Best Things To See in and around Dragor, a charming fishing village near Copenhagen

Have you heard about Dragor village? Do you know that this coastal town is not only picturesque but also very close to Copenhagen Denmark?

Delve into this post to know more about how to visit Dragor and best things to see and do in Dragor and the surrounding villages.

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Copenhagen is one of the most beautiful cities in Scandinavia. Its only when you visit Copenhagen you will understand why Copenhagen is one of the happiest cities in the world. Copenhagen is the city for all. Being a paradise for cyclists, there are lot of amazing places to see and experience here.

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Go on a roller coaster ride in Tivoli Gardens, the second oldest operating amusement park in the world. Sip a beer and soak under the sun watching the colourfully laid houses in Nyhavn. Strike a pose with the mermaid statue. Hop over to the beautiful palaces and castles in Copenhagen.

Climb up the 17th century Round Tower and savour the panoramic views of Copenhagen. Soak in the vibe at Strøget – pedestrian and car-free shopping street in the centre of Copenhagen. Visit the museums, or take a boat tour in the canals. These are some of the top things to do in Copenhagen. At least, these are the places every Copenhagen Travel Guide suggests.

Why visit Dragor?

However, there’s much more colours in the palette when it comes to Copenhagen.  A short distance from the buzz of the city, there are many places that offer quieter space, less crowd, hidden gems adding great experiences to your travel in Copehnagen.

For an amazing day trip from Copenhagen, certain visit the vast expanse of Dyrehaven, a gorgeous deer park or the picturesque fishing village Dragor. 

Dragor’s history dates back to 12th century when the village was founded, and established as a fishing port.  In early 16th century, the then king invited a bunch of Dutch farmers to settle down in the nearby town Store Magledy to help Danish people with farming and agriculture.  

Ever since then, the Dutch population in this region increased. Therefore, this region – Store Magleby and Dragor has many Dutch ancestry and they have preserved traditional Danish culture. Currently, Dragor village is home to 14000 residents.  

Suggested Reading: Kayaking in Copenhagen, a great way to experience the city

Where is Dragor?

Dragor is a well preserved fishing village located along the photogenic Amager coast, just about 12 kms away from Copenhagen.  You cannot ask for a better place to escape the buzz of Copenhagen, and this must be the one of the most beautiful villages in Denmark that is easily accessible from Copenhagen.

How To Reach Dragor Village

Dragor is 13 kms away from Copenhagen. Taxis are the quickest way to reach and takes 15 minutes, however they can be very expensive.  Cost effective option is to take bus or metro. Bus Line 35 and 250S directly connects to Dragor Village from Hovedbanegården, Tivoli (Bernstorffsgade). The bus journey takes about 45 minutes.

Alternatively, take metro from central Copenhagen to Københavns Lufthavn and take Bus Line 35 to Dragor. You can use this journey planner if you want to use public transport. Buy Copenhagen Card if you will be using public transport and want to spend 2 or 3 days exploring Copenhagen.  

You can also cycle from Copenhagen to Dragor. You can rent a bike from Copenhagen Bicycles or Donkey Bike. 

11 Best Things To Do In Dragor & Around

1. Dragor Old Town

If you are coming by bus, it is easy to spot Dragor Old Town. You can see pastel coloured houses and bright roofs on one side. Dragor Old Town is like a maze – each of the streets looks identical and its wonderful to be lost in the streets of Dragor.

Start walking on any of the narrow cobblestone lanes, admiring the bright yellow coloured traditional houses with low lying thatched roofs. These houses were built in 1700s, and are perfectly preserved! All the more reason why Dragor is known as one of the most beautiful towns in Denmark. 

2. Walk along the promenade

All maze like streets in Dragor will lead you to the sea and promenade. Take in the time and walk along the promenade savouring the salty wind from Amager coast and don’t forget to look out for the view of the famous Oresund Bridge that connects Copenhagen Denmark to Malmo Sweden. 

3. Dragor Fort

Just around the promenade is Dragor Fort, a 1910 fortification, now a private owned fort and converted into a hotel. The fort is open for public, so it is possible to climb up the fort and enjoy the sweeping views of Dragor village, sea and Oresund bridge. 

4. Pilot Museum (Lodsmusuem)

Located along one of the busiest waters in the world, navigation and pilotage plays a major role in Dragor. Run by a group of volunteers, Pilot museum holds 400 years of piloting history and is a must visit museum in Dragor. Dragør got it’s first privileged pilotage by a royal resolution in 1684.

The exhibitions show everyday life of a pilot, how to pilot a ship. This is now turned into a museum, and the new pilot station is in the eastern part of harbour. Next to the museum stands 15 metres high pilot tower built in 1912, but the tower is not accessible to public. 

