The gate at Islands Brygge opens at six every morning of the year, and on a summer weekday the long lane is busy with lap swimmers by a quarter past, most of them on their way to work. By four in the afternoon the deck is wall-to-wall towels and there is a queue for the five-metre platform. That is the range of the Copenhagen harbour baths: free, open all year, run by the city, and used by everyone from commuters to toddlers to the hardy few who keep going through January.
This guide explains how the harbour baths and swimming zones work, whether the water is clean, and then ranks every official spot with an honest verdict on each, before covering winter swimming, the rules and the best times to go. Hours and details come from the City of Copenhagen and were checked in October 2026.
Copenhagen Harbour Baths at a Glance
| Rank | Spot | Type | Area | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Islands Brygge | Harbour bath | Islands Brygge | Facilities, diving, families |
| 2 | Sandkaj | Swimming zone | Nordhavn | Confident swimmers, after-work crowd |
| 3 | Fisketorvet | Harbour bath | Havneholmen, by the shopping centre | Lane swimming, a quick dip |
| 4 | Sluseholmen | Harbour bath | Sydhavn | A calmer, local swim |
| 5 | Søndre Refshalebassin | Swimming zone | Refshaleøen | A day out with food and saunas |
| 6 | Halfdansgade | Swimming zone | Southern Islands Brygge | Overflow when the main bath is full |
Every official spot works the same way:
| The main official spots | |
|---|---|
| Entry | Free |
| Opening hours | 06:00–22:00 every day, all year |
| Lifeguards | 1 June to 31 August, 10:00–18:00, at the three harbour baths and Sandkaj |
| Facilities | Basic: toilets and seasonal freshwater showers at Islands Brygge; little or nothing at the zones |
| Water | Cool in June, warmest in high summer, cooling again through September |
| Closures | After heavy rain, when storm overflow can affect water quality |
How the Harbour Baths Work
Copenhagen’s harbour was cleaned up through the 1990s, as sewage overflows were cut and heavy industry moved out, and on 15 July 2002 the city opened its first harbour bath at Islands Brygge. It was such a success that swimming in the harbour is now as ordinary here as cycling to work, and the city has kept adding places to do it.
The official spots come in a few types, and knowing the difference saves a wasted trip:
- Harbour baths, havnebade, are floating or quayside pools with decks, ladders and lifeguards in summer. There are three: Islands Brygge, Fisketorvet and Sluseholmen.
- Swimming zones, badezoner, are marked stretches of quay with steps or ladders into open harbour water. The main ones are Sandkaj, Halfdansgade and Søndre Refshalebassin.
- Soft zones, bløde zoner, are shared areas where swimming, kayaks and paddleboards are all allowed.
- Dipping zones, dyppezoner, are small pools with a fixed bottom inside a swimming zone, made for a quick plunge rather than a swim. There is a central one on Havnegade, a few minutes from Nyhavn.
- Floating saunas are run by clubs and associations, with paid public access on selected days.
All of the swimming spots are free and open from 06:00 to 22:00 every day of the year. Lifeguards are on duty from 1 June to 31 August, 10:00 to 18:00, at the three harbour baths and at Sandkaj; a red-and-yellow flag on the tower means they are there. Outside those hours and months you swim on your own judgement. Facilities are basic, so arrive with swimwear under your clothes and take your towel home.
Is the Water Clean? Rain, Overflow and Closures
Usually, yes. The water at the official spots is monitored through the swimming season, and on a normal summer day it is clean enough that the city is happy to let children swim in it, which is a remarkable thing to say about the middle of a capital’s harbour.
The exception is rain. After a heavy downpour, the drains can overflow into the harbour, and the city closes affected spots until the water is clear again, usually a day or two. Summer cloudbursts are exactly the kind of rain that triggers it, so on the day after a big storm, check the city’s bathing water warnings online (search badevand København) before you go, and if a bath is closed for water quality, believe it. Do not swim with an open cut, and shower when you get home.
Temperature is the other factor. The harbour is chilly in June, at its warmest in high summer, and cooling again through September. Our guides to Copenhagen in August and Copenhagen in September cover the late-summer swimming season in more detail.
Every Swimming Spot, Ranked
1. Islands Brygge: the original, with the most facilities
The first harbour bath still has the most facilities of any in the city. It has four pools: a 75-metre exercise pool, three metres deep, for lap swimming; a diving pool five metres deep with platforms at one, three and five metres; a play pool 1.2 metres deep; and a toddler pool that shelves from ten centimetres to seventy. There are toilets on the pier and freshwater showers in the season, and behind it is the long lawn of Islands Brygge park, which on a hot day turns into the city’s beach.
