Hygge In One Space

Paludan Bog & Cafe - the underlying highlight of my trip

This place is definitely my favourite restaurant of the whole European trip. I’ll tell you why: the little cafe is so vibrant and lively but also so warm and welcoming at the same time. The name says everything; bog og cafe translates to books and coffee in English. And does it sure give you that!

From outside, it seems like a normal cafe: large glass windows, bikes parked against the building side. Chairs and tables underneath the big black awning. Flower pots and shrubs along the length of the cafe. But once you walk through the big double glass doors, you are transported into a whole new world. The first thing I remember was the community and culture. University students on their lunch breaks studying furiously over books and laptops while sipping a steaming mug of coffee. Mothers catching up and rocking their children to sleep in small strollers. People trying to find a table while carrying full mugs of hot coffee with a little cookie on the side. Smiles and laughter fill the atmosphere; a feeling of hygge: cozy.

When you walk into the entrance you are greeted by a constant hum of chatter. The counter is nestled between two large display cases of sandwiches and snacks, and cookies and cake. The food is really really good. I got a hot chocolate of course, and my mom got a coffee. This is not somewhere that is packed with tourists. That is what I loved most about it; you can see the true Danish city culture, not just the locations bolded on the map.