Find out the best photography spots in Copenhagen, with tips and recommendations on how to take the best photos in Denmark’s capital city!
Copenhagen receives over 30 million tourists every year. Most of them roam around the Nyhavn area, with the famous canals, and visit the Kastellet, the mermaid… but there are lots of beautiful spots in Copenhagen that anyone with a camera should visit. As a travel photographer, Copenhagen was a challenge, as it has a mix of interior and exterior spots, which meant changing lenses a lot and finding lots of people around.
Depending on the season of the year when you’ll be visiting Copenhagen, the opportunities will vary. Snow can make the city unique, but some spots might be difficult to access, and sunlight hours during winter are almost non-existent. During summer, however, way more people will be visiting the city, and it might be more difficult to get spots for yourself. Most of the photos listed below were taken in May, although I have been more times to Copenhagen.
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These are the best Copenhagen photography spots, a mix of famous and well-known locations and some more local or hidden spots. And at the end of this list, a shorter one with worth-photographing spots, but that for sure are not the best ones in the city (despite being famous tourist spots).
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Det Kongelige Bibliotek – the Black Diamond
The Royal Library (National Library of Denmark) is a fantastic spot for photography. However, what makes it unique for photography is not the books or artworks, but its architecture. The view of the Library from the outside is quite impressive and is easy to understand why it is also known as the Black Diamond. Nonetheless, the main photo spot is inside. It is possible to get to a viewpoint from where the whole interior of the library can be observed. The curved walls, open space and warm tones, make for a great composition.
Please remember that there are people working and studying in the library. It is open to everyone, but be respectful when visiting it.
Christiansborg Palace
The Christiansborg Palace is a great photography location, not only because of its interior, but because of its surroundings. The gardens of the Palace are not very green but have two great photography opportunities. The first one is the beautiful horses that you can find there. The second one is hidden in the two lateral corridors that lead to the palace.
Marmorbroen bridge
Just next to the Christiansborg palace, there is a small bridge that connects to the mainland. From this bridge, it is possible to take a really picturesque photograph of Copenhagen, with its characteristic colourful buildings, which are not only characteristic of the Nyhavn area but are in many other parts of the city.
Axel Towers
Copenhagen is full of great architecture photography spots, and the Axel Towers are one of them. This quite well-known spot among street photographers is not about the view from the towers (which are full of offices and can’t be accessed). Instead, it is the view from below that makes it unique. The silhouette of the towers with the glass shining and the metallic tones create a great composition. Given that at most times of the day, the light conditions are terrible, it can be a great black & white photo opportunity.
Nyhavn
The most popular area of Copenhagen had to make it to this list. The old harbour area is a must for any photographer. Colourful houses, lots of activity, great orientation for sunrise or sunset… It has all that a location needs. The type of photos that you will take there depends drastically on the time of the day and the weather. Try visiting Nyhavn at different times and even on different days.
Kastellet Church
When I visited this location I wanted to take a photo of the Kastellet windmill. However, the light was terrible, and I opted for pointing to another direction and take a panoramic shot of the Kastellet Church. There are endless great photography spots in Kastellet, so besides its church, make sure to explore the whole area!
St. Albans Church
If you get to Kastellet, when leaving the fortified area, you will see a characteristic spire. It is Saint Alban’s Church’s spire. If the waters that surround it are calm (difficult, given how windy Copenhagen is), the photo is very easy to take, capturing it reflected on the water. I am sure it can give good results at golden hour and even blue hour, especially if you get a great sky with some colourful clouds.
Grundtvig Kirke
In my opinion, this church is among the best photography spots in Copenhagen. A bit distant from the old town and tourist area, but this only makes it even better for me. Fewer tourists, and easier to take great photos. The architecture of this church is impressive, and it gives amazing photos very easily. If you can get someone in the frame, it is even better.
Please, remember that it is a religious space, and be respectful at all times.
Superliken Park
This park is constantly listed among the best Instagram photography spots in Copenhagen. However, it disappointed me a bit. I guess if you get there during spring when all trees are blossoming, it is impressive. However, the times I have been there, it has been a real photography challenge. The leading lines are interesting, and the different structures and levels are as well, but I don’t have THE photo.
Maersk Tower stairs
I wasn’t sure about including the Maersk Tower in the best Copenhagen photography spots list. Mainly because it is not an easy-to-reach location, although I had seen multiple pictures of this place on Instagram. The university building itself is worth a visit, but the best part in my opinion is the wooden staircase. However, it is located in an area only accessible using a magnetic card, as it is where researchers work. While exploring the area someone asked me what I was looking for. I honestly told them about my photo endeavour and they let me in. Of course, I can’t guarantee you will have the same luck as I had.
