Reasons to Day Trip to Dragør From Copenhagen

Although Copenhagen has enough to keep even the fussiest traveller occupied for days on end, escaping the big city life for a bit never hurt anyone. And since this is Scandinavia, peace is never far away. 

One popular day trip from the capital is Dragør, a quaint fishing village at the foot of Amager Island. 

Dragør collects all the Danish harbour town stereotypes and gently lays them by the mouth of Øresund: cute, intimate and begging to be explored. Here are seven reasons you should visit on a day trip. 

A taste of the real Denmark within a stone’s throw of the capital 

Just like the entire United Kingdom is not like London, Copenhagen is different from the rest of Denmark. Once you’ve eased yourself into a hint of what the rest of the country can offer you, getting out of the capital will enable you to gather the bigger picture. 

Dragør is distinctively Danish: thatched houses, cosy places to eat and, of course, lots of bicycles. And since it’s only 30 minutes away from Copenhagen, it would be rude not to give it some of your time. 

It’s close to the airport 

Worried about missing your flight? Don’t be. You can literally see Kastrup Airport from Dragør itself. 

Direct buses run in between both destinations on a regular basis throughout the day. The average journey time is 23 minutes, while it takes just over 15 minutes to cycle from Dragør to the airport.

You can get to Dragør with a city transport pass 

Dragør is located in Zone 4 of the Greater Copenhagen area. The small city pass, which is 80 Danish Kroner (just under £10) for a 24-hour ticket, covers 1-4. 

If you’ve exhausted your pass marvelling at Nyhavn while tutting at the ever-disappointing Little Mermaid statue, you can get further use from it by exploring the surrounding regions. Dragør will ensure that you’re not wasting your time. 

You can see Sweden (on a good day*) 

*A good day is unlikely for around 11 months of the year, but if you’re lucky the grey blanket draped over Denmark will lift for a few minutes. 

If the sky is clear, it’s possible to gaze at Sweden on the other side of the Øresund Bridge. 

The iconic Turning Torso is often visible in the distant horizon, which is also Scandinavia’s tallest building. So you can also add another fact to your collection of “pointless pub quiz answers”. 

Dragør is an important part of Danish history 

Dragør has been around for over eight centuries and remains an important fishing port to this day. It’s also where, during World War II, 700 Jews fled across the water by boat to Sweden to escape Nazi persecution.

The town’s museum itself is in a building which dates back to 1682, while the old town and harbour are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Peace and quiet 

Dragør is everything you’d expect a seaside town to be. Docked boats line the harbour, with crashing waves and screeching seagulls breaking the silence. 

You won’t find many cars, while people are also few and far between outside of the old town. There’s even a beach for you to relax on, just in case it happens to be above 10 degrees Celsius.