🕯️🚣 Lucia on the water: where to watch the kayak parade of candles and how to keep warm afterwards

✨ One of the warmest winter spectacles — right on the water

In mid-December, Copenhagen becomes a little quieter — and suddenly, at dusk, lights begin to flicker. Dozens of kayaks take to the water, each with candles, lights and sprigs of fir. This is the Lucia parade: not a noisy celebration, but a gentle procession of lights. The beauty is in the details — how the light reflects in the water, how the choir and spectators on the banks sing, how the city freezes for a few minutes. The traveller's task is to choose a spot (sheltered from the wind or open with a panoramic view), arrive on time and plan a warm break afterwards.

🧭 When to go and how much time to allow

• Best time of day: best — dusk → early evening. It is during this transition that the lights ‘settle’ and the reflections in the canals become deep.
• What time to arrive: take your spot 45–60 minutes before the start — this way you will find a place by the water, check the wind and plan your departure.
• How long to stay: 40–90 minutes is enough to see most of the route, take photos and not freeze.
• Families: break your visit into two short blocks (5–10 minutes by the water → 10–15 minutes in the warmth nearby → another 10–15 minutes by the water).

📍 Where to watch: three types of spots (for different purposes)

1) Sheltered canals

Characteristics: less wind, ‘lamp’ sound of the choir, close distance for photos.

Examples of areas: Christianshavn canals, ‘pockets’ near the inner bridges, the inner part of Nyhavn.

Suitable for: those who are sensitive to the cold; families with children; photographers with 50–85 mm lenses.

2) Open embankment / harbour

Characteristics: wide frame, lots of air and water, strong reflections. The wind is stronger.

Examples of areas: Ofelia Plads and neighbouring edges, Kalvebod Bølge / Islands Brygge.

Suitable for: those who want a panorama and city skyline; photographers with 24–35 mm lenses.

3) Bridges and ‘islands’

Characteristics: ‘above the route’ effect, but wind and long crowds.

Examples of areas: central pedestrian bridges and footbridges over canals.

Suitable for: those who arrive earlier than everyone else and are prepared to stand without breaks.

Tips for the location: stand on the leeward side (less spray and hand tremors), keep your exit route (where to go to warm up), and don't stand at the edge of the water with a pram — people move in waves.

🧥 Clothing, photos and comfort in December

• Layers instead of a ‘thick’ jacket: thermal + warm layer + windproof/waterproof shell.
• Shoes with treads: wet cobblestones + bridges = slippery.
• Keep your hands warm: liner gloves + ‘outer’ mittens; hand warmers are a must if you take them off.
• Camera/phone: for phones — night mode + support (railing/backpack); for cameras — 1/60–1/125, open aperture, ISO ‘as needed’. Tripods on bridges get in the way: choose a low embankment near the water.
• Rhythm for warmth: 45–60 minutes outside → 10–15 minutes in the warmth (coffee/hot chocolate/soup); return for the final minutes — the most ‘magical’ part.

☕ Where to warm up afterwards (and on the way)

• Inside the canal loop: small coffee shops, bakeries, bars with glogg — keep a couple of addresses ‘in mind’ within a 5–10 minute radius.
• Large spaces: covered food halls/city markets, lobbies by the embankments, conservatories/atria — convenient for large groups to ‘drop in’.
• Winter bars by the water: atmospheric, but draughty; good as a quick stop for ‘a quick drink’ before heading to the main ‘warmth’.

🏨 Where to stay: within walking distance of the water and the metro ‘just in case’

• Indre By / Nyhavn: ‘step outside and you're already by the water’; on Friday/Saturday nights, ask for a quiet side, 4+ floor.
• Christianshavn: best base for sheltered canals; bridges 5-10 minutes away.
• Islands Brygge / Amagerbro: quieter, metro 5-10 minutes away, quick to return to warmth.
• Vesterbro (Kalvebod Bølge): convenient for the harbour and train station; good for ‘late train/early departure’.

💶 Guidelines for ‘evening bill’ (per person)

• Hot drink (coffee/cocoa/gløgg): ~40–75 DKK.
• Soup/hot snack by the water: ~75–140 DKK.
• Sweets (æbleskiver, cookies): ~35–65 DKK.
• Warm accessories ‘on the spot’: 50–150 DKK (hats/gloves/thermos cups).

Set your budget so that you have enough for two warm breaks — this will make your experience more memorable than an extra 20 minutes by the water.

🧩 ‘Lucia Planner’: choose a location, time, and plan B

✅ Summary

• Best time — dusk → early evening; arrive 45–60 minutes early and keep 2 warm items nearby.
• Choose a spot that suits you: covered canals (luminous and warmer), the embankment/harbour (wide shot, but windy), bridges (view from above, arrive early).
• Layered clothing and shoes with treads will save your evening; for photos, bring a support and glove liners.
• Accommodation — 5–10 minutes from the metro or within walking distance of the water: Indre By/Nyhavn, Christianshavn, Islands Brygge/Amagerbro, Vesterbro to the harbour.
• Families — short approaches, hot ‘in between’, no ‘feats on the bridge’.