It’s always nice to remember a past vacation, with a little something you bought for yourself. Or maybe you want to bring home a gift for a loved one? Below you will find our curated list of Danish souvenirs. Items that are designed in Denmark. Items that we would buy ourselves.
Filippo Bag from Yvonne Koné 695$/616€
Since 2011 Yvonne Koné has had her own brand of shoes, bags and accessories. With a love for simplicity and craftmanship, she has created a line of wardrobe essentials, that rely more on quality and heritage, than trend. Her style is a successful mixture of Danish minimalism and elements from her Ivory Coast origin.
Where to get it:
Yvonne Koné.com or visit the beautiful flagship store on Store Strandstræde 3, 1255 København K.
Mineral Foundation from Tromborg – 61$/55€
CEO and founder Marianne Tromborg has more than 20 years of experience as a makeup-artist and she created Tromborg with her personal philosophy, that it should be easy and manageable to look good.
With the Mineral Foundation you get just that. This loose powder foundation is easy to apply and will leave your skin with its natural look and glow. Since it’s 100% natural, people with problematic skin can also enjoy it.
Be sure to check out what else Tromborg has to offer, since they have practically everything you can think of concerning skincare, makeup and even fragrances.
Where to get it:
Visit Tromborg‘s official page or find a retailer here.
Mono notebook from HAY – 15$/13€
HAY has since 2002 established themselves as a furniture-company worth following. The Danish home-ware brand design furniture and affordable everyday accessories for modern living. Their designs are very simple and recognisable and seem to have that modern Scandinavian touch. This is a brand that will be a Danish classic in 20 years or so. Want to spend even less? HAY have products that can purchased for under 1$/1€
Where to get it:
Shop online or visit HAY House right across Illum on the shopping street Strøget. The address is Østergade 61, 110 København K. The store doesn’t have a storefront, since it’s situated on the 2nd and 3rd flor, so look out for the big black and white HAY flag, to find the entrance.
T-shirt from Mads Nørgaard – 33$/29€
Mads Nørgaard is a classic in the Danish fashion scene and the stripes are iconic. They might vary in size and colour from season to season, but they will always be a part of the Mads Nørgaard collection.
By the way, the brand is a lot more than menswear – they also excel in women and kids clothing.
Where to get it:
You can find the shop at Amagertorv 13-15 (right on the walking street Strøget) or you can shop online by clicking here.
Mikkeller beer –
from approximately 5$/4€
In 2006 this microbrewery was founded in Copenhagen and slowly but surely it received more and more acclaim. Today their beer is sold in more than 40 countries around the world. From the start the founders sought to challenge the taste buds and weren’t afraid to use a wide variety of ingredients – and they still do. You can get beer with coconut, cherries, coffee… you get the point. Though some beers are being produces continuously, most of them are only available for limited time.
Where to get it:
You can taste and buy Mikkeller beer several places in the city – click here to get to the official Mikkeller site.
B&O Beoplay A1 portable speaker – approximately 300$/270€
The soon to be 100 years old Bang & Olufsen produce high-end luxury speakers, ear-phones and televisions. Their products are typically very recognisable and of high quality. The Beoplay A1 is one of their portable Bluetooth speakers. You can have it lying around at home or you can put it in your bag and bring it with you – even outdoors, since it’s both dust and splash resistant. And you won’t be disappointed with the performance either – the speaker produces a “True 360 Sound” and up to 2 X 140W power.
Where to get it:
B&O have a store at Østergade 18, 1100 København K or you can visit their webshop.
Bülow liquorice –
from approximately 1$/1€
In 2007 Johan Bülow decided to start his own liquorice factory, so he could show the world, just why the Danes love this treat so much. The first shop was on the small Island Bornholm in the Baltic Sea and Johan sold out in two hours. We really do love our liquorice – if you meet a Dane who is living abroad, chances are they miss ‘rugbrød’ (ryebread) and ‘lakrids’ (the Danish word for liquorice). Even though we also enjoy the sweet kind, it’s the more salty version which is popular and can of course be found in the Bülow selection, which also includes spicy liquorice, liquorice balls covered in chocolate, with sea buckthorn and many many more.
