Urban skiing and ice skating

What if we said you don’t have to go to a ski resort to go skiing this year – and that you could combine the best of Scandinavian health and wellness trends, from winter swimming to saunas and urban skiing, to make the perfect active city break?

It’s all possible in Copenhagen. This compact city offers plenty for sports fans of all types, whether you’re a keen runner, a skateboarder, a thrill-seeker or you like to swim. You’ll be in good company too: Copenhagen is a city that loves to move, whatever the weather. In fact, there’s even a Danish saying for it: there’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes. So pack your best exercise gear and get out there to explore the best of what winter in Copenhagen can offer active travellers. 

Copenhagen is the only place in the world where you can ski down the top of a building. Copenhill, a purpose-built leisure area on the top of the city’s waste-to-energy plant, offers urban skiing with a slalom course and freestyle park, and four ski lifts. You can even go sledding at the bottom of the hill, whether there’s snow or not.

For those looking for a slightly less active way to experience this part of the city, you can hike up its slopes for free and catch a view from the top that stretches all the way to Sweden on a clear day. 

Carving beautiful lines around an ice rink is a classic way to spend a Sunday afternoon in winter in Copenhagen. The city has two key ice rinks where you can rent skates and enjoy this winter-only activity (rinks typically close mid-end February). At Frederiksberg Runddel, there’s a larger rink just outside Frederiksberg Gardens, open to the air with a hot chocolate stand and skate rental nearby, while at Broens Ice Rink, the smaller artificial rink is open late with disco lights, music, and an array of fast food snack stops as well as a skate rental stall beside it. 

Skøjteøen is a new and unique winter destination on Refshaleøen with two ice rinks totaling 1,450 square meters. Created by the Reffen Street Food Market, Skøjteøen invites visitors to warm up warm up with street food and hot drinks from local vendors, and discover unique, handcrafted gifts from creative artisans.

This winter, the iconic ice rink at Kongens Nytorv has returned after 16 years of absence marking a comeback for a once beloved winter tradition among many locals and visitors. Copenhageners and tourists of all ages can look forward to a magical winter experience as they lace up their skates and glide across the ice, surrounded by historic buildings such as Hotel d'Angleterre, Magasin du Nord, and The Royal Danish Theatre.