Nyhavn
On Gingerguide's self-guided Copenhagen audio tour, Nyhavn is a stop worth about ~45 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~45 min
- Copenhagen Copenhagen guide
About Nyhavn
Copenhagen's most photographed canal: a narrow 17th-century harbour lined with candy-coloured townhouses and old wooden ships, once a rowdy sailors' quarter, now the city's cheerful, cafe-lined heart.
Nyhavn ('New Harbour') is a 17th-century waterfront canal in central Copenhagen, running about 450 metres from Kongens Nytorv to the inner harbour. It was excavated between 1670 and 1675 under King Christian V, largely by soldiers and by Swedish prisoners of war taken during the Dano-Swedish War of 1658-1660, and served as a gateway allowing ships to unload cargo and fish beside the old inner city. For much of its history it was a rough commercial port known for its beer, sailors and prostitution.
The northern quay is lined with brightly coloured townhouses from the 17th and 18th centuries; the oldest, No. 9, dates from 1681. The larger southern side includes Charlottenborg Palace. Hans Christian Andersen lived at several Nyhavn addresses, and a Memorial Anchor at the canal's head, inaugurated in 1951, honours Danish sailors lost in the Second World War. Pedestrianised in 1980, the quay now serves as a museum harbour lined with cafes.
Did you know? The canal was dug by hand in the 1670s, much of the labour done by soldiers and by Swedish prisoners of war captured during the wars between Denmark and Sweden a decade earlier.
How much time do you need at Nyhavn?
Around ~45 min works well for Nyhavn — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Nyhavn?
Yes — Nyhavn made the cut as one of 24 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Copenhagen. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Copenhagen
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Nyhavn and read more:
Day 1 of the Copenhagen in 2 days itinerary →Day 1 of the Copenhagen in 3 days itinerary →
Updated:
Hear the story of Nyhavn
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