Sønder Boulevard Copenhagen: Local Guide & 2026 Tips

TLDR: Sønder Boulevard is a 1.3-kilometre green park strip in Vesterbro built on the route of Denmark's first railway. Free to visit, best in summer. Home to Folkehuset Absalon's community dinners and near Kødbyen.

Sønder Boulevard doesn't show up on most Copenhagen bucket lists, and that's part of why I like it. This 1.3-kilometre strip of green in trendy Vesterbro is where locals actually spend their free time, not where tourists line up for photos.

It runs from Halmtorvet near Central Station southwest to the Carlsberg district, and on any warm afternoon you'll find families on blankets, groups playing football, and people reading with takeaway coffee.

After several visits, this has to be one of the best places to understand how Copenhageners actually live.

What is the story behind Sønder Boulevard?

Sønder Boulevard follows the route of Denmark's first railway, the Copenhagen-Roskilde line that opened in 1847. When the tracks were relocated in stages (1864 and again in 1911), the abandoned rail bed was turned into a broad street in the growing Vesterbro district. The street was renamed Sønder Boulevard in 1905.

By the late 1990s, the boulevard had deteriorated badly. Between 2005 and 2007, landscape architects SLA redesigned the entire central strip into the green linear park you see today, with playgrounds, ball cages, BMX tracks, and different seating areas.

What is there to do on Sønder Boulevard?

The best thing to do here is nothing in particular. Grab a coffee, find a spot on the grass, and hang out. That said, the boulevard has real facilities: football pitches, basketball hoops, ping-pong tables, a shipwreck-themed playground, and a BMX track.

The highlight is Folkehuset Absalon at number 73, a former church converted into a community house in 2015. Every evening at 6 PM they serve communal dinner for around 50 DKK, where you sit at long tables with strangers and share a meal. I've done it twice, and both times I ended up talking to Danes I wouldn't have met otherwise.

When is the best time to visit Sønder Boulevard?

May through September is when Sønder Boulevard comes alive. Copenhagen gets up to 17 hours of daylight in midsummer, and locals fill every patch of grass. Late afternoon on a weekday is my favourite time, when the after-work crowd shifts the energy from quiet to social.

Winter is quieter but not without charm. The surrounding cafes get cozy, and Absalon's community dinners feel even warmer when it's cold outside. The boulevard is open 24/7 and completely free.

What is the famous walking street in Copenhagen?

Strøget is Copenhagen's most famous walking street, a pedestrian stretch running from City Hall Square to Kongens Nytorv. It's where most visitors end up, and for good reason.

Sønder Boulevard offers something different: a local, residential atmosphere with none of the chain stores or tourist crowds.

Where Strøget is about shopping and sightseeing, Sønder Boulevard is about community and daily life. I'd recommend doing both to get the full picture of how Copenhagen works.

What is the coolest neighborhood in Copenhagen?

Vesterbro consistently gets called Copenhagen's coolest neighbourhood, and Sønder Boulevard is a big reason why. The area went from the city's red-light district to a creative hub over the past two decades, and the boulevard's 2007 renovation was a turning point. Property values nearby increased by over 350 million Danish kroner after the redesign.

Nørrebro and Christianshavn both have strong claims too, but Vesterbro's mix of independent shops, Kødbyen's restaurant scene, and Sønder Boulevard's green spaces give it an edge for visitors wanting to see how young Copenhagen lives.

How do you get to Sønder Boulevard?

Sønder Boulevard is easy to reach from anywhere in central Copenhagen:

  •  Metro: Enghave Plads station (City Circle Line, opened 2019) sits right on the boulevard

  •  Train: Copenhagen Central Station is a 5-minute walk from the Halmtorvet end

  •  On foot: About 15 minutes from City Hall Square through Vesterbro

Cycling is the most Copenhagen way to get here. Bike rental stations are everywhere, and the boulevard has good infrastructure along both sides.

What else should you see nearby Sønder Boulevard?

Copenhagen packs an impressive number of attractions into a walkable area, and Vesterbro is no exception. Within a 10-minute walk from Sønder Boulevard:

  •  Kødbyen (the Meatpacking District), where former slaughterhouses house galleries, restaurants, and nightlife

  •  Istedgade, Vesterbro's main street with independent shops and international restaurants

  •  Tivoli Gardens, the world's second-oldest amusement park, at the Halmtorvet end of the boulevard

  •  Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the art museum founded by the Carlsberg beer family with over 10,000 works

Is it worth seeing Sønder Boulevard?

If you want the tourist-trail version of Copenhagen, Sønder Boulevard probably isn't essential. There's no museum, no monument, and no entrance fee.

But if you want to understand how Copenhageners actually spend their time, this is one of the most revealing spots in the city.

Combine it with dinner at Folkehuset Absalon and a walk through Kødbyen afterward, and you've got an evening that feels genuinely local. That, to me, is worth more than another selfie at Nyhavn.

How to explore Vesterbro the right way?

Want to discover Vesterbro and the rest of Copenhagen at your own pace? StoryHunt's Personal Tour Guide lets you create your own audio walk with an interactive map, tailored to whatever interests you most.

Whether that's architecture, food, history, or just finding the spots locals love, you get a personalised experience that goes deeper than any guidebook. Put in your earbuds and explore on your own terms.