Winter bathing in Copenhagen

The harbour bath by the shopping mall Fisketorvet was the first harbour bath to be built in Copenhagen’s harbour back in 2002. The harbour bath is an encircled area separated from the ship traffic. The harbour bath includes a swimming pool and a small wading pool.

Havnegade bathing zone is located right by The Inner Harbour Bridge and Nyhavn. The harbour bath consists of a platform with a small dipping zone with an adjustable, shallow bottom, and the harbour bath is, therefore, ideal for winter bathing. The harbour bath is closed off towards the harbour to separate ship traffic from those bathing and ensure a safer winter bathing.

Just across the Havnegade bathing zone, on the other side of the harbour, Broen’s ice skating rink is situated from the beginning of November to the end of February. In addition to being an ice rink, Broen’s ice skating rink also offers hot drinks and street food such as burgers from Gasoline Grill and Poulette, Mediterranean food from Phago, or Danish sausages from Kejser sausage.

You can also combine the cold dip with the popular Noma burger at the restaurant Popl, which is located right next to Broen’s ice skating rink at Christianshavn. Popl serves well-crafted burgers with a strong focus on fermentation from noma’s fermentation lab.

Islands Brygge Harbour Bath is one of the harbour baths facing the Inner Harbour. During the wintertime, the encircled area with the iconic diving tower is reserved for members of the winter bathing club. However, a little further down the dock, a small, delimited area is open for everyone. The swimming area is bounded by float barriers.

A couple of streets away from the harbour bath, you can find the Japanese and Danish bakery Andersen Bakery. The bakery started in Japan, focusing on original Danish recipes refined with Japanese craftsmanship and precision. The bakery is particularly popular around January and February when they launch their so-called "fastelavnsbolle", which has become a hyped festive pastry in Denmark.

Across Islands Brygge's harbour bath, you will find the harbour bath and public fitness facility Kalvebod Bølge (bølge means wave in Danish, due to its shape). Kalvebod Bølge is one of two harbour baths that includes both a swimming area as well as a cold water dipping zone. The winter dipping zone has an adjustable shallow bottom that can be either 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 or 1.4 meters deep. The dipping zone is a round platform placed in the water, with seats surrounding the small dipping pool. Kalvebod Bølge’s swimming area is a delimited swimming area which is bounded by float barriers. The waterfront at Kalvebod Bølge is a long promenade shaped like a wave that stretches as far out in the water as possible to ensure as many hours of sunshine as possible. This recreative area also features a kayak club, a kayak slide for big air jumps open to the public, and public fitness facilities accessible 24/7.

On certain days, a small coffee truck is parked at the harbour bath, enabling you to enjoy a hot drink after the cold dip.

Hotel Marriott is one of the hotels located right by Kalvebod Bølge and is an ideal place to stay if you want to combine a hotel stay with winter bathing as you are close to your room after the cold dip. Nearby, you can also visit the hotel Scandic Spectrum, which features a spa area.

At the harbour bath La Banchina in Reshaleøen, it is possible to combine the cold dip in the harbour with a warm sauna experience. Besides being a bathing spot, La Bachina is also equipped with a small sauna with a glass wall, where it is possible to view the harbour bath. The sauna can fit up to 8 people and can be rented for sauna sessions. La Banchina’s harbour bath is located in a recess and is, therefore, completely shielded from any traffic from the harbour. In the small building, previously used by a shipyard, La Banchina runs a café and restaurant. Here, they serve seasonal and locally sourced vegetarian food and fish, as well as coffee and natural wines all day long. During the wintertime, La Banchina runs a soup and sauna club every Sunday, where the sauna is open for drop-ins, while La Banchina serves a vegetarian soup.

Sandkaj bathing zone is located in Copenhagen’s new harbour neighbourhood, Århusgadekvarteret in Nordhavn. The bathing zone is divided into two areas: one accessible for everyone and one for paying members only. The bathing zone at Sandkaj offers a small, delimited swimming area with free access to the water bounded by float barriers. Additionally, the Sandkaj bathing zone also offers a separate dipping zone with an adjustable bottom. The dipping zone is designed as a floating platform with a dipping pool with an adjustable bottom that can be either 0.6, 0.9, or 1.2 meters deep.

