Frederiksberg (Copenhagen) Travel Guide - Free

Explore Frederiksberg in Copenhagen with Evendo's free guide. Find the best shops, historic streets, restaurants, and gems on web or mobile.

Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg photo 2
Frederiksberg photo 3
All photos

Frederiksberg, Copenhagen blends palace gardens, leafy avenues, museums, cafés and refined shopping with a calm, distinctly Danish neighbourhood atmosphere.

A Distinctive Enclave in Copenhagen

Frederiksberg occupies a leafy, self-governing municipality enclosed by Copenhagen, yet it feels unmistakably separate from the denser city around it. Broad avenues, elegant apartment buildings, villas, mature trees and carefully maintained parks give the area a composed, residential character. Its central streets gather cafés, restaurants, specialist shops and cultural venues, while quieter lanes lead towards gardens and historic institutions.
Read more about Frederiksberg

Gardens, Palaces and Cultural Life

The neighbourhood's defining landscape is Frederiksberg Gardens, an expansive English-style park surrounding Frederiksberg Palace. Paths pass lawns, canals, bridges and wooded areas, with views towards the palace and Copenhagen Zoo at the western edge. Nearby, Cisternerne presents contemporary art in former underground water reservoirs, while the Bakkehuset museum preserves the atmosphere of the Golden Age literary circle associated with Kamma and Knud Lyne Rahbek. These places give Frederiksberg a cultural depth that extends well beyond its attractive streets.

Everyday Frederiksberg

Gammel Kongevej, Falkoner Allé, Smallegade and the streets around Frederiksberg Allé form the neighbourhood's practical and social core. Shopping is more independent and polished than market-like, with design, fashion, food and homeware businesses threaded between bakeries and cafés. The area becomes busier around theatres and restaurants in the evening, but much of Frederiksberg remains tranquil after dark. Its appeal lies in the easy succession of urban architecture, green space, local culture and ordinary city life rather than in a single concentrated sightseeing district.

Best attractions in Frederiksberg

Frederiksberg's principal attractions are concentrated around its parks and cultural institutions. Frederiksberg Gardens provides the most expansive experience, with winding paths, canals, bridges, lawns and views towards Frederiksberg Palace, whose historic exterior forms the park's visual centre. At the western edge, Copenhagen Zoo is a major nearby attraction with its own entrance and identity, while the adjoining Søndermarken offers a quieter landscape. Cisternerne, beneath the park, turns former drinking-water reservoirs into an atmospheric venue for contemporary art, and the Bakkehuset museum introduces visitors to the literary world of Denmark's Golden Age. Frederiksberg Allé adds a more urban dimension through theatres, mature trees and elegant buildings, while the streets around Gammel Kongevej and Smallegade reveal the neighbourhood's cafés, shops and everyday architecture.

Show more attractions

Best landmarks in Frederiksberg

Frederiksberg Palace is the neighbourhood's most important historic landmark, occupying high ground beside Frederiksberg Gardens and recalling the area's transformation into a royal landscape in the early eighteenth century. The gardens themselves are a landmark of designed urban nature, with canals, bridges and long views that contrast with the surrounding streets. Bakkehuset preserves a literary association with Kamma and Knud Lyne Rahbek and Denmark's Golden Age, while Cisternerne gives a former piece of water infrastructure a new cultural role underground. Frederiksberg Allé is significant as a tree-lined historic route, and Frederiksberg Town Hall provides a civic focal point around which the municipality's separate identity remains visible. Nearby Copenhagen Zoo is prominent at the park's western edge, although it should be understood as a distinct institution rather than folded into the palace landscape.

Show more landmarks

Explore Frederiksberg on the map

A handpicked selection of must-see spots in Frederiksberg, mapped for you.

Best restaurants in Frederiksberg

Dining in Frederiksberg is shaped by its broad commercial avenues and affluent residential setting rather than by one concentrated food market. Gammel Kongevej and Falkoner Allé offer a wide range of restaurants, cafés, bakeries and casual places to eat, while Smallegade and the lanes near Frederiksberg Allé provide smaller-scale options between shops and apartment buildings. The scene includes Danish open sandwiches, pastries and coffee alongside European, Asian and contemporary vegetable-led cooking, reflecting Copenhagen's cosmopolitan dining culture without losing its neighbourhood orientation. Frederiksberg is also useful for an unhurried café stop before or after the gardens and museums. Værnedamsvej, often associated with the wider Frederiksberg and Vesterbro area, lies on the boundary rather than clearly within the neighbourhood, so visitors should check addresses when seeking a specifically Frederiksberg dining experience.