5. Other Museums in Dragor

Dragor may be such a small village, but there are plethora of things to explore. Dragor village is home to gorgeous museums. Here are some of them that you can explore along with Pilot Museum. Buy a museum pass, and that gets you access to these museums.

Dragor Museum – an old house converted into museum that exhibits the history of seafaring.

Mølsted Museum – one of the smallest art museum in Denmark, the museum displays the art work of the maritime painter Christian Mølsted. 

6. Explore Store Magleby Village

Another well-preserved farming village that sits adjacent to Dragor, Store Magleby is roughly a 30 minutes walk from Dragor village. In 1500s, the village was colonised by Dutch who lived here for more than 300 years. Their culture and heritage is still evident in the parts of Store Magleby and its Kirk. The dutch influence is still seen in the Shrovetide Feast, Harvest service in the church and other festives. 

7. Amager Museum (Amagermuseet)

Amager Museum is an open air museum that exhibits the history, lives, homes and costumes of Dutch farmers who lived in Store Magleby. The museum also has a petting farm, vegetable and flower gardens, daily costume parades, and riding displays.

History comes alive during the month of July as volunteers dress up like the dutch farmers and enact their life in the village. Volunteers also run family friendly activities like vegetable pickings, baking, traditional laundry methods and animal feeding. The museum is free for children below 18 years, and is only open between May and September months. 

8. MorMor Beach (Mormorstranden)

Offering lovely views of Oresund bridge on one side and green meadows on the other, MorMor beach is located close to Dragor Fort. The waters are clean and shallow, making it a great choice for families. 

9. Dragor South Beach (Sydstranden)

South beach is a protected area with 5 kms long of lakes, wetlands and meadows, with paths for walking and cycling. Dragor South beach is one of local’s favourite beaches.

The windswept beach is ideal place for jogging, swimming in the clear waters or simply unwind the busy day. The beach is also a breeding ground for many birds, and it is possible to spot seals too.  The beach is also child-friendly with sandy beaches and shallow waters. 

10. Kings Forest (Kongelunden)

Kings’s Forest is a mid-sized forest and a popular spot for the locals of Amager Island. Lined with 150 year old oak trees and the forest is a treat for bird watchers and walkers all through the year.

Apprarently, until 1818 there were no forests in Amager. Landlords and farmers were persuaded to plant a forest. Soon after, in 1830, 800,000 trees were planted, mostly oak but also included fir, beech and other trees. Today the forest is home to 300 species of birds and insects that thrive here. 

11. Amager Nature Park

Amager National Park is a 3500 hectares of land comprising of dense forest, savannah, salt marshes, meadows, lakes and canals. With unique landscape that makes it ideal for birds migration, Amager National Park is a treasure trove for nature lovers.

There are plenty of things to do here all year round – like running, cycling, wild camping, bird watching, windsurfing, kayaking and swimming – The list is endless. The park is only 4kms away from Copenhagen urban jungle, making it a popular choice of outdoor park for urban dwellers. Nearest metro stop is Vestamager Station. 

In conclusion, Dragor is one of the best offbeat destination and a great place to visit as a day trip from Copenhagen or as a weekend getaway. With so many things to do, Dragor is an all year round destination.

However the hotels in Dragor are very limited and gets filled up really fast. Therefore, if you are visiting and wanting to spend more than a day in Dragor, do book the accommodation ahead in time.

So, when you are visiting Copenhagen and want to venture out on an offbeat attraction, close to the lap of nature, you know where to head to!  

Also read: Visit Deer Park (Dyrehaven) one of the best day trips from Copenhagen

Where to stay in Dragor

Dragor beaches and Dragor old Town makes for a great choice of day trips from Copenhagen.  Given that there are plenty of things to do in Dragor and surrounding areas, we recommend staying a couple of days either in Dragor or closer to Copenhagen Airport.

You can either stay in Dragor itself, or base yourself in Amager West which has wider options considering they are close to Copenhagen Airport.

Best Western Plus Airport Hotel, Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport and Park Inn by Radisson Copenhagen Airport are approximately 3.5 miles away from Dragor, and closer to Copenhagen Airport.

AC Hotel by Marriott Bella Sky Copenhagen, Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers, an IHG Hotel, and Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel are located in Amager West and are also perfect choices to explore Dragor and Copenhagen city.

Recommended Tours around Copenhagen

• Copenhagen Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tickets
• Tivoli Gardens 1-Day Unlimited Rides Ticket
• 3 Hour Copenhagen Bike Tour with Guide
• 1 or 2-Hour Copenhagen Segway Tour
• 1-Hour Canal Cruise from Ved Stranden or Nyhavn
• Roskilde, Frederiksborg & Kronborg Day Tour from Copenhagen

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