The Little Mermaid
On Gingerguide's self-guided Copenhagen audio tour, The Little Mermaid is a stop worth about ~20 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 landmark
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Copenhagen Copenhagen guide
About The Little Mermaid
Copenhagen's most famous statue is also its smallest surprise: a 1.25-metre bronze mermaid on a harbour rock, unveiled in 1913 and vandalised, beheaded and bombed many times since.
The Little Mermaid (Den Lille Havfrue) is a bronze statue on the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, unveiled on 23 August 1913. It was sculpted by Edvard Eriksen and commissioned by Carl Jacobsen, son of the Carlsberg brewery's founder, who had been captivated by a ballet adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale. The statue is small, standing about 1.25 metres tall and weighing roughly 175 kilograms, seated on a rock at the water's edge. The ballerina Ellen Price danced the role and inspired the commission; when she declined to model nude, the sculptor's wife, Eline Eriksen, modelled the entire figure.
The statue has been repeatedly vandalised. Its head was sawn off and stolen in 1964 and again in 1998, its arm removed in 1984, and in 2003 it was blown off its base with explosives. It has also been doused in paint many times.
Did you know? Despite worldwide fame, the statue is tiny, about 1.25 metres tall and 175 kilograms. Many visitors are surprised by how modest she looks against the crowds gathered to photograph her.
How much time do you need at The Little Mermaid?
Around ~20 min works well for The Little Mermaid — 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 The Little Mermaid?
Yes — The Little Mermaid 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 The Little Mermaid and read more:
Day 2 of the Copenhagen in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Copenhagen in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of The Little Mermaid
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