When the sun comes out, Copenhagen families head for the water. This list covers the sandy beaches and sea baths along the Øresund, from shallow stretches where young kids can wade to jetties and diving boards for confident swimmers. Several have a grassy park behind the sand, and most are a short bike or train ride from the center. The water stays cool, so pack a towel and something warm.
Kastrup Sea Bath, known locally as Sneglen (the Snail), is a circular wooden bathing deck shaped like a conch shell, about 100 meters out from the beach in the Øresund. The water is deep enough for dives, with jumping platforms at 3 and 5 meters and views across to Saltholm and Sweden.
It suits confident older swimmers. Families with younger kids are advised to swim at the beach instead.
Charlottenlund Beach Park is a 13-hectare seaside park on the Øresund, with a white sandy beach and wide lawns wrapped around Charlottenlund Fort. The fort was built in 1886-87 to guard Copenhagen's harbor, and a restaurant now sits on its old ramparts, with a campsite inside the fort grounds.
Kids can dig in the sand, swim off the bathing beach and run the open lawns between dips.
Bellevue is a 700-meter sandy beach at Klampenborg, with lawns behind the sand for spreading out a blanket. The blue-striped lifeguard towers and geometric kiosks were designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1932, the year the beach opened, and are now listed buildings.
With up to 500,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most popular beaches around Copenhagen.
Svanemølle Beach is an urban sandy beach at the bottom of Svanemølle Bay, opened in 2010. It has 4,000 square meters of sand and shallow water near the shore where younger kids can paddle, plus a 130-meter pier that runs out to deeper water for confident swimmers.
Strandpromenaden, the seafront path toward Tuborg Havn in Hellerup, runs right behind the sand, with Svanemøllen Marina just to the south.
The city's largest beach stretches 4.6 km along an artificial island, with a lagoon between the island and the original shore. Five beach stations have toilets and kiosks, linked by concrete paths.
Kids swim in the summer bathing zone, and families can rent kayaks, canoes or paddleboards at the southern end. Grilling is allowed anywhere in the park, and the Naturcenter Amager Strand opens to all on weekends.
When the sun comes out, Copenhagen families head for the water. This list covers the sandy beaches and sea baths along the Øresund, from shallow stretches where young kids can wade to jetties and diving boards for confident swimmers. Several have a grassy park behind the sand, and most are a short bike or train ride from the center. The water stays cool, so pack a towel and something warm.
Kastrup Sea Bath, known locally as Sneglen (the Snail), is a circular wooden bathing deck shaped like a conch shell, about 100 meters out from the beach in the Øresund. The water is deep enough for dives, with jumping platforms at 3 and 5 meters and views across to Saltholm and Sweden.
It suits confident older swimmers. Families with younger kids are advised to swim at the beach instead.
Charlottenlund Beach Park is a 13-hectare seaside park on the Øresund, with a white sandy beach and wide lawns wrapped around Charlottenlund Fort. The fort was built in 1886-87 to guard Copenhagen's harbor, and a restaurant now sits on its old ramparts, with a campsite inside the fort grounds.
Kids can dig in the sand, swim off the bathing beach and run the open lawns between dips.
Bellevue is a 700-meter sandy beach at Klampenborg, with lawns behind the sand for spreading out a blanket. The blue-striped lifeguard towers and geometric kiosks were designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1932, the year the beach opened, and are now listed buildings.
With up to 500,000 visitors a year, it is one of the most popular beaches around Copenhagen.
Svanemølle Beach is an urban sandy beach at the bottom of Svanemølle Bay, opened in 2010. It has 4,000 square meters of sand and shallow water near the shore where younger kids can paddle, plus a 130-meter pier that runs out to deeper water for confident swimmers.
Strandpromenaden, the seafront path toward Tuborg Havn in Hellerup, runs right behind the sand, with Svanemøllen Marina just to the south.
The city's largest beach stretches 4.6 km along an artificial island, with a lagoon between the island and the original shore. Five beach stations have toilets and kiosks, linked by concrete paths.
Kids swim in the summer bathing zone, and families can rent kayaks, canoes or paddleboards at the southern end. Grilling is allowed anywhere in the park, and the Naturcenter Amager Strand opens to all on weekends.