Show more restaurants

Best bars in Frederiksberg

Frederiksberg's nightlife is more measured than the late-night concentration found in Copenhagen's inner city. Evening activity gathers around Gammel Kongevej, Falkoner Allé and Frederiksberg Allé, where wine bars, pubs, cocktail-focused venues and restaurant bars sit among theatres and cultural spaces. The Falkoner area can bring a livelier audience when performances or large events are taking place, while much of the neighbourhood settles into a quiet residential rhythm after dinner. Frederiksberg is therefore better suited to a drink, a theatre evening or a relaxed meal than to a district-wide club crawl. Visitors looking for larger nightclub concentrations can continue into central Copenhagen, but should describe those venues as outside Frederiksberg rather than treating the city-centre scene as local nightlife.

Show more bars

Best nightclubs in Frederiksberg

Frederiksberg's nightlife is more measured than the late-night concentration found in Copenhagen's inner city. Evening activity gathers around Gammel Kongevej, Falkoner Allé and Frederiksberg Allé, where wine bars, pubs, cocktail-focused venues and restaurant bars sit among theatres and cultural spaces. The Falkoner area can bring a livelier audience when performances or large events are taking place, while much of the neighbourhood settles into a quiet residential rhythm after dinner. Frederiksberg is therefore better suited to a drink, a theatre evening or a relaxed meal than to a district-wide club crawl. Visitors looking for larger nightclub concentrations can continue into central Copenhagen, but should describe those venues as outside Frederiksberg rather than treating the city-centre scene as local nightlife.

Show more nightclubs

Best shops in Frederiksberg

Shopping in Frederiksberg is concentrated along Gammel Kongevej, Falkoner Allé, Smallegade and the streets around Frederiksberg Centre. The character is predominantly local and specialist: independent fashion, interiors, beauty, books, food shops, bakeries and design-led businesses are interspersed with familiar Danish and international retailers. Frederiksberg Centre provides a compact indoor retail option beside the Metro, while the older commercial streets are more enjoyable for browsing individual shopfronts and combining errands with a café stop. This is not primarily a flea-market or wholesale district, and its shopping identity comes instead from polished neighbourhood retail and proximity to established residential streets. Visitors interested in Danish design and everyday food culture will find more relevant browsing here than souvenir stalls or large tourist markets.

