Hotels near Christianshavn

Christianshavn was built on reclaimed ground by Christian IV in the early 1600s as a fortified merchant district on the Dutch model, and it still reads that way: a grid of canals lined with houseboats, old warehouses converted to flats, and low bridges. It is a five-minute Metro ride from the centre and feels like a separate town. The Church of Our Saviour stands over it with an external spiral staircase winding up the outside of its spire.

The 400 steps up that spire, the last 150 of them outdoors and narrowing as they go, give the best view in Copenhagen for anyone who can face it. The tower is seasonal and usually closes for winter, so late October is near the end of the window and it shuts in bad weather. The canal at Overgaden Neden Vandet is the quietest water in the city and the walk along it takes 20 minutes.

Pro Tip: Check whether the spire is open on the day rather than in advance, because high wind closes it at short notice. If it is open, go up early: the staircase is single file at the top and a queue on the outside of a spire in October drizzle is a long wait.