Copenhagen: An Accessible City Guide

Copenhagen is a beautiful city, with a rich history dating back as far as the 11th Century and loads of impressive architecture, from the traditional old trading houses to the grand palaces still occupied by today’s Danish royal family.

Of course, where there’s ‘history’ in northern European cities, there are usually cobblestones. But don’t let this put you off Copenhagen as a great destination for holidays for disabled travellers, because we at Can Be Done have put together a great package to the Danish capital with plenty of accessible routes around the city.

Top Tip:Many of the cobble stone streets have twin tracks of smoother stones running down the centre of them, which are just the right size for the average wheelchair. This gives wheelchair users a much more comfortable and easy-to-manage ride through the city’s sights.

Take an Accessible Tour Around Copenhagen

When most people think about a trip to Copenhagen they’ll imagine the city’s famous port with its statue of the Little Mermaid, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, and the nearby Gefion Fountain. The good news is that these are sights that can be enjoyed as part of holidays for disabled visitors just as easily as they can by other tourists thanks to the flat surfaces and wide, smooth walkways of the city’s waterfront.

From here, visitors can take one of the city’s public buses, which all have wheelchair access and spaces for wheelchairs on-board, into the city to explore the historic centre. There is also a comprehensive Metro system with no gap between the platform and train, making for easy travelling, and most stations have a lift.

Sights ranging from the City Hall, set in the iconic City Hall Square, to Amalienborg Castle and the Round Tower, all offer wheelchair access. This means that you will have the choice to explore by yourselves or as part of a tour which we at Can Be Done can put together for you. There are also plenty of parks in the city with smooth paths to explore; some of them even contain their own castles and palaces.

Copenhagen is a city with a progressive attitude towards accessibility, so many of the museums and galleries offer full wheelchair access. The city also provides a good number of accessible public toilets, which we at Can Be Done can map out for you, so that you won’t be caught short.

Where to Stay

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of organising holidays for disabled travellers is finding accommodation which meets the needs of each of your travel companions. At Can Be Done, we personally check out all of the hotels we recommend to ensure that you know exactly what to expect when you arrive.

In Copenhagen, my team often recommend the Andersen Boutique Hotel, and the reason we keep recommending it is because we keep getting such fantastic feedback from our clients about it.

Set in the city centre, in the Vesterbro district, the stylish Andersen has a range of rooms for guests with accessibility and mobility issues, all with wheel-in, standalone showers.

With our guidance on where to go and where to stay, Copenhagen will be a great city for holidays for disabled travellers, whether you want to explore independently or take advantage of our accessible city tours.

Philip Scott is the owner and founder of Can be Done, a fully licensed UK tour operator specialising in worldwide holidays for disabled individuals and groups. With over 31 years’ experience organising long and short breaks for disabled travellers, Philip has built a reputation for helping his clients select hotels and accommodation that offer high standards of accessibility, to ensure that those with special needs can experience truly relaxing and carefree holidays.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.