Copenhagen turns to Japan for cultural inspiration

A catchy, memorable name is a big bonus for any new tourism precinct.

I'm not sure the folk behind The Water Culture House on Christiansholm - in Copenhagen - have thought that through.

The new precinct on what is also known as Paper Island (Papirøen) - is being promoted as "one of Copenhagen’s most exciting new waterfront attractions" and is due to open in the second half of this year, news hub Travel Mole reports.

Part of a wider vision for the island, the project anchors the development of Papiroen, a new urban district designed as a relaxed oasis in the heart of the Danish capital.

The precinct will blend water culture, dining, housing, and public spaces, inviting people to unwind, experience culture, enjoy good food and take in sweeping views over the harbour and inner Copenhagen.

The Water Culture House itself is described as "a gift to Copenhagen residents and visitors alike". 

It will offer a unique swimming experience right in the Port of Copenhagen, combining innovative design with year-round indoor and outdoor aquatic facilities.

The concept was born from public consultations. In 2015, the City of Copenhagen launched a competition inviting residents to propose ideas for a new recreational and cultural centre on Christiansholm.

The majority called for a swimming facility - underlining Copenhagen’s connection to its harbour.

An international tender for the design followed in 2017. The winning team was led by Japanese architects Kengo Kuma & Associates, alongside Danish companies.

The building will introduce a "striking Japanese-inspired architectural expression" to Copenhagen’s harbourfront. Designed as a cluster of cone-shaped brick volumes in soft grey tones, the structure will appear to rest lightly on a ribbon of glass.

The standout feature will be a heated outdoor pool set within a “valley” formed by the roofscape, delivering a one-of-a-kind bathing experience with harbour views. 

Additional outdoor pools of varying depths will sit close to the quay, catering to both adults and children.

Is this the world's most sustainable tourism destination?

The Danish capital of Copenhagen has become an exemplar of sustainable city tourism.

Copenhagen has in total 397km of bicycle paths, a fleet of electric harbour ferries and a majority of the hotel rooms around town are eco-certified.

And you can loan a kayak for free if you will pick up some rubbish on journey journey.

Last year, the city launched a program named CopenPay. It is a pilot program where conscious actions became a currency, allowing visitors to earn free cultural experiences.

The program exceeded all expectations. During the initial four-week run, bike rentals increased by 29%, tonnes of litter were collected, and 98% of participants said they would recommend the initiative.

As a result, CopenPay is back again in 2025. The program more than tripled in size with 100 participating attractions across Copenhagen.

They include the National Museum, Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, the National Gallery of Denmark, GoBoat, Copenhill, the Urban Garden, and Donkey Republic bike rentals. The program will run through summer until August 17.

“By integrating more conscious actions into the visitor experience, CopenPay is redefining how we in Copenhagen approach tourism," says said Søren Tegen Pedersen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen.

"Rather than bringing more tourists to the city, the goal with CopenPay is to nudge our visitors and raise their awareness about the choices we make, when we travel - exploring Copenhagen more consciously while being rewarded with unique experiences.”

This year, CopenPay will reward visitors who arrive in Copenhagen by train with perks such as free bike rentals, yoga sessions, guided tours, or discounted entry to some of the city’s top attractions.

Passengers who purchase SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) for their flight or come by electric car are also eligible for these rewards.

Once tourists are in the city, CopenPay also urges them to stay longer and thereby altogether travel less - by rewarding longer stays.

“The biggest climate impact from tourism comes from transportation." Pedersen adds.

"So, this year, we encourage travellers to take the train to Copenhagen. Furthermore, we want visitors to travel less but stay longer. We then reward visitors who stay four days or more by offering benefits like free bike rentals or a vegetarian meal.”

He added that the initiative aligns with Copenhagen’s ambition to become number one on the global index of most sustainable urban destinations.

“Tourism must move from being an environmental burden to a force for positive change.

"With Copenpay, we aim to raise travellers’ awareness about choices and impact. At the same time, we provide our visitors with an easy and locally based way to contribute to our city. And hopefully, they will leave inspired - both for when they return home and on their next travel.”

The Copenhagen harbour has 10 public bathing zones, while GreenKayak (above) works to reduce the amount of garbage floating in coastal waters.

The idea is simple - get a free GreenKayak trip in return for collecting trash and sharing this on social media.

Other green initiatives in Copenhagen include offshore wind turbines in the Øresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden, an increasing number of electric busses, waste-removing initiatives and ‘green wave’ traffic lights for cyclists.

See https://www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com/ and https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/

Images: Sankt Thomas Plaza and Green Kayak, Astrid Rasmussen/Daniel Rasmussen 

High-tech undersea tunnel to link Germany and Denmark

As someone who lives in Tasmania, where progress in building infrastructure is glacial, at best, I was stunned by news this week from Germany and Denmark.

Work began last month on the first tunnel element of the new Fehmarnbelt Tunnel between Denmark and Germany, which, once completed, will be the world's longest underwater road and rail tunnel.

The 18km tunnel between southern Denmark and northern Germany will slash travel times between the two nations, replacing a 45-minute ferry ride across the Baltic Sea with a seven-minute train ride or 10-minute car journey.

But here is the kicker: The Fehmarnbelt Tunnel is expected to open in 2029. That's just five years. Where I live it takes longer than that to complete a couple of kilometres of above-ground urban bypass.

The tunnel will be a major connection between central Europe and Scandinavia and the electrified high-speed rail line will support speeds of 200 km/h.

It will shorten the rail journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen from the current four hours and 40 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes.

The underwater link will be built across the Fehmarn Belt, a Baltic Sea strait between the German island of Fehmarn and the Danish island of Lolland.

It will be financed by state-guaranteed loans, which will be paid by road and train tolls.

Image: Fermen A/S