The downside is its popularity. On a sunny weekend afternoon in July it is crowded to the point of discomfort, the queue for the top platform is long and finding a square metre of deck takes patience. Go early in the morning, at lunchtime on a weekday, or after 19:00, when the light turns gold and the families have gone home. It is a ten-minute walk from Islands Brygge metro station, or a short ride over the Bryggebroen or Langebro bridges if you are on a bike.
Verdict: the best all-round harbour bath and the one to try first, especially with children. Just do not go at three on a Saturday in July.
2. Sandkaj, Nordhavn: the busiest harbour swimming spot
Most visitors have never heard of it, but Sandkaj, a swimming zone on the quayside of the new Nordhavn district, was the busiest swimming spot in Copenhagen in summer 2025, with around 202,000 of the 475,000 visits the city recorded across all its harbour spots between June and August. It is a long run of wide steps and platforms leading straight down into the harbour, with lifeguards in summer and room to spread out along the quay.
There is no shallow pool and no diving tower, just open harbour water, so it suits confident swimmers rather than small children. The crowd is young and local, and it fills up after work on warm evenings. It is a short walk from Nordhavn station, and worth combining with a wander round one of the city’s most interesting new neighbourhoods.
Verdict: the best place to swim like a Copenhagener. Skip it if you have small children in tow.
3. Fisketorvet: the practical choice
The harbour bath at Fisketorvet floats off the quay at Havneholmen, right beside the shopping centre of the same name and a short walk from Dybbølsbro station. It is a lane-roped pool inside a floating frame, with a lifeguard tower and decks for sunbathing, and it attracts a mix of office workers on lunch breaks and swimmers who want to do their lengths in peace.
It lacks the scale and the scene of Islands Brygge, and the backdrop is glass offices rather than parkland. But it is calmer, easy to reach, and the obvious choice if you are staying in Vesterbro or want a swim between errands. The Bicycle Snake, Cykelslangen, swoops past nearby, so it is easy to arrive by bike.
Verdict: a solid, uncrowded swim. Go for laps, not for the atmosphere.
4. Sluseholmen: the local’s bath
The third harbour bath is out in the canal district of Sydhavn, a new neighbourhood of apartment blocks built around narrow canals. It has the same hours and summer lifeguards as the other baths, and far fewer tourists, because few visitors ever come this way. Since the M4 metro reached Sydhavn, Sluseholmen station has made it easy to get to.
Verdict: a pleasant, quiet swim if you are staying nearby or want to see a very different side of the city. Not worth a special trip for a short stay.
5. Søndre Refshalebassin, Refshaleøen: the day out
The swimming zone on Refshaleøen, the old shipyard island, is less about the swimming than about everything around it. Within walking distance you have Reffen’s street food market, open from April to October, waterside bars and restaurants, and the island’s saunas and hot tubs. Come for an afternoon, swim, eat and stay for the sunset. The harbour bus stops on the island, which makes the trip part of the fun.
Verdict: the best spot to build a whole afternoon around. Our street food guide covers Reffen.
6. Halfdansgade: the overflow
Further south along the Islands Brygge waterfront, the swimming zone at Halfdansgade is a simpler set of steps and ladders into the harbour. It has none of the main bath’s pools or platforms, but it is quieter, and on the hottest days it is where the people who could not find a space at the main bath go.
Verdict: useful to know about, rarely a destination in itself.
And for a quick dip in the centre: Havnegade
The city’s bathing and dipping zone on Havnegade, the harbour street running south from Nyhavn, is the most central place to get into the water. It is made for a plunge rather than a proper swim, and it is ideal if you are sightseeing in the old town and simply want to say you have been in the harbour.
Beyond the Harbour: Sea Baths and Beaches
The harbour is not the only option. Kastrup Søbad, the curving wooden sea bath on stilts near the airport known as the Snail, is one of the most beautiful places to swim in Denmark, and a walk from Kastrup station on the M2. For sand, Amager Strandpark is a quarter of an hour from the centre on the same metro line, and Bellevue in Klampenborg is at the end of the C-line S-train. Our guide to outdoor Copenhagen covers them alongside the parks, the saunas and the deer park.
For a proper day on the sand, our guide to the best beaches near Copenhagen ranks nine swims within about an hour, with how to reach each one by metro or train.