Sandkaj bathing zone is a part of the new Nordhavn neighbourhood – a neighbourhood rich in new architecture, design experiences and gastronomy.

The Artisan bakery Andersen & Maillard is located right by the bathing zone. Here, you can buy great pastry and coffee to enjoy after the cold dip inside the aesthetic café or on the large wooden promenade by the water if the weather allows it.

It is also possible to combine the cold dip with a luxurious stay at Audo residence, which is located just a street away from the Sandkaj bathing zone. The Danish design brand Audo Copenhagen has created the creative hub Audo House that unites a showroom, concept shop, restaurant, and residence. Audo Residence is an exclusive boutique hotel with 10 unique rooms designed with furniture from Audo Copenhagen.

In Refshaleøen, you can also find the bathing zone Søndre Refshalebassin. The bathing zone is also a small, delimited area with access to the water bounded by float barriers. The bathing zone is located next to Urban Rigger, an innovative housing solution made of nine repurposed containers that float in the harbour designed by the renowned Danish architecture firm BIG.

Close to the bathing zone, you can find one of the popular Hart Bageri locations with great space for seating. Hart Bageri has pushed the norm of what a Danish pastry is and has become famous for its sourdough bread, cakes and of course, Danish pastries and baked goods.

You can also stop by Lille Bakery, a stone’s throw away from the bathing zone. Lille Bakery is a small artisanal bakery and café located in an industrial space. Lille Bakery serves bread, pastries as well as salads and open-faced sandwiches.

Svanemøllen is an area located in the neighbourhood of Østerbro. The swimming area includes a sand beach, which gives you access to walk in the ocean straight from the shore. Svanemøllen has also built a 130-meter-long pier with a bridge and five ladders that all lead you straight into the ocean.

Amager Beach Park is Copenhagen’s largest beach park and includes different activities such as beach volley, parks, and workout facilities. At Amager Beach Park, you can either walk in the ocean from the beach or take a dip in the ocean from the ladder. It is also by Amager Beach Park that you can see the legendary bathing establishment Helgoland - famous for its turquoise beach houses. Helgoland is the location of the winter bathing club “Det Kolde Gys”, which was founded back in 1929 and was one of the first winter bathing clubs in Denmark.

Kastrup Sea Bath is a circular wooden construction that also goes by the name ‘the snail’ and is often referred to as an architectural pearl. You reach the sea bath through a 100-meter-long bathing bridge as the sea bath has been pulled as far away from the shore as possible. Winter bathing has also been thought into the bath’s architecture, as the sea bath’s circular shape gives great shelter in the winter cold while lighting underlines the shape of the bath and bridge in the winter dark.

Bellevue Beach is a 700-metre-long sandy beach located in Klampenborg, around 10 kilometres north of Copenhagen. The beach is iconic for its architecture, especially the blue-striped lifeguard towers, which were designed by the renowned Danish architect Arne Jacobsen back in 1932. The Bellevue beach was Arne Jacobsen’s first building and was created with an ambition to create a uniform and timeless design.

Visiting the beach also gives a great opportunity to explore other famous works of Arne Jacobsen, like the Bella Vista residencies or Bellevue Theatre, which is located just across from the beach. Next to the Bella Vista residencies, you can see the Søholm row houses, which consist of chained and terraced houses completed in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Arne Jacobsen also lived in the house closest to the sea from 1941-1971.

At Skodsborg, you can combine cold dips with spa and luxury at Kurhotel Skodsborg. The spa hotel is situated right next to the sea in a nature-rich environment and used to be a country house for the Danish King in the 19th century. Besides having access to a private bridge in the ocean, the spa hotel also offers 16 bathing experiences, SaunaGus and a fitness area. The hotel also has two places to eat: Brasserie Carl and The Lobby, which are also available for non-guests.

Marienlyst Strandhotel is a beach hotel located right by the shore of Elsinore. The beach hotel has existed since 1861 and used to be a hotel guested by the prominent elite. The beach hotel is both obvious for a cold dip in the ocean, but they have also established a 1600 sqm outdoor and indoor spa area. Outside, you can, for example, indulge in their heated infinity pool, hot tubs, and beach panorama sauna with views of Oresund and Kronborg Castle. The hotel has three restaurants: 1861, Restaurant Isabell, and Rory Bistro and Bar, each offering something different.

