Stand on the Quay at Nyhavn and Watch the Harbour Come Back to Life
You arrive at the end of Nyhavn where it meets Kongens Nytorv, and the first thing you see is the Memorial Anchor — a great iron monument from 1872, once used on the Frigate Fyn, set here to commemorate the more than 1,700 Danish officers and sailors who died in service during World War II. It replaced a temporary wooden cross raised on the spot in 1945 and was inaugurated in 1951; every year on 5 May, Denmark's Liberation day, a ceremony is held here. Walk a few steps on and the canal opens up in front of you: brightly coloured 17th- and early 18th-century townhouses on the northern bank, lavish mansions on the southern side, and wooden ships resting in the water between them.
This is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district, dug under King Christian V from 1670 to 1675 by Danish soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War. It was the gateway from the sea to the old inner city, where ships unloaded cargo and fishermen's catch — and it earned a reputation for beer, sailors and prostitution. Hans Christian Andersen lived here for 18 years. Today it works as a square as much as a harbour: a place to sit, stroll, eat and watch the water.
Walk the Sunny Side, Cross the Bridge, and Look at the Ships
Start on the northern, sunnier side of the canal, where the bars and restaurants face the harbour. This is the photogenic bank: townhouses of wood, brick and plaster, the oldest at No. 9 dating from 1681. Between 1845 and 1864 Andersen lived at No. 67, where a memorial plaque now stands; from 1871 to 1875 he lived at Nyhavn 18, which today houses an Andersen-themed souvenir shop. Keep walking and you reach the Nyhavn Bridge — the first bridge across the canal opened in 1874 as a temporary wooden footbridge, replaced by the current one in 1912.
Beyond the bridge lies the inner section, the Nyhavn Veteran Ship and Museum Harbour, inaugurated in 1977 and lined with old ships. The south side is reserved for museum ships owned by the Danish National Museum; the north side is given over to the Nyhavn Society and privately owned wooden ships still in use. Look for the lightvessel Gedser Rev, built in Odense in 1895 and in operation until 1972; the galleasses Svalan af Nyhavn and Anna Møller; the schooner Mira, built in Fåborg in 1898 and long used to carry chalk from Stevns; the smuggling ship MA-RI, built in 1920 and boarded by customs off Elsinore in 1923; and the Boat Theatre, a lighter-type barge built in Copenhagen in 1898 and run as a theatre boat since 1972.
From the quay you can join a canal tour — several companies operate from here, and the boats take you out into Copenhagen's waterways and past its landmarks. If you would rather stay on foot, cross to the southern bank and walk past the mansions, including Charlottenborg Palace at the corner of Kongens Nytorv.
Time It Right: Warm Afternoons, Jazz, and the Christmas Market
Nyhavn can be chilly, so come on a warm day if you can. In summer the pavement cafés fill up, live jazz is often played outdoors, and ice-cream vendors work the quay; locals come down on warm days as much as visitors do. Give yourself a couple of hours at least — long enough for a drink or a meal on the waterfront, a walk along both banks, and a look at the ships. The one thing not to miss is the view back along the canal from the bridge, with the coloured houses on one side and the masts on the other.
In December the quayside hosts an annual Christmas market, with decorated stalls and lights along the cobbled street, selling decorations, traditional Danish treats, gløgg and æbleskiver. It is the season when the Danish idea of hygge is easiest to feel here.
Eat Seafood and Smørrebrød Facing the Water
The northern side is lined with cafés, bars and restaurants, many with tables out on the quay facing the harbour. Order seafood — fresh fish and smørrebrød, the open-faced Danish sandwiches — or simply take a coffee or a beer and watch the boats. If you want something more casual, Broens Street Food is nearby, and the surrounding Kongens Nytorv area has fine dining. Across the water you will also find Reffen, the street-food site of food trucks and stalls in repurposed spaces and shipping containers, with cheap eats and waterfront seating.
What Else Is Within Reach
Nyhavn sits at the edge of Indre By and connects easily to the rest of the city. Kongens Nytorv metro station is at the end of Nyhavn — served by all four lines of the Copenhagen Metro, though the station itself sits at the far end of the square outside Magasin du Nord. Harbour buses stop at the mouth of Nyhavn, next to the Royal Playhouse, on routes 901, 902, 903 and 904. The Inner Harbour Bridge, opened in 2016, links Nyhavn to Christianshavn; the 180-metre cycling and pedestrian drawbridge is nicknamed the Kissing Bridge because its contour resembles two tongues meeting. The Royal Danish Playhouse and the Royal Danish Opera House are both close by, and Tivoli Gardens is another of the city's major attractions within reach. Walking from the centre, you can come by way of Strøget, the long pedestrian street lined with shops, restaurants, statues and fountains.
Start With the Anchor and Walk North
Plan your visit around a warm afternoon or a December evening, arrive at the Memorial Anchor where Nyhavn meets Kongens Nytorv, and walk the sunny northern bank until the bridge. Take a canal tour if the water is calm, stop for seafood and smørrebrød, and leave time to cross to the southern side for the mansions and the museum ships. The metro will bring you right to the end of the canal, so there is no reason to put it off.