Travel | The Hunt For Hygge – Copenhagen

The word of 2017, or at least the first part, seems to have been ‘hygge‘. Cosy, gentle happiness found in the little delights of life, stemming from Denmark. Therefore, ever the servant to the zeitgeist, I settled on a trip to Copenhagen to ensure I ventured right to the heart of hygge, experiencing it in its native environment.

HYGGE (noun) 
A quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture) – Oxford Living Dictionaries

Our trip was focused on finding a balance between a relaxing break, soaking up the culture and atmosphere of the city, and seeing as many of the sights as we could within our time and budget constraints. I’m always conscious that cities like Copenhagen, and other Nordic or Scandi countries can be very pricey and the last thing you want on holiday is to be worrying about money so planning and budgeting in advance is important. Financial peace of mind adds to the hygge, or so I would like to believe!

So, on a brisk March trip to Copenhagen our search for hygge began, and inevitably we ended up clutching warm cups of coffee, eating sweet cinnamon rolls whilst looking down at the cobbled streets of the city centre below us. One of my favourite things to do on a city break is take time, that first morning there, to get my bearings, soak in a little atmosphere and get a taste (literally) of the city. You can see why Copenhagen is the home of hygge – the bite in the air, even on a sunny March day means a cosy refuge is always welcome.

 

For me, personally, the undisputed star of hygge in Copenhagen is Paludan Bog & Cafe (much more beautiful than it sounds if you’re reading in English!). With floor to ceiling books, some for sale, some for decoration, a menu of coffees, cocktails and cakes that can keep you enteratined for hours and the atmosphere of a sophisticated, snug, university library. It became our haven in our short time in the city. We would walk miles and miles each day, exploring different parts of the town but we knew a hot drink would be waiting for us in Paludan. The cafe also sells an assortment of food, and we dug in to a bowl of salted potatoes – hot, steaming and delicious. 

 Paludan Bog & Cafe is actually situated opposite part of Copenhagen University, and my nosy peering in through the windows led me to believe it was the library, or resource centre. It’s on Fiolstræde, which is a street we found ourselves wandering up frequently during our stay. To save money we would pop into the Netto to grab snacks and drinks, before popping in to Paludan on the way back to our hotel.

If you’re after some more options food wise, then Flottenheimer on Skindergade is a great spot for brunch, cakes or a more substantial meal. I indulged in a tuna sandwich which was frankly a tuna sandwich beyond my wildest dreams. If you’re a pescetarian abroad,you can find yourself trying all sorts of fish and seafood you’ve never heard of before but the old classics can still be spectacular.

Flottenheimer features so many beautiful textures (something I’m slightly obsessed with when it comes to decor) that you feel cosy, secure but also slightly out in the Scandiavian wilds. The beer isn’t cheap but it is delicious, and you can quite comfortably spend a few hours enjoying the friendly atmosphere of this totally hygge watering hole.

Really wanting to indulge the hygge loving hipster in you? Look no further than The Living Room on Larsbjørnsstræde. With an array of cakes, cocktails and coffees on offer we hid from a drizzly day in The Living Room to boost our moods and calorie intake for the day. I went for a chai latte and a piece of apple pie. Delicious. As with many of these venues, unlike what we’re used to in the UK, the Danish venues tend to shift seamlessly from coffee and students in the day to cocktails and board games at night and often close their doors around 11.00pm. Perfect to relax after a long day sightseeing.