Field guide · København
The best picnic spots in Copenhagen
Eight places we send people, with the practical bits: how to get there, whether there is shade, where the toilets are, and what the park rules actually say. Written by Regina Fragola, who rents out picnic things in this city and spends a lot of the summer sitting on its lawns.
Picnic i København, kort sagt
København er lavet til picnic. Byens parker og havnekyster er gratis, åbne for alle og aldrig mere end en kort cykeltur væk. De bedste steder til picnic i København er efter vores mening Frederiksberg Have med sine lange græsplæner og skyggefulde piletræer, Kongens Have midt i byen, Islands Brygge når du vil bade mellem måltiderne, og Amager Strandpark hvis du foretrækker sand frem for græs. Nedenfor finder du otte steder med praktiske detaljer — metro, toiletter, skygge og grill-regler.
Har du ikke selv et tæppe, kurv og det hele? Hos Regina Fragola kan du leje en komplet picnic-opsætning for 399 kr. om dagen. Mad er ikke inkluderet — den vælger du selv, for eksempel fra et bageri eller Torvehallerne på vejen. Vi bringer picnicen til et aftalt sted i København og henter den igen samme sted.
Lej din picnic her — vælg dine ting, vælg dato og sted, og lad os gøre resten.
Where to go
01. Frederiksberg Have
Frederiksberg · Best for: Long, lazy afternoons
A romantic landscape garden with canals, willows and a wide open lawn below Frederiksberg Palace. From the western paths you can usually see the elephants in Copenhagen Zoo, which borders the garden. It is big enough that you can always find a quiet corner, even in July.
- Getting there
- Metro to Frederiksberg or Fasanvej, then a five-minute walk
- Ground
- Large flat lawns, plus shaded slopes under old trees
- Shade
- Plenty — willows and beech along the canals
- Toilets
- Yes, public toilets inside the park
- Grilling
- Not permitted — bring cold food instead
- Good to know
- The garden closes at dusk; opening hours shift with the season
02. Kongens Have
Indre By · Best for: A picnic between errands
The King's Garden around Rosenborg Castle is Denmark's oldest royal garden and the most central place in town to put down a blanket. The lawns fill quickly on the first warm days, so come before noon if you want the sunny side near the rose garden.
- Getting there
- Metro to Kongens Nytorv or a short walk from Nørreport
- Ground
- Flat, well-kept lawns between hedged avenues
- Shade
- Good along the lime tree avenues, less on the open lawns
- Toilets
- Yes, in the garden
- Grilling
- Not permitted
- Good to know
- Opens early in the morning and closes at sunset; hours vary by season
03. Islands Brygge
Amager · Best for: Swimming between courses
A green harbourfront strip with concrete edges, wooden decks and the city's best-known harbour bath. You sit on grass, watch the boats and get into clean water whenever the afternoon gets too warm. Loud and social rather than peaceful.
- Getting there
- Metro to Islands Brygge, then two minutes on foot
- Ground
- Lawn strip, plus wooden decking and concrete steps at the water
- Shade
- Limited — bring a hat
- Swimming
- Havnebadet Islands Brygge, free, staffed in the summer season
- Toilets
- Yes, by the harbour bath
- Good to know
- Extremely busy on hot weekends; arrive early to claim a spot
04. Amager Fælled
Amager · Best for: Feeling far from the city
Rough meadow and scrub just minutes from the centre, with tall grass, birds and long gravel paths. Nothing is manicured here, which is the point. Best in the late afternoon when the light drops across the field.
- Getting there
- Metro to DR Byen or Islands Brygge, then walk south
- Ground
- Uneven meadow — a thick blanket helps
- Shade
- Very little; some trees at the edges
- Toilets
- Few and far between — plan ahead
- Good to know
- It is a protected nature area, so take everything home with you
05. Fælledparken
Østerbro · Best for: Big groups and ball games
Copenhagen's largest park and its default meeting place: football pitches, skate park, playgrounds and enormous open lawns. Not romantic, but unbeatable if you are ten people and someone brought a ball.
- Getting there
- Metro to Trianglen, or bus along Blegdamsvej
- Ground
- Huge flat lawns
- Shade
- Along the tree-lined paths at the edges
- Toilets
- Yes, several around the park
- Good to know
- Events and concerts occasionally close off sections in summer
06. Ørstedsparken
Indre By · Best for: A short lunch outside
A small, sloping park built on the old ramparts, with a lake in the middle and benches under mature trees. Central, sheltered from the wind and rarely more than a ten-minute walk from wherever you were.
- Getting there
- Five minutes from Nørreport station
- Ground
- Sloped grass banks around the lake
- Shade
- Generous — one of the leafiest small parks in the centre
- Toilets
- Yes, near the playground
- Good to know
- Compact, so it feels full quickly on warm days
07. Kastellet and Langelinie
Østerbro · Best for: A walk that ends on a blanket
The star-shaped fortress has grass ramparts, moats and views over the harbour, with Langelinie promenade just below. Quieter than the parks, with a steady breeze off the water.
- Getting there
- Walk from Østerport station
- Ground
- Grass ramparts — sloping, dry and firm
- Shade
- Sparse on the ramparts, more along the moat
- Toilets
- Limited; nearest facilities along Langelinie
- Good to know
- Kastellet is still an active military area — stay on public paths and respect signage
08. Amager Strandpark
Amager · Best for: Sand instead of grass
Four and a half kilometres of beach, dunes and a shallow lagoon fifteen minutes from the centre. Take the far end of the island if you want quiet; take the lagoon side if you want warm, calm water.
- Getting there
- Metro to Amager Strand or Femøren
- Ground
- Sand and dune grass
- Shade
- None — bring cover
- Swimming
- Yes, with lifeguards at the main sections in high season
- Toilets
- Yes, along the beach
- Good to know
- The wind is real; weigh the corners of your blanket
Park rules,
briefly
- Copenhagen's parks are free and open to everyone — no booking, no fee.
- Grilling is banned in most central parks, including Frederiksberg Have and Kongens Have. Where it is allowed, it is on designated grills or stands, never on the grass.
- Alcohol is generally tolerated in parks, but drinking is restricted in some squares and streets. Watch for signs.
- Take everything home. Bins fill up fast on warm weekends, so bring a bag for your own rubbish.
- Most parks close at dusk and reopen early. Check the gate signs before you settle in for the evening.
- Rules are set by the municipality and change from time to time — the signage at the entrance is always the final word.
What to bring
- A blanket thick enough for uneven ground.
- Something cold, and something to drink it out of.
- Cushions if you plan to stay more than an hour.
- Food from a bakery, a market or your own kitchen.
- A bag for what is left over.
We rent out everything on that list except the food. One picnic, one price: 399 kr. for the day. Choose your things, tell us the park, and we bring it to an agreed spot and collect it from the same place.
Build your picnic →