Nyhavn (; New Haven) is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in

Copenhagen, Denmark Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the Øresund strait. The Øres ...

. Stretching from

Kongens Nytorv Kongens Nytorv (literal translation, lit. "The King's New Square") is a town square, public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the Pedestrian zone, pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was l ...

to the Inner Harbour just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 18th century

townhouse A townhouse, townhome, town house, or town home, is a type of Terraced house, terraced housing. A modern townhouse is often one with a small footprint on multiple floors. In a different British usage, the term originally referred to any type o ...

s and bars, cafes and restaurants. The canal harbours many historical wooden ships.

History

Nyhavn was constructed by

King Christian V Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the de ...

from 1670 to 1675, dug by Danish soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War 1658–1660. It is a gateway from the sea to the old inner city at

(King's Square), where ships handled cargo and fishermens' catch. It was notorious for beer, sailors, and prostitution. Danish author

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogue (literature), travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fai ...

lived at Nyhavn for 18 years. The first bridge across Nyhavn opened on

1874 Events January * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War: Battle of Caspe &n ...

. It was a temporary wooden footbridge. It was replaced by the current bridge in 1912. As ocean-going ships grew larger, Nyhavn was taken over by internal Danish small vessel freight traffic. After World War II land transport took over this role and small vessel traffic disappeared from the Port of Copenhagen, leaving Nyhavn largely deserted of ships. In the mid-1960s, the Nyhavn Society (Danish: Nyhavnsforeningen) was founded with the aim of revitalising the area. In 1977, Nyhavn was inaugurated as a veteran ship and museum harbour by Copenhagen's Lord Mayor

Egon Weidekamp Egon Holde Weidekamp (14 March 1921, Copenhagen – 26 April 2000, Copenhagen) was a Danish politician.pedestrianised Pedestrian zones (also known as auto-free zones and car-free zones, as pedestrian precincts in British English, and as pedestrian malls in the United States and Australia) are areas of a city or town restricted to use by people on foot or ...

; it had been used as a parking area in the previous years which had coincided with a dwindling of harbour activities. Since then it has become a popular spot for tourists and locals alike, serving the function of a square according to architects

Jan Gehl Jan Gehl Hon. FAIA (born 17 September 1936, Copenhagen) is a Danish architect and urban design consultant based in Copenhagen whose career has focused on improving the quality of urban life by re-orienting city design towards the pedestrian an ...

and Lars Gemzøe.

Buildings

The northern side of Nyhavn is lined by brightly coloured townhouses built with wood, bricks, and plaster. The oldest house, at No. 9, dates from 1681. Between 1845 and 1864,

lived at No. 67, where a memorial plaque now stands. From 1871 to 1875 Andersen lived at Nyhavn 18, which currently houses an Andersen-themed souvenir shop. The southern side of Nyhavn has lavish mansions lining the canal, including

Charlottenborg Palace Charlottenborg Palace () is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the Royal Danish Academy ...

at the corner of Kongens Nytorv.

Veteran Ship and Museum Harbour

Nyhavn Veteran Ship and Museum Harbour, occupying the inner section of Nyhavn, between the Nyhavn Bridge and Kongens Nytorv, is lined with old ships. From the foundation of the heritage harbour in 1977, the south side of the canal has been reserved for museum ships owned by the

Danish National Museum The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from Strøget ...

, which received a donation of carefully restored ships from A. P. Møller, while the northern side of the canal was put at the disposal of the Nyhavn Society and privately owned, still usable wooden ships. Harbor ships include: * '' Lightvessel XVII Gedser Rev'' –

lightvessel A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship that acts as a lighthouse. It is used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. Although some records exist of fire beacons being placed on ships in Roman times, the ...

built in

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

in 1895, in operation until 1972, then acquired by the National Museum and now serving as a museum ship. * ''Svalan af Nyhavn'' –

galleass A galleass was a warship that combined the sails and armament of a galleon or carrack with the maneuverability of the oared galley. While never quite matching up to the full expectations for its design, the galleass nevertheless remained in us ...

built in Jungfrusund in 1924 * ''Anna Møller'' – galleass built in

Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().boarded by custom authorities off Elsinore with smuggling goods aboard in 1923, then confiscated and sold on auction, then operated both as a fishing vessel and as a ferry between

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and

Bornholm Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. I ...