Show more shops

Frederiksberg essentials

Getting There
Frederiksberg is served directly by Copenhagen's Metro, with useful stations including Frederiksberg, Frederiksberg Allé, Forum, Fasanvej and Flintholm depending on the destination. Frederiksberg station is convenient for the central shopping streets and Frederiksberg Centre, while Frederiksberg Allé is well placed for the boulevard and theatre district. Fasanvej provides access towards Frederiksberg Gardens and the zoo. Buses also run along major corridors such as Gammel Kongevej and Falkoner Allé. From Copenhagen Central Station, visitors can use the Metro or walk west through Vesterbro, taking care not to confuse the neighbouring districts with Frederiksberg itself.
Getting Around
The central parts of Frederiksberg are straightforward to explore on foot, with Gammel Kongevej, Falkoner Allé, Frederiksberg Allé and Smallegade providing clear orientation points. Frederiksberg Gardens is spacious and best experienced by walking its paths rather than treating it as a quick crossing. Pavements and park routes vary in surface and accessibility, and the gardens include bridges, slopes and wooded sections. Cycling is a practical way to cover the wider area, while the Metro connects the main commercial streets with the garden and zoo area. Check local signs where cycle tracks cross busy roads.
Safety
Frederiksberg is generally easy to navigate, but normal urban precautions remain sensible. Keep phones and bags secure in crowded Metro carriages, around transport interchanges and on busy shopping streets. Pay attention to cycle traffic when crossing roads or stepping from pavements, particularly along major avenues. In the parks, stay aware of uneven paths, water edges and low light after dusk. Evening activity is concentrated around restaurants, theatres and transport stations rather than across the whole neighbourhood, so quieter residential streets should be treated with the same consideration and awareness used elsewhere in Copenhagen.
Emergency Situations
In Denmark, call 112 for an immediate emergency requiring police, fire or ambulance assistance. Give the operator the location, explain what has happened and follow the instructions provided; English is widely understood, but clear landmark names such as Frederiksberg Gardens or a Metro station can help identify your position. For non-urgent police matters, Denmark's police contact number is 114. Pharmacies and medical services operate throughout Copenhagen, but visitors needing urgent treatment should use 112 or seek advice through the Danish health service rather than assuming a nearby clinic offers emergency care.
Do's and Don'ts
Respect the calm residential character by keeping voices low near homes, especially late at night. On shared paths, give way appropriately and watch for bicycles, while in Frederiksberg Gardens keep to signed routes and avoid planted areas. Ask before photographing people, private homes or children, and do not climb on historic structures or disturb park wildlife. Queue patiently in cafés and shops, and remember that card payments are standard but a small tip is discretionary rather than obligatory. Around restaurants and theatres, leave space for residents and avoid blocking narrow pavements.
Local Tips
For a varied introduction, combine the civic centre around Frederiksberg Allé with Frederiksberg Gardens, then continue towards Søndermarken and Cisternerne near the park's western side. Gammel Kongevej is useful for independent shopping and cafés, while Smallegade and the streets around Frederiksberg Rådhus offer a more local, everyday rhythm. The neighbourhood rewards short detours: grand avenues often give way to quiet villa streets, pocket gardens and older institutional buildings. Use Metro stations as orientation points, but allow extra time for the park paths, which are more extensive than a map viewed at street level suggests.
Eve, your Evendo local guide

From Eve

Local phrases worth knowing

You don't need to get them perfect. A few words go a long way, and locals appreciate the effort.

6 phrase groups · English, local and pronunciation

Basics
EnglishLocalSay it
HelloHej[hey]
GoodbyeFarvel[far-vel]
YesJa[ya]
NoNej[nay]
Please/You're welcomeVær så venlig[ver so ven-lee]
Thank youTak[tak]
Excuse me/SorryUndskyld[oon-skool]
How are you?Hvordan har du det?[vohr-dan har doo deht]
Fine. And you?Fint. Og dig?[feent oh dee]
Do you speak English?Taler du engelsk?[tah-ler doo eng-elsk]
I don't understandJeg forstår ikke[yay for-stor ee-keh]
Eating & Drinking
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to see the menu, pleaseJeg vil gerne se menuen, tak[yay vil gehr-neh seh meh-new-en tak]
I don't eat meatJeg spiser ikke kød[yay spee-ser ee-keh kuhd]
Cheers!Skål![skawl]
I would like to pay, pleaseJeg vil gerne betale, tak[yay vil gehr-neh beh-tah-le tak]
Emergencies
EnglishLocalSay it
Help!Hjælp![hyehlp]
Go away!Gå væk![goh vehk]
Call the Police!Ring til politiet![ring teel poh-lee-tee-eh]
Call a doctor!Ring efter en læge![ring ef-tehr en lay-eh]
I'm lostJeg er faret vild[yay air far-et veeld]
I'm illJeg er syg[yay air soog]
Shopping
EnglishLocalSay it
I'd like to buy...Jeg vil gerne købe...[yay vil gehr-neh koo-beh]
I'm just lookingJeg kigger bare[yay kee-guhr bah-reh]
How much is it?Hvor meget koster det?[vohr meh-et koh-stehr deht]
That's too expensiveDet er for dyrt[deht air for deert]
Can you lower the price?Kan du sænke prisen?[kahn doo sahn-keh pree-sen]
Time & Numbers
EnglishLocalSay it
What time is it?Hvad er klokken?[vahd air kloh-ken]
It's one o'clockDen er et[dehn air et]
Half past (10)Halv ti[halv tee]
MorningMorgen[mohr-gehn]
AfternoonEftermiddag[ef-ter-mee-dahg]
EveningAften[ahf-ten]
YesterdayIgår[ee-gohr]
TodayI dag[ee dah]
TomorrowI morgen[ee mohr-gehn]
1En[en]
2To[toh]
3Tre[treh]
4Fire[fee-reh]
5Fem[fem]
6Seks[seks]
7Syv[soov]
8Otto[oh-toh]
9Ni[nee]
10Ti[tee]
Transport & Directions
EnglishLocalSay it
Where's a/the...?Hvor er en/den...[vohr air en/dehn]
What's the address?Hvad er adressen?[vahd air a-drehs-sehn]
Can you show me (on the map)?Kan du vise mig (på kortet)?[kahn doo vee-seh mee (poh kohr-teh)]
When's the next (bus)?Hvornår er næste (bus)?[vohr-nohr air nay-steh (boos)]
A ticket (to ....)En billet (til ....)[en bee-leht (teel)]

