Nyhavn
Copenhagen · DK
Why visit: 17th-century canal lined with painted townhouses where Hans Christian Andersen wrote his fairy tales.
Pastel townhouses along the 17th-century canal.
On the map
Nyhavn, 1051 København
A 17th-century harbour, painted bright
Nyhavn ("new harbour") was dug by Swedish prisoners of war between 1670 and 1675 to connect the open sea to Kongens Nytorv. The colourful gabled townhouses are 17th- and 18th-century merchant houses; No. 9 (built 1681) is the oldest. Hans Christian Andersen lived here at numbers 67, 18 and 20 — he wrote his fairy tales in this neighbourhood. The wooden ships moored along the south side are part of the Museum of Copenhagen's historic fleet.
Eating + drinking — what's honest
Most restaurants directly on the canal are tourist-priced. For genuine smørrebrød, Cap Horn (Nyhavn 21) and Hyttefadet (Nyhavn 14) are the best of the canal-side options. Better value: walk two minutes inland to Restaurant Schønnemann (since 1877, traditional smørrebrød). Beer prices on the canal start at DKK 60 / €8 — for half the price, buy a beer at the 7-Eleven on Kongens Nytorv and sit on the canal wall like everyone else does.
Boat tours and the Little Mermaid
Canal tours depart from the head of Nyhavn (south side) every 30 minutes — Stromma and Hey Captain are the two main operators (DKK 100–150, 60 min). Routes pass the Royal Opera, the Little Mermaid statue, and Christianshavn canals. The Mermaid (1913, bronze, just 1.25 m tall) sits 1.5 km north and is frequently called Copenhagen's most underwhelming attraction — but it is the city's symbol. Bus 991 (harbour bus) gets you there for transit fare.
