The Hygge Life

The Danish capital combines business and pleasure with aplomb. Is Copenhagen’s progressive attitude at the heart of its success?

- Rose Dykins

A high-heeled cyclist in a crisp suit passes me on the street, making a hands-free call as she pedals. It’s just after 3 PM on a Friday, and the concrete promenades lining Copenhagen’s three rectangular lakes – commonly mistaken for a single river – are baking in the unexpected spring heat.

At the nearby harbor, a powerboat carrying businesspeople guns down the satiny stretch of water towards Sweden. On days like this, “bridging” is also a thing in the Danish capital, where a denim-clad crowd perches along the walls of Dronning Louise's Bridge, sipping cans of pilsner and socializing until sunrise.

You can’t possibly have made it through 2016 without hearing the word hygge (pronounced hue-gah). Just in case, it’s the Danish idea of appreciating life’s simple pleasures: Family, friends, nature, soothing environments, a feeling of “a cozy togetherness.”

As a nation, Danes make time in their daily lives to appreciate the small but important things. It seems the rest of the world needs a manual to implement this – The Little Book of Hygge: the Danish Way to Live Well was a bestselling book in 2016. And since it consistently steals the top favorite spots of “most liveable” and “happiest” in worldwide city rankings, Copenhagen is certainly getting something right.

The enviable Danish lifestyle could be a trump card when it comes to attracting overseas talent. “I don’t think this factor should be underestimated,” says Claus Lonborg, CEO of Copenhagen Capacity, which supports foreign companies, investors and talent seeking opportunities in Greater Copenhagen.