11 of the best things to do in autumn in Denmark

If you're in Copenhagen on the second Friday of October, you ought to buy a pass to the annual Culture Night, giving you access to hundreds of behind-the-scenes cultural events for one night only!

We Danes love food! Every year we look forward to Dining Week - this year from the 14th to the 23rd of October. Restaurants throughout Denmark open their doors for with special menus at a fixed (more affordable) price. A unique opportunity to explore a selection of the best Danish restaurants and experience exciting new dining experiences. Dining Week is Scandinavia's largest restaurant festival and takes place twice a year, in autumn and winter.

This old country has some skeletons in its closets, and October 31 is the best time to golooking for them. With mist, spooky twisted trees and centuries-old castles to explore, it’s a great location for a ‘spook-action’ (that’s spooky and vacation put together!). Tivoli’s Halloween season could also be a good place to start.

Yes, our buildings do come in all colours, especially in Copenhagen. The contrast between orange leaves and colourful buildings is like catnip for instagrammers, professional photographers and everyone who likes a little colour in their life.

The autumn weather can be a bit temperamental (that’s our diplomatic way of saying you should bring a brolly) but inside our beautiful art galleries, you’ll find culture, cafes and a very warm welcome, whatever the weather. Even better, on the second Friday in October, Culture Night offers unique experiences across Copenhagen, and the Magic Days festival in Odense in mid-October sprinkles some magic dust all over the city.

Autumn equals harvest season, and in Denmark, where farm to fork is a way of life, it’s the perfect time of year to eat apple cake, not to mention tarteletter, brunkål and Danish oysters. Visit Plukselvfrugt to find out where you can pick your own fruit, forage for mushrooms, sea buckthorn, redcurrants and more, or just stroll down to Torvehallerne in central Copenhagen to buy seasonal food straight from the greengrocers. Or check out the Denmark's Apple Festival!

Lace up some hiking boots and explore Denmark’s characterful forests. Staksrode Forest in East Jutland is one of our finest, and is rated as a natural forest, untouched by humans, with a great walking route through and around it.

Autumn is a great time of year in Denmark if you’re into water sports. It’s always a bit windy here, but things really pick up from September if you’re into kite surfing, windsurfing or just plain surfing. If you don’t like the water, the weather is still pretty good for hiking and cycling.

Put a bit of magic into your life in Denmark's premier magic festival in Odense. Harry Potter costumes are optional but highly recommended.

Sensommer is a peculiar Danish mini season between summer and autumn that typically happens in September and sometimes through to October. Literally translating as ‘late summer’, it’s the warmest summeryish side of autumn and if you’re lucky, you can continue with your summer activities for a few weeks more. Or failing that, just go to Bornholm, where summer lingers a little longer than in the rest of Denmark.

Experience a special Dark Sky Park safari on Møn or Nyord. Together, the adjacent islands form Scandinavia's only Dark Sky Park, making it one of the best places for stargazing. Just an hour and a half south of Copenhagen, take time out to see a natural wonder doing its thing. Whether you're after accommodation or a a full blown course in astrophotography - it's all possible!