The Best 10 Places for Wild Swimming in Copenhagen

Denmarkoutdoors

29 Jun

Written By Ben

Whether it’s the peak of summer or the depths of Danish winter, you’ll always be able to find people swimming in Copenhagen.

Cold bathing, wild swimming, call it what you like, the tradition has a firm place in Danish culture. There are a number of private ‘bathing clubs’ throughout the city, which offer changing rooms and saunas in exchange for membership. But if you’re anything like me though, you just want to hop in the water, splash around a bit, tell everyone how cold it is and then jump out again.

In this short guide I’ve put together just a few of my favourite spots in and around Copenhagen for taking the plunge into the blue briny sea. It’s fair to say that Denmark is a country which is obssessed with the sea, and there are some great beaches further out of the city around Sjealland - but I’ve kept this list to the metropolitan city area for easy access.

So get your swimming costume on, get your shirt off and don’t forget you towel! Here’s the list of the best swimming places in Copenhagen.

Kastrup Søbad (aka The Snail)

Of all the places on my list, Kastrup Sea Bath is the most spectacular, hence its presence at number one.

Located in the stretch of water that separates Denmark and Sweden (Øresund), the structure looks eastwards out across the expanse of sea at the thin coastline of Sweden and the Øresund bridge which joins the two nations.

It was built in 2005 entirely out of an African wood called Azobe. The 750-square-metre structure is circular in design and spirals inwards like a conch shell - or indeed a snail as the nickname suggests.

It’s pretty easy to get to from the city centre by metro and offers the swimmer a lovely approach through the sandy beach dunes of Amager Beach Park. You’ll find people here doing all kinds of things from kayaking, windsurfing and SUP - but I prefer to just sit and take it all in!

See the location of Kastrup Sea Bath here: https://goo.gl/maps/EoLmiRgtQKBxyBPE6

2. Islands Brygge

Probably the most central bathing spot in all of the city. Every time I swim here I feel so lucky to live in a place which has water clean enough to swim in, right in the middle of the city.

The whole stretch of water is lovely for swimming, from the pedestrian bridge in the south at Fisketorv to the Langebro bridge to the north.

Wooden walkways and ladders allow easy access to the water and on a summer’s day you’ll see crowd of locals descend on Islands Brygge to soak up the sun and party.

If you want to swim under the watchful eye of lifeguards, hear to the Harbour Baths, which were designed by architect Bjarke Ingels in 2002, with the goal of creating a safe, clean swimming spot right in Copenhagen centre. Here, there are several pools of different depths, a picnic area and diving boards.

Cross the river to check out Kalvebod Bølge (Kalvebod Wave), a steel and wood construction which dips and waves its way out into the water, allowing further space for summer revellers to chill.

3. Svanemøllen

Lying just north of the city centre, Svanemøllen beach is a beautiful little spot for a leisurely dip.

The old pier is the best place to swim, taking you out beyond the seaweed to the deeper water. Take in the views of the yaughts and sailing boats at the Svanemøllen Marina as well as the beautiful (in my opinion!) brick-built, electric power station, Svanemøllenværket.

Unlike my first two recommendations, it’s a real beach too, so let your feet sink into the soft sand of the beach and relax.

Much like Islands Brygge to the south, this is a popular spot with Copenhagen locals, so get there early if it is a sunny day to avoid fighting over beach space like a couple of British tourists in Magaluf.

4. Bellevue beach

This is definitely a train journey or nice bike ride away from the centre of town, but I couldn’t resist including it on my list.

Bellevue Beach is situated about 10km north of the centre, very close to the S-train station called Klampenborg.

It’s a little more chilled than the busy hotspots in the centre, offering a 700 metre long sandy promenade with lifeguards, showers and food stalls spread along the beach.

Just in case that’s not enough, the lifeguard huts and changing room areas was designed by the famous Danish architect Arne Jacobsen, who also designed the nearby Bellevue Theatre which is well worth a look .

While you are up in this neck of the woods, check out my guide to Klampenborg Deer Park and the Hermitage Hunting Lodge.

5. Valbyparken

One of my favourite spots to swim in the whole city, Valby Park has a (fairly) secret beach in the south.

A short S-train or bike ride from the centre is the large Valby Park, a public park with small formal gardens and large open spaces. In the summer, the park is filled with families and friends having BBQs, playing sports and relaxing in the sun.

