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Nyhavn

Old towns ·Copenhagen
4.530.2K
#1Old towns in Denmark#1Old towns in CopenhagenTravelers' Choice 2026
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Nyhavn, Copenhagen: 'new harbour', a 17th-century canal linking the sea to Kongens Nytorv square, lined with colourful houses.

More photos 11

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Nyhavn — Nyhavn’s colourful waterfront houses and sailing boats along the canal Superbass · CC BY-SA 4.0 · edited
Nyhavn — Nyhavn’s colourful waterfront houses and sailing boats along the canalNyhavn — Brightly coloured Nyhavn façades above the crowded canal-side quayNyhavn — Historic Nyhavn houses and sailboats viewed along the canalNyhavn — Rows of waterfront buildings and boats on a grey dayNyhavn — Colourful Nyhavn houses and a white boat on the canalNyhavn — Baadteatret moored among sailboats beneath Nyhavn’s colourful façadesNyhavn — Red boat on the canal before Nyhavn’s painted housesNyhavn — Historic lightship among sailboats in the Nyhavn harbourNyhavn — People beside a boat against Nyhavn’s bright canal-front housesNyhavn — Cafés and festive bunting along the Nyhavn waterfrontNyhavn — Santa-clad participants gathered beside Nyhavn’s canal

Why go

  • The colourful gabled houses on both sides, most built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • Three former houses of H.C. Andersen stand here, at nos. 18, 20 and 67, one now a souvenir shop.
  • Cap Horn at no. 21, one of two surviving old harbour bars, where Papa Bue's Viking Jazzband had its first successes in 1956.
  • Nyhavn 17, one of the best-known venues on the harbour, named with Cap Horn.

Don't miss

  • House no. 9The oldest house on the canal, built in 1681.On the north side of the canal, among the odd-numbered houses.1681 On the map
  • Memorial anchor at Kongens NytorvHonours Danish sailors lost in World War II. It replaced a wooden cross from 1945. The anchor dates from 1872 and was once on the frigate Fyn.At the Kongens Nytorv end of the canal, at the corner with the square.1951 On the map
  • Lightship Gedser RevBuilt in Odense in 1895 and retired in 1972; now one of the museum ships.On the south side of the canal, among the museum ships the Danish National Museum owns.1895 On the map
  • Bascule bridgeDivides the harbour into an inner part with veteran ships and an outer part beyond.Between Holbergsgade and Toldbodgade.1912 On the map
  • Oranje of SvendborgOne of the oldest veteran ships in the merchant fleet.In the outer part of the harbour, beyond the bascule bridge. On the map

Photo spots

  • Bascule bridgeShoot along the canal toward the bridge. The harbour is split here, with veteran ships in the inner part.From the canal quay, looking toward the bridge between Holbergsgade and Toldbodgade. On the map
  • House no. 9Shoot across the canal at the north side's townhouses of wood, brick and render. No. 9 is among them.From the south side of the canal, facing north. On the map
  • Memorial anchor cornerShoot back down the canal from the square. The colourful north side and the grander south side frame the water.At the Kongens Nytorv end, where the anchor stands. On the map
  • Gedser Rev from across the canalShoot the museum ships on the south side from the north quay. Gedser Rev, the 1895 lightship, is among them.From the north side of the canal, facing the south quay. On the map

Tips for your visit

  • Street performers, mostly playing improvised music, often perform somewhere along the canal.
  • Canal boat tours leave from the quay for the harbour and its many canals.
  • Some of the moored ships can be visited.
  • Mira, a two-masted schooner built in Faaborg in 1898, has worked as a theatre boat since 1972.
  • On sunny days, visitors sit on the bulwark in the sun with beer bought at a supermarket.

Best time to visit

  • Spring: locals treat the first day of spring here as a priority for sunbathing.
  • Summer: white parasols turn the street into a tent town.
  • Peak tourist season: locals largely leave the waterfront to visitors.
  • Every year on 5 May an official ceremony honours the fallen at the memorial anchor.

Interesting facts6

1/6
  1. 400 metres

    The canal is 400 metres long and three metres deep.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia

  2. Danish soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war dug its canal.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia

  3. The area has served as a filming location in several Olsen-banden films.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia

  4. Architects Jan Gehl and Lars Gemzøe say it works as a square.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia
  5. 1923

    MA-RI was a purpose-built smuggling ship, seized off Elsinore in 1923.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia
  6. 1 mostly

    The office at number 1 mostly served emigrants hoping for a better life overseas.

    Nyhavn - Wikipedia

Shorts

How to get there

  • TrainReached by Kongens Nytorv metro station, served by all four Copenhagen Metro lines.
  • BoatHarbour buses stop at the mouth of the harbour; all four routes stop beside the Royal Playhouse.
  • On footThe Inderhavnsbroen bridge, open since 2016, gives walkers and cyclists a direct link to Christianshavn.

Accessibility

  • Car parking on the quay The quay has been pedestrian-only since 1980.

Sources: Nyhavn - Wikipedia · Copenhagen/Indre By - Wikivoyage (do) · Nyhavn - Wikipedia · Nyhavn - Wikipedia · Nyhavn - Wikipedia · checked 17 Oct 2026

Where
Copenhagen

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

How do I get to Nyhavn in Copenhagen?

Take the metro to Kongens Nytorv station, which all four Copenhagen Metro lines serve. Harbour buses stop at the mouth of the canal, and all four routes stop beside the Royal Playhouse.

Is the quay at Nyhavn pedestrian-only?

Yes. Since 1980 the quay has been pedestrian-only, after years when it was used for parking.

Can you take a boat trip from Nyhavn?

Yes. Canal boats leave from the quay for sightseeing tours of the harbour and its many canals.

Where is the oldest house in Nyhavn?

House no. 9 is the oldest house on the canal. It was built in 1681 and stands among the odd-numbered houses on the north side.

Can you walk or cycle from Nyhavn to Christianshavn?

Yes. The Inderhavnsbroen bridge, open since 2016, gives walkers and cyclists a direct link to Christianshavn.

Did Hans Christian Andersen live in Nyhavn?

Yes. He lived in three of the houses here, and a memorial plaque marks number 67. Number 18 now houses a souvenir shop themed on him.

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