My perfect weekend in Copenhagen by Barbara von Haffner

Barbara is the co-owner of Kaj Hotel in Copenhagen with her husband Toke. Barbara, Toke and their two kids live in Holmen, one of my favourite areas of Copenhagen. They live on their own houseboat there and created Kaj to offer others a houseboat experience. 

I have had the joy of staying at Kaj when our daughter was a toddler and we loved it. It's a one-room floating hotel, oozing with Danish style. Our days there started with a swim in the sea, and ended with a kayak around the inlets, followed by a glass of wine on the balcony wrapped in a cosy blanket. 

We asked Barbara about her favourite ways to spend weekends with her family in Copenhagen: 

SOUVENIR: Tell us about the neighbourhood you live in and what you love about it?

Barbara: We live in Holmen which is an old naval station that has quirky corners and hidden gems. Over time it has become a popular part of Copenhagen and has world renowned restaurants here like NOMA and Alchemist where kids aren't really welcome. But it also has cool little cafes like La Banchina and Lille bakery as well as Reffen street food market with its little skatepark overlooking the harbour.

SOUVENIR: What's your perfect summer weekend with the kids in Copenhagen?

Barbara: Our kids love to spend time on our houseboat, swimming and jumping into the water all day long. La Banchina is definitely a place we go to with the kids and get a BMO (bun with cheese) and a coffee. They always start talking to all the dog owners and swim in the area around La Banchina's dock. 

CC (Copenhagen Contemporary) always has fun exhibitions and things for the kids to engage in, while the skate park at Reffen keeps the kids entertained for hours while we enjoy a coffee or a wine.

Visiting one of the 'towers' of Copenhagen is always fun for the kids, too. The easiest one is Rundetårn at Købmagergade. We must have ben there 30 times or more... they love to run up the spiral and back down again. The views are great, too. 

If the weather is good you can go for a picnic in one of the many parks. Kings garden is closest to the school but Østeranlæg and HC Ørsteparken are great and a bit more wild. in Fælleparken they have great playgrounds and you can BBQ there too.

SOUVENIR: What about in wintertime?

Barbara: We normally go ice skating in one of the many ice rinks around town. CC is a good indoors option as is the creative space at SMK where the kids can glue, paint, draw all the day long. 

A new fun activity for us is visiting my cousin's pottery workshop in Ordrup. It's called Menageriet and she runs lots of family workshops. The only downside for tourists is that you couldn't take your finished piece with you as it takes time to dry. 

Tivoli is a must if it's your first time in the city, and they have different themed decorations for all the holidays, like Halloween and Christmas. 

The best restaurant in town to bring kids to is Fabro on the corner of Fredericiagade and Borgergade. You need to get there early as there are no reservations. They have four pasta dishes, all divine. It's been our kids' favourite restaurant since they were 2 and 4. 

SOUVENIR: Tell us underrated gem in the city!

Barbara: Another tower to visit is the Church of Our Saviour which has an external staircase winding around the outside, all the way up to the golden globe at the top. Climb the 400 steps for the best views over Copenhagen. 

The Danish Architecture Centre (DAC) has a spiral indoors slide too. Always a highlight for our kids. 

Another gem is the military area called Nyholmen (which is right next to kaj hotel). The military still operate in this area but it's open to the public. Cannons stand side by side along the ramparts facing the water. Every morning and evening a single shot is fired to salute the sunrise and see out the sunset. 

SOUVENIR: What places have you loved travelling to as a family and what's on your wish list?

Barbara: The best holidays for us are the active ones, like skiing or sailing in the archipelago. I love doing fun stuff with the kids away from screens. We would love to go to the northern parts of Scandinavia, Norway and Finland mainly, for sailing and hiking. The nature in these places is magnificent.  

Thank you Barbara!

https://kajhotel.dk/