth hang out trying to impress the opposite sex with their fit bodies, impressive tattoos and new swim wear. Though swimming is only allowed inside the fenced pool area, it is very popular to jump into the water all along the water front, while avoid getting caught and fined by be the police who occasionally turn up in their patrol boat. In the evenings the lawns along the waterfront are packed with people having barbeques drinking anything alcoholic.
The harbour bath at Islands Brygge is open every day from 11 AM to 19 PM from early June to late August and there is no entrance fee.
ISLANDS BRYGGE HARBOUR BATH Islands Brygge, 2300 Copenhagen S
Copencabana
Photo: Björnstar
If shopping and swimming is your thing then Copencabana (a true wordsmith must be behind this name!) is just the right place to spend a summer day in Copenhagen. This harbour pool is located opposite to Islands Brygge and its closest neighbour is the shopping mall Fisketorvet.
Copencabana is open every day from 11 AM to 19 PM from early June to late August and there is no entrance fee.
COPENCABANA Havneholmen 1, 1561 Copenhagen V
Copenhagen Cablepark
Copenhagen Cablepark will appeal to the more active beach-goers. Here wakeboarders and waterskiers can have the pleasure of being pulled through the water at high speed by wires which are attached to six pylons in the water. There is really no excuse for not participating in the fun as it is possible to rent all the necessary equipment. However, those of us who’d rather drink poison than make a fool out of ourselves in front of all the cool dudes and chicks, can always hide in a sun chair in the cable park’s open air (beach)café, which has barbeques on most weekend nights depending on the weather.
The season at Copenhagen Cablepark starts early April and finishes late October. On weekdays the cablepark is open from 12 AM to 20 PM and in the weekends the opening hours are 10 AM to 20 PM.
COPENHAGEN CABLEPARK Kraftværksvej 20, 2300 Copenhagen S
Halvandet
Photo: UffeKfoto.dk
At the tip of the Refshale Island in an old industrial area resides the beach café Halvandet with the former shipyard B&W as its neighbour. The people behind have put a great effort into creating the right beach-like atmosphere and have build sundecks and placed sun chairs right on the waterfront where one can have a drink (avoid the food!) to the sweet sounds of chill-out music, while enjoying the spectacular views. At Halvandet it is also possible to play kayak polo, beach volley and basketball and of course the café has its own marina for guests arriving in their own boat. Those of us who aren’t this fortunate can jump on one of the Canal Tours’ tour boats (green route), which stop at Halvandet. Alternatively the café is a 20 minutes bike ride from the city center.
Halvandet is open from early April to late September.
HALVANDET Refshalevej 325, 1432 Copenhagen K
Docken
Photo: Stolze
The ‘beach’ café, Docken, is also located in an industrial harbour area. To create the right ‘lazy-day-at-the-beach-feel’, tons of sand and sun chairs have generously been spread out all over the café’s outdoor area and a huge terrace has been build, from where there are first class views to the Copenhagen Harbour and the Øresund Strait. In addition to the beverages Docken offers a menu that is slightly more ambitious than what is being served at Copenhagen’s other beach bars and there are several cultural events.
The Café is a 15 minute walk from the Nordhavn train station and can also be reached by bus no. 26 (drives only on weekdays) if of course you don’t go there by bike.
Docken is open all year.
KULTURKAJEN DOCKEN Færgehavnsvej 35, 2100 Copenhagen Ø
Go further:
Beach life in Paris
Beach Life in Stockholm
Beach Life in Madrid
Beach Life in New York
Beach Life in Prague
Beach Life in Amsterdam
Beach Life in London
Beach Life in Berlin