At the eastern tip, facing out towards Amager is a lovely sandy beach. You can see how much I love this beach by the expression on my face in the picture (right), where I have just finished a refreshing swim in June 2022.

6. Skrædderholmen

I discovered the beaches on this island entirely by chance and thought that it had to make it onto this list.

Skrædderholmen is an island used only by the Amager Motorway bridge. Until recently I didn’t even know it was possible to visit the island until I was cycling over the bridge and saw a small bike track descending into the overgrown forest which makes up this tiny island.

Among the trees I found beautiful footpaths and routes leading to secluded beaches on the south and an amazing inlet in the north.

The continual noise of the motorway passing overhead could make it hard to relax, but I personally love discovering beautiful things in the most unlikely of places!

Visit skrædderholm by bike only, it is impossible by car or train and the walk across the bridge on foot won’t be much fun!

7. Refshaleøen (Søndre Refshalebassin)

If you are familiar with Copenhagen you might have heard of Refshaleøen (or Reffen) before.

It is the northern tip of Amager island, hosting the huge street food market, as well as various startups, microbreweries, paintball arenas and big festivals like Copenhell. Take the ferry up here or cycle 10 minutes from the centre and you’ll find a hip bar area with good music and drinks.

Refshaleøen swimming — *Relax, enjoy the view of the harbour and take a dip to the south of the street food area where there are ladders to hop in and out. Photo from unsplash.*

8. Nordhavn (Sandkaj Harbour Baths)

Nordhavn is a pretty weird place. It’s a large artificial island build out into Copenhagen harbour and is almost constantly being built upon with new constructions.

If you read my guide to Aarhus it will remind you a lot of Aarhus Ø. Despite the fact that it is vast building site, new apartments are going up all the time and the cost of renting there are phenomenal.

Now I’ve got that off my chest, the one thing I do like about Norhavn is the lovely Sandkaj harbour baths here. A nice boardwalk provides space for walkers, sunbathers and swimmers alike, while bars and shops provide a spot to recharge after your dip.

Sandkaj is open year-round, when I first saw it in January there were a group of winter bathers taking a dip through the inches-thick ice here!

9. Harbour bath Sluseholmen

The Sluseholmen harbour bath is a beautifully designed area in the Sydhavn area of Copenhagen. The shape is inspired by a coral reef, hence the ‘koral’ in the name.

Much like the first place on my list, Kastrup Søbad, the bath has a lagoon in the centre for swimmers, with pools and diving boards at the side.

Harbour bath Sluseholmen — Photo by Krisztian Tabori

Built in 2012, it is part of the city’s ongoing aim to provide safe, clean facilities for the people of Copenhagen to enjoy swimming.

While down here in Sydhavn, explore the neighbourhood, which is one of Copenhagen’s newest areas. There are some great cafes and outdoor promenades, providing the perfect spot to look out at the boats and canoes pootling about the harbour, or a good session of people watching.

10. Fisketorvet Harbour Bath

Fisketorvet is the shopping centre at the very centre of Copenhagen. Just beside it, in the direction of Islands Brygge lies the Fisketorvet harbour bath, which has three pools: one for diving, one for kids and one for serious swimmers.

N.B. Don’t worry, it isn’t always as busy as it shows in the photo (left)!

When you visit, you’ll see that the surrounding waterside promenade areas will also be covered in swimmers and sunbathers of all ages, shapes and sizes, so you only really need to swim inside the Fisketorvet baths if you want a lifeguard keeping an eye on you.

You can grab food at food trucks which park up alongside the baths, and toilet facilities are located in the mall next door. It can get very busy with families at this site, but an evening stroll down here with your towel will offer a more relaxed experience.

There you have it. Just a few of the best spots to go swimming in Copenhagen. Enjoy!

Copenhagen is one of the few European capitals where the water is clean enough to swim in, and I feel extremely lucky to live here. Even as I write this, there are more baths and swimming places being built across the city and its surrounding areas, so I will certainly be keeping this guide updated as I go.

Please bear in mind, that only a few of the sites I mentioned have lifeguards (in the summer months), and the majority just have metal ladders to get in and out of the water.

Did I miss any of your favourites off the list? Let me know!
Want to explore more of what Scandi Culture has to offer? Check out my Guide to Klampenborg deer park.

Ben