Danish Gym Opens Second Location in Copenhagen’s Meatpacking District

Some of the new bouldering walls at Bison Boulders Kødbyen — Bison Boulders, a Danish gym chain, opened its second bouldering gym in Copenhagen last September, with help from the German gym chain Element Boulders, which co-owns the new location alongside Bison Boulders. (All photos are of Bison Boulders Kødbyen, courtesy of Bison Boulders)

Bison Boulders Kødbyen
Copenhagen, Denmark

Specs: In September 2025, Bison Boulders opened its second bouldering gym in the Copenhagen area, in Kødbyen, the city’s meatpacking district. According to Mikkel Højgaard, Manager at Bison Boulders, the chain opened its first location in Copenhagen’s Tobaksbyen district in 2019. “The first gym had a solid customer base and a good reputation in the industry, but not the resources to realize a project like [Bison Boulders Kødbyen]. So, it became a joint venture between our Danish owner and Element Boulders,” Højgaard explained. He described Element Boulders, a German bouldering gym chain, as “a very important ‘big brother’ for Bison,” since “Bison is a small player in the Danish climbing gym market.” Element Boulders provided “knowledge and experience to construct [the new gym]” gleaned from operating four gyms in Germany, Højgaard added, as well as operational support.

According to Højgaard, the decision to open the Kødbyen gym “was made because of a unique opportunity—specifically, the location.” Kødbyen translates to “meat city” or “meat town” in Danish, and Højgaard described the district as “something very special in Copenhagen” and a sought-after commercial hub. “Most businesses would like to be here: restaurants, galleries, nightclubs and specialty retailers, all housed in old industrial buildings just three minutes by bike from the city center.” Højgaard said the City of Copenhagen held an application-based process, where companies could apply to take over the premises. After Bison was selected, “We soon realized we needed help to execute the project properly,” Højgaard recalled, “which is when we began collaborating with Element Boulders.

One of the training boards at the new gym — While the Kødbyen facility is the second Bison Boulders location, Højgaard said, “there is a different ownership structure between the two gyms. Only Kødbyen is partly owned by Element Boulders.”

The new gym was constructed in a preexisting building that required renovations to the dressing rooms, bathrooms and first floor, in addition to the climbing walls and gym amenities being built. “The project involved considerable complexity due to many neighbors in the same building and strict regulations from the city about what could and could not be done,” Højgaard stated. The bouldering-focused location features over 450 square meters (4,844 square feet) of climbing wall surface, “alongside a bistro and lounge for socializing and recovery,” Højgaard said. “We offer fully equipped dressing rooms with showers, as well as dedicated training facilities—including a Lumo Board, a Kilter Board and a fully equipped strength and conditioning area, with free weights, hangboards and functional training equipment.”

Climbers bouldering at Bison Boulders Kødbyen — After opening the Kødbyen gym with Bison Boulders last September, “This year we’ll be opening two new Element Boulders gyms in Germany,” Marie Hobmeier, Head of Marketing at Element Boulders, told CBJ. “In addition to our existing locations in Munich, Cologne, Kassel and Essen, we’ll be launching a second gym in Cologne Deutz as well as a new site in central Berlin.”

Walls: Blocz
Wall Design: Kletterkultur
Flooring: Blocz
CRM Software: Boulderado
Website: www.bison-boulders.com
Instagram: @Kodbyen.Bison.Boulders

In Their Words: “Prioritize hiring new employees. In the end, expansion becomes a process of delegating responsibilities, so it is crucial to have staff ready to take them on.” – Mikkel Højgaard, Manager at Bison Boulders