Secret gardens and canal-side dinners: Actor Claes Bang's guide to Copenhagen
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Copenhagen. I was born in Odense, about two hours away, then I moved all over Denmark. I moved to Copenhagen when I got into drama school at 25 and it’s been home since. But over the past 10 years I’ve developed a touristy relationship with the city, because I’m never there. I’m always travelling, working somewhere else for three-quarters of every year. When I come back and walk round there now, I take it in like you do somewhere that’s not home. It’s a lovely, lovely place. It has the feel of the old capitals of Europe.
At this exact time of year, I would not advise people to travel to Copenhagen, because it’s grim and bleak and cold and rainy. If you’re lucky, it might be snowy. I’d definitely say go in spring or early autumn, that’s when it is at its most beautiful.
I just came back from New Zealand and went to Copenhagen before I came to London for the premiere of my new film, William Tell. I was trying to outrun that grim, bleak time of year. I came back very early in the morning and it was a beautiful winter’s day. Very crisp, icy cold, and there was snow so it was very pretty.
I live with my wife in the flat where she grew up. She took it over when her father died. It’s tiny, but it’s the best flat in Copenhagen. It sits on the fifth floor and we’re just across the street from a park, so we’ve got no one looking in and we have a lovely view. They’ll have to drag me out of there.
These are not upscale ones. One would be Bar La Una. One would be Locale 21. And one would be Christianshavns Bådudlejning. It’s a tiny restaurant sitting in the canal. You can rent a boat there and go for a little trip down the canals. Then you can come back and have your lunch or dinner in that place. It’s only open during summer, of course, but it’s not been a proper summer if I have not gone there. There are a lot of canals in Copenhagen, and about 20 years ago they decided to clean the harbour so you can swim in it. You can step out of your apartment and just go swimming there. It’s one of the things that I’m very proud about where I come from. It feels like such a cool thing to do.
