Colourful and picturesque Nyhaven dates back to the 17th century. The houses that line the waterfront here are painted in pretty yellows, blues, peaches, salmons....
Nyhavn was constructed by King Christian V (1670) and was inaugurated as a veteran ship & museum harbour in 1977. On one side are boats that are exclusively the property of the Danish National Museum, on the other side are 'other' old, wooden ships.
When you see the 'romantic' pictures of Copenhagen's canals, it is probably Nyhaven you are looking at.
....Hans Christian Anderson lived here for 18 years.
At the end of Nyhavn, towards Kongens Nytorv, we came across Mindeankeret (Memorial Anchor).
Mindeankeret is a monument which celebrates the Danish officers and sailors that served the Navy and Allied Forces during WWII. Originally it was built in 1872 and used in a ship which was docked during the WWII. In 1951 the anchor replaced a wooden cross dated from 1845 that was situated in this same spot.
Every year, takes place a ceremony to honour those who died defending the country in WWII.
Nyhavn (New Harbour) dates from the 17th century and it was built as a gateway from the sea to Kongens Nytorv (King's Square). The Harbour soon developed a reputation for alcoholic drinks and prostitution and became somewhat infamous.
Nowadays Nyhavn is home to restaurants and bars and is amongst the most touristy spots in Copenhagen. Also, the section of the canal situated in-between Nyhavn Bridge and Kongens Nytorv is home to Veteran Ship and Museum Harbour - this section is lined on both sides with old wooden ships and vessels.
The northern side of Nyhavn is the brighter and more coloured one, whose oldest house (number 9) dates from 1661. The southern side of the waterfront displays more lavish mansions and isn't as sunny as the northern part.
Last, but not the least, when talking about Nyhavn one must not forget to mention that Hans Christian Andersen lived at number 18 for some time.
This is a picturesque street with wall-to-wall restaurants. It seems to be the most touristy place in Copenhagen, so if you have lost some tourist friends and can't reach them on their cell phones, this would be a good place to start looking for them.
The Danish poet and fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) lived in three different houses on Nyhavn at different times of his life.
Nyhavn is part of the original Copenhagen Harbor in the 12th century. It is where canal tours start and there are old sailing vessels and even an old lightship which has been converted to a residence moored here.
In Denmark, it's not only allowed to sit and drink in the street, it's a common practice. It is considered part of the concept of "Hygge" - have fun, relax, enjoy the weather, get into a good mood.
Take a stroll at this picturesque street and enjoy the charm of the old buildings (#9 as old as from 1681) facing out the harbor. The street has a lot of restaurants and bars that serve food and drinks outdoors during summer and when weather allows it, or bring your own (light) food and drinks and sit by the water.
Update Jun 2009: This time the guys and I bought some beer at a kiosk and sat down by the canal, drinking, talking, enjoying the good weather and sort of laughing at those overpaying for the same thing we had - it sort of took me back to my own country where we do things like this a lot :)
This is the canal that you see in all brochures, postcards and guide books about Copenhagen. The colourful houses by the canal look pretty and the street is full of restaurants and bars which seem to be quite expensive.
Nyhavn originates from 1671 and it used to be a typical dock with drunken sailors and shady business, but it's been cleaned up from those days. Nowadays it's a bit of a tourist trap, but it's still something you shouldn''t miss while in Copenhagen. At least you'll get some nice photos!:)
Nyhavn is also the starting point of the canal tours.
This is one of the beautiful places not to be missed. This place is so lively with lot of people sitting, chatting, drinking enjoying the places. Alongside there are lot of bars and restaurants, where people sit and relax for a drink. Noticed, that affordable people are sitting on the bar side on the chairs and those who cant or dont want to be spending much are sitting on the otherside along the wall and drinking/enjoying which they bought it on the shops (not in the bar). Have a drink there by sitting or spending sometime there.