Where to get it: Shop online or find a store near you.
Acai cleansing milk from Rudolph care – 45$/40€
In 2006 founder Andrea Rudolph participated in a chemical footprint campaign for Greenpeace and found out she had a lot of chemicals in her blood. This prompted her to start her own beauty line of high-quality products, that were free from ingredients that could harm her health and skin. Several certifications ensure that her products meet the requirements regarding the environment and health. This is a brand that is truly “Made in Denmark”, because all products are designed, developed and produced in Denmark.
Where to get it:
Shop online or find a retailer near you right here.
Pickled herring from Glyngøre – approximately 5$/4€
Herring has been an important part of the Danish kitchen and commerce for up to a thousand years. It was actually the 3rd largest goods in the year 1300-1500 in Europe. The pickled herring is still an inevitable ingredient in the Danish lunch and is consumed all year around, but especially at Christmas. We eat it on a slice of buttered rye bread. Pickled herring comes in a wide variety of flavors, but the process is the same – the fresh herring is cured in salt to extract water, then added to a brine consisting of vinegar, sugar and salt with other optional things such as bay leaves. This is pretty much a basic pickled herring – at this stage mustard or dill could be added, which both are popular versions on the Danish smørrebrød.
Where to get it:
Every supermarket will have several brands and flavors of herring. You can also shop it at Copenhagen Airport at Delicious by Nordic, which can be found after the security check, a few steps on your right, outside the main tax-free shop.
LEGO – prices start at around 7$/6€
LEGO is one of the world’s most known toy-brands, which has been a source to many hours of play since 1949. And this is not just a toy for kids. The DUPLO-line is designed for toddlers from 1 year old, but the advanced sets, like the Taj Mahal, is from 16 years and up. LEGO sometimes label their Classic Sets age 4 – 99, to show that you’re never to old to play with LEGO. You should be able to find a gift no matter what your budget is, since the prices start at 5$/4€ for a LEGO figure, 7$/6€ for a small set, while the bigger sets will cost you from 50$/45€ and up to 700$/620€ for the absolutely biggest ones.
Where to get it:
I would recommend to visit the official LEGO-store on the walking street Strøget.
Address: Vimmelskaftet 37,
1161 København K.
Otherwise you can pick something up at the airport, at the LEGO-store after the security check, though the selection is somewhat limited. Most toy-stores also have a fine selection of LEGO or you can of course shop online.
Poster from HuskMitNavn – prices start at 120$/110€
Why not bring home some Danish art from your trip to Copenhagen?
HuskMitNavn (RememberMyName) is a Danish artist, who has developed a very recognisable style. Most of the time his characters have a very distinct pointy nose and yellow skin-color. All posters are numbered and signed. Apart from posters, lithographs or woodcuts, you can also get HuskMitNavn books, kids colouring books and porcelain set of plate and cup.
Where to get it:
Visit the V1 Gallery at Flæsketorvet 69-71, 1711 København, where you can see some of the works on display, plus purchase some of the artwork. Or simply visit: HuskMitNavn.
Classic Chelsea boots from Angulus – 211$/190€
Angulus was founded in 1904 and since they weren’t satisfied with the selection of shoes for children at the time, they created, in close cooperation with doctors and physiotherapists, their own foot-formed shoes. This design can still be seen in today’s collection and along with the natural rubber sole, it is a part of Angulus’ key characteristics. The Danish shoe brand creates lovely leather shoes, sandals and boots for the whole family, so you should have no problem finding something for your loved one(s).
Where to get it:
Visit their flagship store at Sværtegade 10 or Kronprinsensgade 13, 1118 København K. Otherwise shop online on Angulus’ official site.
foto: ATC Footwear A/S / Angulus
HAMA beads box set – approx. 11$/10€
Here is how it works – you place the beads on a pegboard– choose a predetermined pattern or let your creativity loose. When you’re done, you place a sheet of baking parchment paper over the beads and melt the surface of the beads with a household iron. Let it cool and now all the beads are linked and you can enjoy your creation.
