Where To Stay In Copenhagen ( BEST AREA & Hotels )

Which is the best area to stay in Copenhagen?

By David Harrison. Sept 09, 2022

A city steeped in history and at the cutting edge of design and fashion, with a booming and innovative food and drink scene and a laid-back attitude to life. It’s a city with a unique vibe, creative heart and shaped by the surrounding waterways. Denmark is often cited as being the world’s happiest country, and a visit to Copenhagen underscores why. As a year-round destination, the city bustles with life during the summertime and transforms into a winter wonderland during the Christmas season. A cozy, eco-conscious, cycle friendly society, which operates seamlessly, and is the envy of many places around the world.

The best area to stay in Copenhagen is Indre By. The City Centre and historic heart, where postcard perfect buildings house cozy bars and restaurants, alongside waterways and grand Scandi architecture. Home to the city’s main shopping districts, which are at the forefront of fashion, and world-famous attractions including one of the oldest theme parks on earth, Tivoli Gardens. It’s a cultural hub with fantastic museums and galleries, stunning parks, and many of the city’s popular nightclubs. An area where there is something to do and see for all ages and easy to navigate on foot.

Other areas to stay in Copenhagen: Nørrebro, Vesterbro, Christianshavn, Frederiksberg and **Amager.**On the map, which shows the best place to stay in Copenhagen, you can see a selection of some of the best located hotels.

If you are interested in where to stay in Copenhagen, you may also be interested in where to stay in Stockholm, where to stay in Oslo, or where to stay in Helsinki.

Indre By, the best area to stay in Copenhagen for a weekend

First Time / Tourist / A Weekend

The area boasts great variety - from the 19th century amusement park Tivoli Gardens, the 17th century “Kastellet” fortress, ultra-modern architecture along the southern sea border, and the historic canal network around Nyhavn, which is home to several traditional, national restaurants and bars. Running through the heart of the area is “Strøget”, the city’s main shopping street, one of the longest pedestrianised streets in Europe and home to 100s of fashion shops and boutiques. The area is covered with cultural attractions, including The Botanical Garden, The National Museum of Denmark, The Marble Church, and the world-famous Little Mermaid Statue, along with many more.

It’s also an area with many large parks and a long promenade walkway with places to swim or rent kayaks and paddleboards. Well-connected to the rest of the city by metro, cycle lanes and home to the main train station - it’s the place to base yourself in Copenhagen, only 15 minutes metro from the airport.

Hotels in Copenhagen City Centre

Other areas to stay in Copenhagen

Nørrebro

Nightlife / Bars / Restaurants

Copenhagen’s creative beating heart, just north of Indre by over an inner-city lake, and an area which was named as the Coolest Neighborhood on Earth by Time magazine in recent years. It’s a thriving multicultural hub, full of diverse eateries, boutiques, craft breweries, coffee roasteries, vintage shops and record stores.

Covered head to toe in street art and with many pop-up exhibition spaces, it’s the place to be seen in the city. Home to many of the city’s creative communities, it also has a wealth of free to use futuristic public spaces including skateparks, sports facilities and playgrounds. It’s a place where the streets are always alive and are home to music festivals, street parades and sports competitions. It’s also an area where you won’t go hungry. With Michelin star Thai restaurants to Ethiopia street food, there is something for everyone. Extremely well linked to the city centre and only 5 minutes metro or cycle into the historic heart.

Hotels in Nørrebro

Vesterbro

Art / Music / Food Lovers

Another focal point for Copenhagen’s drinking and dining scene, just west of Indre By and the city’s main train station. It’s an area which has been transformed in recent years and home to a unique former Meat Packing District, which now houses 100s of independent businesses including many eateries, breweries, galleries, bars, and coffee roasteries. The area once housed the city’s red-light district, but has now been replaced by 1,000s of families, artists, and other creatives.

The area’s streets also play host to street markets and music events, while nearby the city’s most famous music venue, Vega, hosts international artists all year around. It’s a place crisscrossed with grand boulevards, public art, and several large street art murals. Like Nørrebro, Vesterbro has a vast array of dining and drinking options, and it’s only a short cycle or metro into the city centre and historic heart.

Hotels in Vesterbro

Christianshavn

Cozy / Authentic / Pretty

A beautiful waterside neighborhood and is a part of the Indre By, and just a short walk or cycle across one of a few bridges to the historic centre. The area has a relaxed vibe, and you can almost forget you’re in the centre of a capital city. It’s home to the futuristic Opera House, the historic church of Our Saviour’s, and the restaurant Noma, which has won awards for being the World’s Best Restaurant in recent years.

Christianshavn is also home to Freetown Christiania - one of the most unique communities in Europe. The former military base was taken over by squatters in the 1970s and remains in the hands of a hippie community 50 years later. Around 1,000 people live there permanently, and it’s one of Copenhagen’s most popular tourist attractions - with music venues, pop-up restaurants, bars, art installations and “Pusher Street” where cannabis is sold openly in a street market and tourists flock to smoke.

Hotels in Christianshavn

Frederiksberg

Parks / With kids

The area which separates Vesterbro and Nørrebro, to the north-east of Indre By. With long, vivid, tree lined boulevards, it’s now also seeing a boom in new cafés, restaurants and bars opening to serve its growing popularity. The city’s zoo is in the neighbourhood and placed alongside the beautiful Frederiksberg Garden and the serene oasis “Haveselskabets have”.

Frederiksberg stands out from its hip neighbours as a calmer, cleaner, and less touristy spot. It’s a popular area for both the elderly and young families, with an authentic atmosphere that includes art galleries, coffee roasteries and wine bars. If you’re seeking a peaceful escape from the nightlife scene and the hustle and bustle of the historic centre, Frederiksberg is the perfect happy medium while still being within reach of the lively streets of Vesterbro and Nørrebro. Like most of Copenhagen, it’s only a short cycle or metro to the city centre or its cool neighboring areas.

Hotels in Frederiksberg

Amager

Beaches / Airport

A beachside neighborhood sitting slap bang between Indre By and the city’s main airport in the south. With long stretches of sandy coastline, this area is a hive of activities in the summer and is the home of a number of cool attractions including a dry ski-slope on top of a power station, a wakeboard cable park, seaside saunas and diving spots, kitesurfing schools and kayak and paddleboard rental.

It’s also home to the National Aquarium, the National Symphony Orchestra, award-winning modern architecture and is now seeing popular businesses from places like Nørrebro and Vesterbro opening sister branches in the area. With long waterside cycle lanes and large expanses of green spaces it’s the perfect place to escape the busy city centre streets, which are only 10 minutes away by metro, and it’s only a hassle-free, 7-minute journey, to the airport.

Hotels in Amager

Our recommended hotels in Copenhagen

Use the interactive map to navigate through our recommended hotels in Copenhagen Note: Hotel prices can change daily due to promotions, seasons, and demand. Our $ - $$$$ scale shows the overall cost range rather than exact prices.