, again as a smuggling vessel. * ''Mira'' – two-masted

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

built in

Fåborg Faaborg or Fåborg () is an old port town located on Faaborg Fjord in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen in Denmark. By road, Faaborg is located southwest of Odense, west-northwest of Svendborg, and roughly southeast of Midd ...

in 1898, considered one of the finest ships of the Danish small vessel traffic of the time. For many years it transported

chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...

from Stevns. The first ship on the north side of Nyhavn, coming from Kongens Nytorv. * '' The Boat Theatre'' - a

lighter A lighter is a portable device which uses mechanical or electrical means to create a controlled flame, and can be used to ignite a variety of flammable items, such as cigarettes, butane gas, fireworks, candles, or campfires. A lighter typic ...

-type

barge A barge is typically a flat-bottomed boat, flat-bottomed vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. Original use was on inland waterways, while modern use is on both inland and ocean, marine water environments. The firs ...

built in Copenhagen in 1898, since 1972 operated as a theatre boat.

The Memorial Anchor

The great Memorial Anchor (Danish: Mindeankeret) at the end of Nyhavn, where it meets Kongens Nytorv, is a monument commemorating the more than 1,700 Danish officers and sailors in service for the

Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...

, merchant fleet or Allied Forces, who sacrificed their lives during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The Anchor was inaugurated in 1951, replacing a temporary wooden cross erected on the spot in 1945, and has a plaque with a monogram of King Frederik VII on it. The Memorial Anchor is from 1872 and was used on the Frigate Fyn (Funen), which was docked at

Holmen Naval Base Naval Station Holmen () is one of several naval stations of the Royal Danish Navy, supplementing the two Danish naval bases in Frederikshavn and Korsør. Founded in the late 17th century, it is also a visitor attraction with many historical b ...

during the Second World War. Every year on May 5 – Denmark's Liberation day 1945 – an official ceremony is held to honour and commemorate the fallen at the Memorial Anchor.

Bars and restaurants

Along its northern, sunnier side, Nyhavn is lined with many bars and restaurants facing the harbor. Nyhavn serves as a hub of canal tours, but it can be chilly.

Transport

Kongens Nytorv metro station is located at the end of Nyhavn, though situated at the far end of the namesake square outside

Magasin du Nord Magasin is a Denmark, Danish chain of department stores. It has seven department stores with its flagship store located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The company is a subsidiary of the German department store retailer Peek & Cloppenburg, Peek & ...

. The station is served by all four lines of the Copenhagen Metro. The

Copenhagen Harbour Buses The Copenhagen Harbour Buses ( Danish: Københavns Havnebusser) is a system of water buses along the harbourfront of Copenhagen, Denmark, operated by Movia which also operates the city’s regular buses. The system is notable for being all-electr ...

has a stop at the mouth of Nyhavn. All four routes of the harbour buses, Routes 901, 902,

903 __NOTOC__ Year 903 ( CMIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Berengar I of Italy proceeds to issue concessions and privileges to the Lombard nobility and monasteries. He gra ...

and

904 __NOTOC__ Year 904 ( CMIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * July 29 – Sack of Thessalonica: A Muslim fleet, led by the Greek renegade Leo of Tripoli, appears outside ...

, stop at the bus stop next to the Royal Playhouse. In 2016 the Inner Harbor Bridge (Inderhavnsbro) connecting Nyhavn and Christianshavn was opened after years of setbacks and delays. The 180 m cycling and pedestrian

drawbridge A drawbridge or draw-bridge is a type of moveable bridge typically at the entrance to a castle or tower surrounded by a moat. In some forms of English, including American English, the word ''drawbridge'' commonly refers to all types of moveable b ...

has been nicknamed the Kissing Bridge because its contour resembles two tongues meeting.

Cultural references

Film

* Nyhavn has been seen in numerous Danish films. It is for instance used as a location in a number of ''

Olsen-banden The ''Olsen Gang'' (, ) is a Denmark, Danish comedy film series created by Danish director Erik Balling and special effects expert Henning Bahs about the eponymous fictional criminal gang. The gang's leader is the criminal genius and habitual o ...