Copenhagen Metro Stations
Although it is true that Copenhagen does not have such a unique metro system as Stockholm (the best metro to photograph in the world), there are some stations that make up for great photos. Among them, I recommend Osterport and Enghave Plads Station.
Tivoli
An amusement park in the heart of a city is always an interesting place. The price to get into Tivoli is no joke, over 20€, or 155 DK. Inside there. is a weird mix of old rides, rollercoasters, expensive restaurants, and some cool photography spots. If you are doubting whether. if you should pay to get in there, I’d say no, but if you are already inside, don’t put your camera back in the bag. There are photography opportunities everywhere! It could also be a nice place to get some portraits, especially in the arcade-themed areas and by the lake area.
Vestre Kirkegårds Tree alley
Copenhagen is a city full of parks and gardens. However, this one deserves its own spot on this list. In fact, I would say that it is among the best Copenhagen photography spots. It is not located in the city centre, so you will need a train ride to get there, but it is so worth it. The symmetric tree alley seems that was created to be in photos. I have seen images of it during winter covered in snow and it is so beautiful.
Make sure to get there early in the morning to get the place for yourself and not worry about people being on the frame (although it can be a great way to add interest to your photo).
Christiania
Most of the photography spots in Copenhagen are free, easy to access and without any limitations when it comes to photography. However, Christiania is slightly different. This area of the city, self-proclaimed as an independent state, is for sure a very interesting photography spot. It is seen by some people as no man’s land or a dangerous zone, but it is nothing like that.
Yet, be aware that there are lots of places in the area where taking photos is a hard no. But in fact, the most photogenic spots are those where no people are around. The different houses, constructions and people who live in Christiania are very interesting. Just be respectful, follow basic indications and enjoy a very different part of Copenhagen.
For more information on Christiania read my complete guide on things to do and see in Copenhagen.
Find out the best things to do and see in Copenhagen!
Rundetårn
As one of the most emblematic buildings in Copenhagen, the Rundetårn is a great photography spot for two reasons. First, its unique interior. Most towers have long staircases or even elevators. This one, instead, has a paved path that leads almost to the top. Used many years ago to climb with horses, it is now a great photography opportunity.
Moreover, the view from the top of the tower is also a great photo spot, as it offers undisrupted views of the whole city, with easily recognisable buildings nearby. The price to climb to the top of the tower is 40 DK.
Copenhagen Contemporary Museum
Some years ago I was not a huge fan of museums and even less of modern art. However, my opinion has been changing recently, and the Copenhagen Contemporary Museum is partly guilty. The reason why I enjoyed so much was because of the great photo opportunities that it offered.
Some of the exhibitions were no-photo zone, but I still had a great time photographing this mix of architecture and curious pieces of art. Note that the exhibition is not free, and depending on the temporary exhibitions you will be charged a different price.
Street photography
There are many spots in the city that can’t be listed here. Not because they can’t be pinpointed on a map, but because the photos taken there are unique because of the moment or the people and not the location. Copenhagen is a great city for street photography. It has a nice mix of architecture, history, friendly people and lots of movement. With these ingredients, spending an evening roaming around with the camera and taking random shots is almost a must for any photographer visiting Copenhagen.
Architecture
Copenhagen is a city with very interesting architecture. Modern buildings are mixed with old ones, and even residential areas are full of interesting spots. Make sure to look up when walking around the city, your SD card will thank you for it 🙂
Other interesting photography spots
Copenhagen has lots of great photography spots. However, there are others that are worth mentioning, but that I would not list as the best ones. Here you have some of them.
Amalienborg Palace
The Amalienborg palace is one of the places that you will see no matter what, either from the top of the Rundetårn or because you’ll walk past it. With a style that reminded me more of Vienna or Budapest, this building can be a great element in some photos.
Opera
The opera building is easily recognizable. However, the photo opportunities depend too much on the sky and wind conditions. In a city where it is so easy to get great shots, spending a whole sunrise or sunset in front of a single building seems a bit of a lost opportunity to me.
The little mermaid
This is possibly the most famous symbol of Copenhagen. Let me tell you that it is a tiny statue on a rock, surrounded by tourists. I already knew it, but I think that listing it among Copenhagen’s best photography spots would be cheating. Of course, it is worth visiting, but let’s be honest, there are better photography spots in Copenhagen than this one.
The modified mermaid
Close to the Little Mermaid, there is a weird statue, called the genetically modified mermaid, that I actually enjoyed more than the original one. First, there were no tourists around, and second, it was really unexpected. Worth some time if you are in Copenhagen for more than a layover or weekend.
These are the best Copenhagen Photography spots (and some extra options). If you have any questions or doubts, feel free to reach out to me via comments, the contact section or drop me a DM on Instagram (@aniolvisuals). Follow me there for more travel and photography content!