Like LEGO, HAMA beads are not just for kids. Even though HAMA markets their products towards kids, a big portion of their customers are probably grownups, because only your imagination limits, what you can create with HAMA beads. And the process of laying the beads on the pegboard can be quite meditative. The beads come in different sizes, so even kids down to 3-years old can join the fun.
Where to get it:
HAMA beads can be found in almost every toy store and larger supermarkets, with a toy department. You can find it online here.
Porcelain mug from Royal Copenhagen – 47$/42€
With more than 240 years of experience, the people at Royal Copenhagen know what they are doing. They produce the well-known porcelain, with its hand painted cobalt blue decorations, that can be handed down to the next generation. This is craftsmanship. Whenever they design a new product, the process takes up to several months – from the first idea, to modelling in a 3D printer, creating the first mould, then adding decorations and finally glazing and firing of the porcelain. So, when you stand with you newly purchased product in hand, it might have passed up to 30 sets of hands, before reaching yours.
Where to get it:
Visit the flagship store at Amager Torv 6, 1160 København K or shop online Royal Copenhagen’s official site.
Love tag from Jane König –
from 32$/28€
The jewelry from Jane König is feminine, simplistic and raw at the same time. Jane started out as clothing designer, but ended up releasing her own jewelry line and today her brand is one of the trendsetters in Danish jewelry design.
The love tag is the signature jewel from Jane König and is available both as a necklace, bracelet and pendant. You can get it in different sizes, gold, silver, rhodinated silver and rose gold and it even comes with diamonds. So, you just have to choose a letter or number and get a gift for a loved one or yourself. The prices start at 32$/28€ for the small love tag.
Where to get it:
You can find it on the official Jane König webshop or visit the flagship store on Gothersgade 54, 1123 København K.
Marzipan bar from Anthon Berg – approximately 1$/1€
In the beginning Chocolatier Anthon Berg was actually a greengrocer, but decided to try his luck with the cocoa beans, which were starting to increase in popularity by the end of the 19th century. He succeeded and people were waiting in line to buy his chocolate. To keep the waiting customers content, small pieces of chocolate with marzipan inside were handed out and today, the chocolate covered marzipan in its pink wrapper, is probably among the most iconic chocolate bars in the world. The Anthon Berg brand has born the title “Purveyors to the Royal Danish Court” for over 60 years, so obviously the royalty in Denmark loves the pink chocolate bar and so will you.
Where to get it:
Most supermarkets, grocery-stores and kiosks will have the marzipan bar from Anthon Berg on their shelves.
Scarf from Beck Söndergaard from 33$/29€
The Danish women do love their scarves. And they still love to dress in black, so a playful scarf is most welcome to add a bit of colour. At the time of writing there are 233 scarves on the webshop, so chances are you can find one you like.
Anna Søndergaard and Lis Beck started the company together in 2003 and today the brand owns 5 stores and sell their products in more than 18 countries. They have a lot more to offer than their scarves, so head over to BeckSöndergaard.
Where to get it:
On their webshop (link above) or go to the department store Magasin at Kgs. Nytorv.
Leo Bibbi bodystocking from MarMar Copenhagen – 60$/42.95€
After designing kid’s wear for several Danish brands, Marlene Anine Holmboe went her own ways and created MarMar Copenhagen back in 2007. MarMar Copenhagen describes their own design as “country-chic and urban coolness, old and new, luxurious and functional”, which is very accurate. These combinations make it possible for you to mix and match to suit any occasion. Most of the clothes are made of OEKO-TEX certified textiles and when you have the fabric in hand, you’re not in doubt, that this is a quality garment.
The brand offers clothing from top to bottom, for both girls and boys, from new born to the age of 14 and they also have a women’s line.
Where to get it:
MarMar’s webshop or the department store Illum, Østergade 52, 1001 København K.
Are there any special souvenirs, that you will bring home from your trip to Copenhagen? Maybe one, which isn’t on our list? Let us know in the comments.