I have read that this area is a major tourist trap, I'm not too sure. It is such a beautiful area, very picturesque. It is a canal, lined with impressive and colourful old buildings. It might be that the many bars and restaurants copuld be expensive, but so is most of Copenhagen.
It is lovely to stroll down the canal. If you want to take nice picture, go to the south side where it is not as busy.
With its colourful houses and the old ships it's quite picturesque, the Nyhavn area. Especially when the sun is out! A lot of restaurants are situated here, some somehow look a bit like tourist traps. I only went to a cheap Thai place around the corner, which was a bargain.....
One hundred years ago this already was a meeting pointand amusement area for the sailors....
For many years prior to eventually visiting Copenhagen, I had a picture in my mind whenever I heard the city's name. It was a picture of tall, colourful, historic buildings standing alongside a canal. I didn't always know it, but that image that I had obviously seen in a book as a child, was Nyhavn. Naturally, upon arriving in Copenhagen in August 2007, my first priority was to follow my map and find this bustling harbour.
Nyhavn, or "new harbour", is not as new as its name suggests. In fact, it dates back to the 1670s.
I made the long walk from my hotel in Versterbro to Nyhavn (which is located about 20 minutes walk north east of the railway station) and I wasn't disappointed when I got there. My first sight of Nyhavn was arriving from the neighbouring square of Kongens Nytorv. A large anchor sculpture welcomes the crowds of tourists arriving from this direction.
The whole north bank of the canal is lined with bars and restaurants, housed in the colourful waterfront buildings that had been in my mind for years. Large crowds of tourists and locals were happily strolling in and out of the various eating and drinking establishments, some happy to sit on the pavement outside enjoying a drink or a snack due to the lack of available tables.
By contrast, the south bank of the canal , devoid of bars and restaurants, was free from crowds and so made for the ideal place to stroll along and take photos of the frenetic activity on the opposite side of the canal.
The restaurants are relatively expensive on Nyhavn, but I visited one of them, "Barock", for brunch on my final day in the city, enjoying good food in a fantastic setting.
Numerous boat trips depart from Nyhavn, including trips to see the Little Mermaid statue.
Nyhvn, a nice little harbour with old sailing ships and coloured houses at the side. Lots of streetartists play their music here. Nice to see and hear. Watch out taking a drink at a terrace here though: very expensive!
This little canal reaching in from the harbour is a fantastic place to just walk around, enjoying the beer, the people and the atmosphere. You also find lots and lots of popular restaurants serving both traditional Danish courses and international food.
You need to go!
This is a really pretty spot, with its boats and brightly coloured houses.
It has plenty of bars and restaurants and makes a great spot for a bit of a chill down session.
We were here in November and it certainly was chilly!
"Nyhavn is part of the original Copenhagen Harbor all the way back to the founding of Haven, as Copenhagen was then called, in the 12th century. Nyhavn is also called "The longest bar in Scandinavia".
The picturesque, photogenic highly photographed canal area of Nyhavn is a must to visit - its on the way to the Royal Palace and to the harbour to see the Little Mermaid so its hard to miss really.
From the Townhall/Radhus take one of the streets - there are several parallel to each other which make up the town centre with cute shops and buildings on cobbled stone streets - such as Stroget and walk on down to the lovely square of Kongens Nytorv.
You will see the cute houses that line the canal at Nyhavn start from here!
The elegant buildings of the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Theatre are here as well.
Walk down along the canal for picturesque shots of the boats and coloured several century old houses along here, usually excellent reflections in the water and if you are lucky you will also the bridge that is the road lift to let boats through.
Its here on the corner that a NZ girl i worked with who'd live in Copenhagen recommended that i tried 'gumbleduff' (have to check the spelling) and when i did she was right - its the icecream shop on the corner near the bridge at Nyhavn in the photos - and its lovely icecream wih a marshmallow type stuff squirted on top.
Also along here was the restaurant, Nyhavns Forgekro, at No 5 that the Lonely Planet recommended and i tried on my first visit to Copenhagen for its herring buffet!!