![New Harbor (Nyhavn), Copenhagen](/img/gd_attr/29005.jpg)
New Harbor (Nyhavn), Copenhagen (must see)
New Harbor is a historical waterfront entertainment district famed for its picturesque alignment of brightly colored townhouses showcasing traditional Danish architecture from the 17th and early 18th centuries.
Originally constructed by King Christian V between 1670 and 1675 to facilitate trade with the Dutch, using Danish soldiers and Swedish war prisoners, back then it was a bustling area notorious for its beer halls and brothels.
The famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived here for 18 years, immortalizing the area's cultural significance. Between 1834 and 1838, he quartered on the second floor of the bright red-color building at Number 20, and over the next four decades, occupied two more canal-front properties, including one next door, at Number 18. His longest lodging stint, however, was at Number 67, where he lived on and off from 1848 to 1865.
New Harbor underwent significant transformations over the centuries. Post-World War II, the area saw a decline in maritime activity, leading to its near abandonment. The revitalization of New Harbor began in the mid-1960s. In 1977, it saw the opening of the Veteran Ship and Museum Harbor, and by 1980, the quay was pedestrianized, transforming it into a bustling tourist and local hotspot.
The harbor today features various museum ships, each with its own story. It also houses the Memorial Anchor at its end, a tribute to Danish sailors lost in World War II.
To the south of this gentrified sailors' quarter, you'll find a maze of trendy cafés, restaurants, jazz clubs, and tattoo shops. It is a great place to go for sampling traditional Danish dishes like open-faced sandwiches.
Tip:
If you fancy a drink, do as the locals do: take your beer or coffee from a nearby store out to the canal, rest your feet at the quayside, and enjoy the view. Otherwise, take a walk down the harbor all the way to the end, where you will find the Royal Playhouse (Skuespilhuset) and its reasonably priced bar/café, with good-quality service and one of the best views in town (of the harbor itself, the new Opera House, and other things too).
Those with tired feet may alternatively opt to take an hour-long boat tour, usually booked just at the entrance to the harbor.
Originally constructed by King Christian V between 1670 and 1675 to facilitate trade with the Dutch, using Danish soldiers and Swedish war prisoners, back then it was a bustling area notorious for its beer halls and brothels.
The famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen lived here for 18 years, immortalizing the area's cultural significance. Between 1834 and 1838, he quartered on the second floor of the bright red-color building at Number 20, and over the next four decades, occupied two more canal-front properties, including one next door, at Number 18. His longest lodging stint, however, was at Number 67, where he lived on and off from 1848 to 1865.
New Harbor underwent significant transformations over the centuries. Post-World War II, the area saw a decline in maritime activity, leading to its near abandonment. The revitalization of New Harbor began in the mid-1960s. In 1977, it saw the opening of the Veteran Ship and Museum Harbor, and by 1980, the quay was pedestrianized, transforming it into a bustling tourist and local hotspot.
The harbor today features various museum ships, each with its own story. It also houses the Memorial Anchor at its end, a tribute to Danish sailors lost in World War II.
To the south of this gentrified sailors' quarter, you'll find a maze of trendy cafés, restaurants, jazz clubs, and tattoo shops. It is a great place to go for sampling traditional Danish dishes like open-faced sandwiches.
Tip:
If you fancy a drink, do as the locals do: take your beer or coffee from a nearby store out to the canal, rest your feet at the quayside, and enjoy the view. Otherwise, take a walk down the harbor all the way to the end, where you will find the Royal Playhouse (Skuespilhuset) and its reasonably priced bar/café, with good-quality service and one of the best views in town (of the harbor itself, the new Opera House, and other things too).
Those with tired feet may alternatively opt to take an hour-long boat tour, usually booked just at the entrance to the harbor.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Copenhagen. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
New Harbor (Nyhavn) on Map
Sight Name: New Harbor (Nyhavn)
Sight Location: Copenhagen, Denmark (See walking tours in Copenhagen)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Copenhagen, Denmark (See walking tours in Copenhagen)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Copenhagen, Denmark
Create Your Own Walk in Copenhagen
Creating your own self-guided walk in Copenhagen is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Copenhagen Introduction Walking Tour
The Danish capital Copenhagen is a fairy tale of a city, full of peculiarities. Its name – derived from the Danish words for merchant ("køpmann") and harbor ("havn") – reflects the city's origin as a place of commerce by the sea. A humble fishing village, established in the 10th century AD, some hundred years later it emerged as a town after Bishop Absalon, recognized... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.7 Km or 1.7 Miles
Latin Quarter Walking Tour
One of the most interesting, young-spirited neighborhoods of Denmark's capital, the Latin Quarter is well known for its hangout spots, alternative shopping, and 18th-century architecture.
Back in the Middle Ages, the area surrounding Our Lady's Square (“Frue Plads” in Danish), right in the heart of it, was considered a “ray of light” in the overall darkness of those times. A... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Back in the Middle Ages, the area surrounding Our Lady's Square (“Frue Plads” in Danish), right in the heart of it, was considered a “ray of light” in the overall darkness of those times. A... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Little Mermaid Walking Tour
Back in the 18th century, Denmark was in the throes of an economic boom. Constructed during the reign of King Frederick V (hence the name), the district of Frederiksstaden attests to that with its beautiful architecture, measuring up to the projects from the same period in Berlin, Paris, and Vienna. This tour will guide you through the area's broad streets lined by bourgeois houses, mansions,... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Castle Island (Slotsholmen) Walking Tour
Traditionally seen as the birthplace of Copenhagen, Castle Island (Slotsholmen) gave rise to the Danish capital with a small fortress built on it in the 12th century AD. Since the Middle Ages, this area, also known as the "Island of Power," has been the center of Denmark's government. It houses several prominent landmarks that played significant roles in the country's history.
... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Hans Christian Andersen's Copenhagen
Above the numerous plays, novels, and poems, the 19th-century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is primarily renowned internationally as the man who wrote "The Little Mermaid," "The Emperor's New Clothes," "The Ugly Duckling" and many other fairy tales we know since childhood.
Born in Odense (central Denmark) a poor shoemaker's son, Andersen spent... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Born in Odense (central Denmark) a poor shoemaker's son, Andersen spent... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.9 Km or 1.8 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
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