Best Neighborhoods in Copenhagen for Tourists – 7 Interesting Districts of CPH

Copenhagen is a fairly large city with many distinct areas and neighborhoods. Some areas are calm and safe, while others are wild and vibrant. If you’re curious about where it’s best to stay and which areas to visit, then you’ve got to read this guide – we are describing the very best neighborhoods in Copenhagen.

Indre By

Indre By is the inner-city district. This is the most central part of the city and home to the highest amount of attractions. Within Indre By, we have several interesting neighborhoods.

One of them is Christianshavn, located right next to the canal. This neighborhood is famous for its harbor and its many cafes and bars. It is also located near the Freetown Christiania, an attraction in itself that you can easily visit if you’re staying in Christianshavn.

Holmen is another neighborhood in Indre By. It is considered a very exclusive place to live, so it is very expensive. The new opera house was built here. Previously, Holmen was simply the base for the navy, but a lot has happened in recent years and the location is absolutely spot-on.

Indre By also has the long pedestrian street Strøget where you have hundreds of shopping options.

Vesterbro

Vesterbro used to be a sketchy area, known as the place for drug users and prostitutes. However, a lot has happened during the last two decades, and it is now a popular and highly cultured district. The reason for the change is mainly that in the early 2000s, a lot of students moved to Vesterbro because it was the only place in the city they could afford to live. Many of them stayed living in Vesterbro after they finished their educations and got high-paying jobs. Meanwhile, the police also cracked down on the rampant drug use, so the area is much more pleasant now.

Literally speaking, Vesterbro means “western borough”. It is located directly southwest of the inner city. It takes around 5 minutes to reach the deep center by bike. Vesterbro has some nice attractions. Carlsberg City District is one area within the borough, and it is planned to become a neighborhood of culture.

Sydhavn, another neighborhood within Vesterbro, is becoming a highly popular place to live. This could be a good place to look for an Airbnb/holiday apartment if you’re planning to visit Copenhagen.

Østerbro

Vesterbro is the western borough, and Østerbro is the eastern borough. For many years, Østerbro has been a fancy district. Locals with high salaries often choose to live here. There are many residential areas in Østerbro, but it is also home to most of the foreign embassies and historic buildings and squares.

Østerbro is usually separated into two neighborhoods: “Inner Østerbro” and “Outer Østerbro”. The inner part, which is near the center, is the place to be. It has attractions such as The Little Mermaid, Parken (the national football stadium) and many historic sights. The outer part is not quite as historic, but still, a very pleasant place to stay.

There are many opportunities for shopping all over Østerbro, and it is rich in green spaces. It is also calmer than the other areas in Copenhagen. It has a reputation for being a family-friendly neighborhood.

Nørrebro

Nørrebro is the northern borough, just slightly northwest of the inner city.

What is special about it? Nørrebro has always been a place of culture. Many artists have lived in this district throughout the years and they continue to do so today. If you like hipster culture, this is the place to be. You find many unique stores, bars and restaurants that you won’t find elsewhere.

Nørrebro is the most multicultural area in Copenhagen. It has a huge amount of immigrants. Unfortunately, it is also the most crime-ridden part of Copenhagen. For most travelers, we don’t recommend staying in Nørrebro, but we do recommend visiting during the daytime and during the early part of the evening.

Frederiksberg

Frederiksberg is a residential area just west of Nørrebro. Unlike Nørrebro, it is super safe. It is mostly a place where upper and middle-class Danish families and students decide to live.

Despite being very residential, there are also a solid amount of attractions. For instance, the Copenhagen Zoo is located here, and it has some nice parks such as Frederiksberg Have. It also has a palace.

Great place to stay, great place to visit. It has become a very important neighborhood in Copenhagen over the years, and it’s one of the biggest areas as well. In fact, Frederiksberg is an independent municipality.

Amager

Amager is the island southeast of the city center. It is considered to be the southern part of Copenhagen. Even though Amager is an island, it is extremely close to the center, and it has metro connections and everything. So there is no problem in staying here – in fact, it can be a good way to save some money since Amager is a bit cheaper than Indre By, Østerbro and Vesterbro.

It is the most densely populated island in Denmark. Amager is home to the Copenhagen Airport, so most travelers automatically get to see the area. The northern part of Amager, which is basically considered to be a part of Copenhagen like all the boroughs, has a lot of good restaurants although it lacks proper tourist attractions. However, the southern part of Amager island, which is not considered to be part of Copenhagen, is worth visiting in its own right.

Especially the town of Dragør, approximately 12 kilometers south of central Copenhagen. Dragør is a beautiful and idyllic town with traditional events and classic Danish architecture. Highly worth visiting, but we recommend doing it as a day trip while staying in the center, rather than having a base there for the entire trip.

Valby

Valby borders Vesterbro to the east. It is overlooked by most tourists since it doesn’t have that many attractions.

But Valby is in fact one of the fastest-growing districts of Copenhagen. It feels like a village within the city, a charming suburb, and while being very residential, it has many green spaces, shopping facilities and great options for transportation.

Traditionally, Valby was a lot cheaper than the central parts of the city, but that has changed in recent years. Valby is becoming insanely popular and prices are rising. Within a decade, it could easily become the fancy-pants part of Copenhagen. Many artists and entrepreneurs are moving to Valby.

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Which district or neighborhood of Copenhagen are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments below!