Butchers Heat started off as mobile sauna truck, where a previous military crew from the Danish Frømand Corps, had been converted into an urban mobile sauna with wood burning stove. The truck is parked at different locations in Copenhagen with the opportunity to book a seat to SaunaGus sessions or rent it for private events. Butchers heat also have a stationary sauna at Margretheholmen harbour located in Refshaleøen. The stationary sauna has a glass wall with views of the water and can be booked for sessions even if you are not a member.

CopenHot offers New Nordic Wellness in urban settings in Refshaleøen. CopenHot calls their urban wellness garden Little Siberia as it overlooks the old industrial shipyard from B&W, which used to call the spot Little Siberia back in the days because it was the coldest place in Refshaleøen. At CopenHot, you can find saunas and 40-degree warm outdoor hot tubs all heated with firewood, making CopenHot almost 100% CO2 neutral. Their different facilities are booked as private units. CopenHot offers a panoramic sauna with views of CopenHill, small sauna huts, and a Dragon Sauna, where you feed the fire yourself and control the sauna’s temperature. CopenHot also has cold plunge tubs, which are included in all bookings and can be used as a break from the hot wellness facilities. While enjoying the facilities, CopenHot’s barman can serve you cold drinks from the bar. Being located by the water, CopenHot also offers combined boat tours flowed by an hour of Hot Tub Wellness. Here, you can choose either the ride on a rib boat or the calmer tour in a covered and heated boat.

At Hottub Copenhagen, you can dive into 40-degree warm saltwater hot tubs heated by green energy. The hot tubs are located right on the Copenhagen harbourfront and have a front view of the water and Copenhagen's skyline. Hottub Copenhagen also has a sauna with a glass wall, allowing a panoramic view of the harbour. Jumping in an ice-cold tub in between is also possible if you feel overheated. The hot tubs and sauna can be rented for private groups and can fit up to 6 people. It is possible to buy drinks like champagne, beer, wine, tea or coffee on the site to make it a more luxurious experience.

INIPI offers Saunagus sessions, massages, and acupuncture right by Amager Beach Park and the Oresund Ocean. The 1-hour Saunagus sessions take place in INIPI’s own sweat lodges inspired by Native American traditions. The INIPI sweat lodges differ from a normal sauna by being round so the steam can circulate easier and can fit up to 25 people. INIPI especially works with the event “fyraftensgus”, which is SaunaGus after work and made with the purpose to de-stress in daily life, where you come as you are and leave as yourself.

By Fisketorvet Harbour you can also find a floating sauna that fits up to 12 people. The sauna is run by and reserved for paying members of the winter bathing club Københavns Badeklub but is accessible to the public on certain days and timeslots. The sauna has visitors’ days in the sauna every Tuesday from 6-14 and Sundays from 14-22. You must book the session prior to the visit, and it costs 100 DKK for 2 hours pr. Person.

A similar floating sauna is located by the public harbour bath Kalvebod Bølge. The sauna is run by the winter bathing club Bølgebaderne and is reserved for members of the club. The sauna is accessible for the public on certain timeslots on visitor days, which are Wednesdays from 9-11 and again from 15-21 as well as Saturdays and Sundays from 11-15. Like the sauna at Fisketorvet you must book your sauna session prior to the visit, and it costs 100 DKK for 1 hour pr. Person.

Winter Island is the winter edition of Green Island, which is a floating wooden platform just by Kalvebod harbour front. Winter Island consists of four different saunas with room for 10 persons, six changing rooms, six hot and cold showers and a shiver bucket with ice-cold water and no membership is needed to visit the place. The saunas have panoramic windows that gives you a view of the water and you can either book a seat in the shared sauna or book a sauna for an entire group. Some of the saunas also offer the option of a Finnish sauna, where the person closest to the stove can pour water with birch essential oil on the stove to create an aromatherapeutic effect. The Green Island café is also open and has been cold-proofed with wind shield and heat lamps and offers a winter menu with new cocktails, stone-baked pizzas, and salads.