Kurhotel Skodsborg: where the atmosphere of Copenhagen meets the wild

The resort near Denmark's capital offers a stylish and authentic Danish spa experience

Kurhotel Skodsborg exterior
The hotel occupies a unique patch of seaside and woodland wilderness
(Image credit: Kurhotel Skodsborg)

Copenhagen is Denmark's most populous city, and with over 30,000 hotel rooms there's no shortage of places to stay. There is, however, a way to enjoy the buzzy atmosphere of the capital and escape into the wild landscape of North Zealand, even on a short stay or weekend trip. Situated just 20 minutes by train from Copenhagen's central Nørreport station is the coastal destination of Skodsborg, which is not so much a town as a strip of elegant homes built as summer residences for royals and dignitaries in the mid-19th century. They overlook the Øresund Strait and an area that borders the expansive Dyrehaven forest, a Unesco World Heritage site that is home to more than 2,000 wild deer, and is popular with hikers and mountain bikers. 

This little patch of seaside/woodland wilderness is home to the Deco-esque Kurhotel Skodsborg Spa Hotel, originally a sanatorium founded in 1898 by Carl Ottosen, an early adopter of holistic wellness based on the principles of a plant-heavy diet, plenty of exercise, massage, heat therapy and cold sea bathing. Today the 4-star retreat upholds these same principles and serves as a secret base for Danes seeking restorative calm, combining the hygge of a boutique-hotel hideaway with the nurturing of a therapeutic Scandi spa resort. Its modern facilities include a 100-square-metre hydro-pool, hot saunas, steam rooms, Jacuzzis, a salt grotto and specialised treatment rooms in a subterranean light-filled area designed by Henning Larsen, the architects responsible for the award-winning Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík, Iceland. For those who want to enliven their senses the authentic way, there are ice baths outside and access to a private jetty for a cold plunge in the sea. Danes swim all year round, even through the ice. 

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up