Swimming in Winter
The harbour baths do not close for winter. Islands Brygge, Fisketorvet and Sluseholmen stay open from 06:00 to 22:00 all year, and on a January morning you will find a small, determined crowd lowering themselves into water at a few degrees above freezing. Many of them belong to winter bathing clubs, such as Vinterbad Bryggen at Islands Brygge, and the clubs with saunas on the water often have waiting lists.
As a visitor, the easiest way in is a public sauna session. The floating saunas run by associations open to the public on selected days for a fee, and there are commercial saunas on Refshaleøen. The routine is simple: a few minutes in the heat, a short plunge, back into the heat, repeated. Never swim alone in winter, keep the plunge brief, and get out the moment you feel your hands stop working properly. Our Copenhagen in winter guide covers the rest of the season.
The Rules, Written and Unwritten
- Swim only at the official spots. Outside them the harbour is a busy waterway, with harbour buses, tour boats and private craft that cannot see a head in the water.
- Jump only from the diving platforms. Islands Brygge has platforms at one, three and five metres; they are the place for it.
- Do what the lifeguards say, and keep to the lanes in the exercise pools.
- Watch children closely, even with lifeguards on duty. The pools are deep and the edges are hard.
- Leave the glass at home and take your rubbish with you. Cans and bottles carry a deposit, so the empties are worth returning.
- Do not mix alcohol and swimming. The cold water and the deep pools are a bad combination with a few beers.
When to Go
For the swimming itself, July and August are the best months, with the warmest water and lifeguards on duty. June is pleasant on land but bracing in the water, and September is fine for confident swimmers. For the experience, time of day matters more than the month:
- 06:00–09:00 is for lap swimmers and early risers, with calm water and empty decks.
- Weekday lunchtimes are busy but manageable.
- Weekend afternoons in good weather are packed, especially at Islands Brygge. Choose Sandkaj or Fisketorvet instead.
- After 19:00 in summer is the golden hour, with low sun, cooler air and a much calmer crowd.
If you are travelling with children, our guide to Copenhagen with kids has more family-friendly ideas, and the harbour baths are one of the best free things to do in Copenhagen at any age.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the harbour baths in Copenhagen free?
Yes. All of the city’s harbour baths and swimming zones are free to use.
What are the opening hours of Copenhagen’s harbour baths?
The official spots are open from 06:00 to 22:00 every day of the year. Lifeguards are on duty from 1 June to 31 August, 10:00 to 18:00.
Is it safe to swim in Copenhagen harbour?
At the official spots and in normal conditions, yes. The water is monitored, and spots are closed after heavy rain when drains overflow. Swim only where it is allowed, and never jump from bridges.
What is the best harbour bath in Copenhagen?
Islands Brygge, for its four pools, its diving platforms and the park behind it. For a more local experience, the swimming zone at Sandkaj in Nordhavn is the busiest in the city.
Can children swim at the harbour baths?
Yes. Islands Brygge has a play pool 1.2 metres deep and a toddler pool from 10 to 70 centimetres. The open-water zones such as Sandkaj have no shallow end and suit confident swimmers.
Can you swim in Copenhagen harbour in winter?
Yes. The baths stay open all year, and winter bathing is popular. Lifeguards only work in summer, so never swim alone, and consider a public sauna session for your first try.
Do I need to bring anything?
Swimwear, a towel, and anything you need for the day. Facilities are basic: there are toilets and seasonal showers at Islands Brygge, but little at the swimming zones.
Related Reading
- Copenhagen in summer for everything else that happens while the harbour is warm.
- Bike rental in Copenhagen because the best way to hop between harbour baths is by bike.
- The Copenhagen metro guide for the stations closest to each bath.
- What to pack for Copenhagen including the swimwear you will wish you had brought.
Photo Credits
- A packed wooden deck and children’s pool at Islands Brygge harbour bath on a hot summer day, with the red-and-white lifeguard tower: photo by kallerna, Islands Brygge Havnebad København.jpeg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Swimmers in the lane-roped pool of the Fisketorvet harbour bath at Havneholmen, beside office blocks and the shopping centre: photo by DKON0005, Copenhagen harbor pool.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0
Final Thoughts
Swimming in the harbour is the single most Copenhagen thing you can do in summer, and it costs nothing. The city spent decades cleaning the water and then built places for people to get into it, and the result is a summer culture that most capitals can only envy.
Start at Islands Brygge, early or late in the day. If you like it, try Sandkaj or Refshaleøen with lunch. And if you are here in winter, find a sauna and see how long you last in the water. Less than you think, but longer than you would expect.
Last verified: October 2026. Opening hours and lifeguard periods are from the City of Copenhagen; spots can close at short notice for water quality, events or maintenance.
