Copenhagen Travel Guide

With its epicurean renaissance and minimal design aesthetic, Copenhagen is the perfect match for my dueling passions of food and decor — the city has been high on my bucket list for years and years. I recently returned from the royal tour of Copenhagen through the lens of Georg Jensen. I covered as much ground as possible on the trip, soaking up all of the architecture, history, design, food, art, and culture one can absorb in five days. I witnessed firsthand the artistry at the Georg Jensen silversmith studio, took in the brand’s legacy at the Jensen archives, explored the farmer’s markets, dined at revered restaurants, and experienced the crème de la crème of design and décor shops. With my whirlwind trip behind me, here is a little recap on the best the city has to offer, in my swoony but humble opinion.

I have never felt more immediately connected to any city than I did in Copenhagen. Perhaps it is how I engaged with the city — I traveled by bike, traversing the streets and observing the landscape, architecture, and nature as I rushed by. Commuting alongside the locals without a doubt allowed me to feel at home and in tune with the natural rhythm of the culture. And the Danes themselves are simply the warmest humans I have ever encountered — they welcomed me into their city with wide open arms, pride in their way of life, and a full heart.

Working together with Georg Jensen is a dream partnership, as we mirror one another’s core values with regard to style, design, and function. To be invited to their home city and welcomed into their silversmith studio to engage with the creative process behind their swooned-after tabletop, hollowware, and silver pieces was an exceptional experience.

The “Smithy”, as they call it, is the heart of the company. It houses 25 men and women who make a daily practice of quality, craftsmanship, and innovation in their work. I was so impressed by the focus and attention to detail that goes into each and every handmade piece.

Here I am in the Georg Jensen archives, the place where the company’s history is preserved. Archives such as this are rare — Georg Jensen is one of the few brands in Copenhagen to keep such a practice. This teapot and original sketch date back to 1905.

A core source of inspiration for Georg Jensen throughout the years has been nature — traces of the natural world weave a common thread throughout every GJ piece. Mr. Jensen was a gifted craftsman and sculptor and his early years made a massive mark on the brand we know today. He grew up lakeside in the forest, and you’ll find whimsical motifs like fruits, blossoms, leaves, magnolia patterns, and frog’s feet, (seen here as the base of the teapot), all etched into his designs.

Each design and blueprint from the archives has a recipe on the back for the silversmiths and metal workers to follow. And while they follow that recipe, these masters of metal put their own fingerprint on each piece they create. We cannot see it but they can!

There is such artistry exhibited behind the scenes. Nothing is machine-made. In all of Georg Jensen’s pieces there is a human touch by both younger makers and seasoned craftsmen who honed their skill through years and years of apprenticeship. Every curve, hammer mark, floral detail, bend, and mold of the material is subtly manipulated by hand in a modern yet classic approach to design. It is impossible to not be in awe of the process.

To be certain there is a common language throughout the brand’s history. The modern-day designers get to dig through the archives. In exploring designs of the past, they might be inspired to create something new or even re-release a piece from the past that has been long forgotten. I think my takeaway from visiting the Georg Jensen archives was that the GJ collection is timeless – the pieces can work for someone who is 15 or 50. Granddaughter and grandmother can both wear the same piece, just styled differently.

Another testament to the Georg Jensen brand was their pursuit of collaboration, which was certainly forward-thinking! Georg Jensen was created in 1904 and by 1907 they had already brought on their first outside designer. Collaborations continue to this day — the emphasis on partnerships a part of the Georg Jensen DNA.

Vivianna Torun was one of the innovators who defined the jewelry design language for GJ from 1967 to 2004. She helped shape the company for an astounding 59 years. Vivianna was oh-so-chic and global in her design approach, taking inspiration from Africa and Indonesia and weaving traces of the culture into her jewelry.

In 1948 Vivianna traveled to France with her children, where she humbly collected pebbles and stones on the beach for the jewelry she was making. She happened to meet a man who was smitten with her creative process. They talked, they swooned, and only after he departed did she become aware that this man was Pablo Picasso! Here I am, fortunate to sit within her design studio in Copenhagen, to feel her aura and creativity and have a glimpse into her creative process.

Visiting the Georg Jensen archives and Vivianna Torun’s design studio were among my most memorable moments in Copenhagen, but during my five-day stay I made my way to so many other swoon-worthy spots, too. From the places shown here — Noma’s sister restaurant 108, shoppable apartment aptly called “The Apartment“, and Apollo Bar — to the Botanical Garden, cafés, and oodles of other beautiful boutiques, read all about the very best of what I experienced below.