Nyhavn. 🍻
It looks like a movie set, but it was once a gritty sailor's quarter. Now, the 17th-century townhouses are painted in bright ochre, red, and blue.
Lokal Tradition
Don't eat at the expensive restaurants. Do what the locals do: buy a six-pack of Carlsberg from a kiosk, sit on the wooden edge of the quay, and dangle your feet over the water.
H.C. Andersen
The fairytale writer lived here at three different addresses (Nos. 18, 20, and 67). He wrote "The Princess and the Pea" while looking out at these ships.
The Mermaid. 🧜♀️
She is the most famous woman in Denmark. She is also the most disappointing attraction if you don't manage your expectations.
The Size
She is tiny. Only 1.25 meters tall. She sits on a rock with an industrial backdrop across the harbour. Prepare to be underwhelmed, but go anyway.
The Vandalism
She has a hard life. She has been decapitated twice, lost an arm, and been painted red, pink, and blue by protesters over the decades.
The Sister
If the crowds are too much, visit the "Genetically Modified Little Mermaid" a few hundred meters away. It is a surreal, twisted bronze sculpture by Bjørn Nørgaard.
Netto Boats
Duck Your Head
The Canal Tour. 🎟️
This is the single best way to see the city. You glide past the Opera House, the Black Diamond library, and through the narrow canals of Christianshavn.
Hey Captain:
Skip the giant glass-roofed tourist buses. Book a "Hey Captain" tour. Small open boats, 12 people max, and the captain talks to you like a friend (and usually offers a drink).
Urban Swimming. 🏊
The water in the industrial harbour is monitored daily. It is clean enough to swim in. In summer, the wooden decks of Islands Brygge are the city's beach.
The Dive
The architectural pools include a diving tower shaped like the bow of a ship. Jumping into the cool, dark water with the city skyline around you is a rush.
Winter Bathing
If you come in winter, you will see locals breaking the ice to jump in. It is a national obsession. It supposedly boosts the immune system (and definitely wakes you up).