History of Frederiksberg

From Village to Royal Estate

Frederiksberg developed from a rural settlement west of Copenhagen, traditionally associated with the village of Solbjerg. Its royal connection strengthened after Frederiksberg Palace was built between 1699 and 1703 for King Frederik IV on elevated ground west of the capital. The palace and its surrounding grounds transformed the area from farmland into a royal landscape, while the name Frederiksberg became increasingly established. The palace gardens were later reshaped in the English landscape style during the eighteenth century, creating the parkland character that still defines much of the neighbourhood.

Eighteenth-Century Suburban Growth

Frederiksberg remained more open and rural than Copenhagen for much of the eighteenth century, with country houses, gardens and agricultural land interspersed around the royal estate. Its elevated position and healthy reputation encouraged affluent Copenhageners to build summer residences and permanent homes here. The area also developed a distinctive institutional presence: Frederiksberg Palace became associated with military education, and the surrounding roads gradually connected the settlement to the expanding capital. This combination of elite residences, rural land and royal institutions laid the foundations for Frederiksberg's later suburban identity.

Urbanisation and Municipal Independence

During the nineteenth century, Copenhagen's outward growth reached Frederiksberg, bringing denser housing, new roads, shops and public institutions. Frederiksberg Municipality was established in 1857, and it retained its separate administrative status even as the built-up area merged physically with the capital. The opening of Frederiksberg Gardens to broader public use helped preserve an important green centre amid urban expansion. Cultural life also acquired a local focus through places such as Bakkehuset, linked to the literary circle of Kamma and Knud Lyne Rahbek, whose home became a significant memory of Denmark's Golden Age.

A Modern Cultural and Residential District

Twentieth-century Frederiksberg consolidated the character visible today: substantial apartment blocks and villas, commercial avenues, theatres, educational institutions and extensive public greenery. Frederiksberg Allé developed as a prominent cultural and residential boulevard, while the Falkoner complex became an important venue for conferences, performances and civic life. The former water reservoirs beneath Søndermarken were later repurposed as Cisternerne, linking industrial infrastructure with contemporary art. Today, Frederiksberg remains a distinct municipality within the Copenhagen urban area, balancing established residential streets with restaurants, specialist retail and cultural attractions.

Frederiksberg in Photos

Browse through our photo collection highlighting the charm and character of the destination.

0 / 0

Neighbourhoods near Frederiksberg

The closest neighbourhoods to Frederiksberg, if you have time for more than one stop.

Explore more

Copenhagen
More of the region

Explore more of Copenhagen

Copenhagen blends royal palaces, harbour architecture, bicycle culture and New Nordic food with centuries of Danish history, design and lively neighbourhoods to explore.

Explore Copenhagen
The Evendo app on two phones

Your all-in-one travel companion app

Explore expert travel guides, compare and book tours, experiences, hotels, and more, all from the palm of your hand. Download now for seamless trip planning wherever your wanderlust takes you.

  • Travel guides to regions, countries, cities, landmarks and attractions worldwide
  • Photos, local tips, maps, opening hours and contact details for every place
  • Easy booking for hotels, tours, tickets and experiences
Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play
More about the Evendo app

Evendo is a 100% free travel guide app: plan a trip, find what is worth seeing and book it, all in one place.

  • Restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops picked for every destination
  • A "Near me" view of the attractions and amenities around you
  • History and travel essentials for each country and city

From world regions down to a single landmark, every guide brings together the places to see, where to eat and drink, and where to stay, with descriptions, photos and maps to help you plan.

No in-app purchases and no hidden costs. Download Evendo and take your guides with you wherever you travel.

Get the latest from Evendo

Hand-picked travel deals, new destination guides and trip ideas, straight to your inbox.