'' films, for instance at 0:25:44 in '' The Olsen Gang on the Track'' and at 0:28:56 in the 1977

Olsen Gang The ''Olsen Gang'' (, ) is a Danish comedy film series created by Danish director Erik Balling and special effects expert Henning Bahs about the eponymous fictional criminal gang. The gang's leader is the criminal genius and habitual offender ...

film ''

The Olsen Gang Outta Sight ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

''. The Memorial Anchor is seen at 1:16:57 in ''

The Olsen Gang Sees Red ''The Olsen Gang Sees Red'' () is a 1976 Danish comedy film directed by Erik Balling and starring Ove Sprogøe, Morten Grunwald and Poul Bundgaard. The film was the eighth in the ''Olsen Gang''-series, and was selected as the Danish entry for ...

''. Nyhavn has also been featured in a number of international films. * The closing scenes of

Ingmar Bergman Ernst Ingmar Bergman (14 July 1918 – 30 July 2007) was a Swedish film and theatre director and screenwriter. Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential film directors of all time, his films have been described as "profoun ...

's '' A Lesson in Love'' takes place in Nyhavn. * In the 1957 British-American action film ''

Hidden Fear ''Hidden Fear'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by Andre de Toth, starring John Payne (actor), John Payne. It was filmed on location in Copenhagen, Denmark. Plot Mike Brent is an American police detective. When his sister is arr ...

'', Nyhavn is used as a central location. * In the 1963 German film '' The Lightship'', Nyhavn is used as a location in spite of the fact that the film is set in Germany. * In the 1966

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...

spy film ''

Torn Curtain ''Torn Curtain'' is a 1966 American spy political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews. Written by Brian Moore, the film is set in the Cold War and concerns an American scientist who appears to d ...

'', Armstrong (

Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...

), who is on the way to DDR, is told to contact a used book seller at Kanalgade 1 which later turns out to be Nyhavn when his fiancée (Julie Andrews) visits the address. * In the 2015 drama film ''

The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the first tra ...

'', Nyhavn is the location where Einar (

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne OBE (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. His accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Olivier Awards. Redmayne began his professional ac ...

) and Gerda (

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander (; ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. List of awards and nominations received by Alicia Vikander, Her accolades include an Academy Award and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film ...

) live, and it is also where Lili makes her first forays in public. Nyhavn is in the film presented as a fish market while Copenhagen's historic fish market was in fact located at Gammel Strand.

Literature

* Elisabeth Levy's 1997 novel ''Et dukkehus i Nyhavn'' (''A Doll House in Nyhavn'') describes a young girls life in Nyhavn in 1929. * Anne Marie Ejrnæs's 2002 biographical novel ''Som Svalen'' (''Like the Swallow'') about Thomasine Gyllenbourg begins when she is eight years old and lives in her father's home at

Nyhavn 67 Nyhavn 67 is a listed property overlooking the Nyhavn Canal in central Copenhagen, Denmark. The writer Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of pl ...

. *

Karin Michaëlis Karin Michaëlis (20 March 1872 – 11 January 1950) was a Danish journalist and author. She is best known for her novels, short stories, and children's books. Over the course of 50 years, Karin Michaëlis wrote more than 50 books in Danish, Ger ...

's 1936 children's book ''Lotte Ligeglad'' is about a girl who lives in Nyhavn where her mother owns a shop next to a tavern. The poet

Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen (born 7 July 1967) is a Danish former racing driver. He holds the record for the most wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with nine, six of which were consecutive (from 2000 to 2005). In 1997, he won the race with the Joest Racing te ...

spent part of his childhood in Lille Strandstræde. In his 1922 poem ''Nyhavns-Odyssé'', (''Nyhavn Odyssey''), he describes the adolescent boy's encounter with the colourful street in which he meets the counterparts of many in many of the characters from

Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...

's ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...

''.

Music

* ''Nu går våren gennem Nyhavn'' is a song by Sigfred Pedersen with melody by Niels Clemmensen. * Sigfred Petersen's #Nyhavn poems" ''Katinka, Katinka'', ''Søren Bramfris Lærkesang'' amd '' Nyhavnsnætter'' have all been scored by Niels Clemmesen. He lived at

Nyhavn 17 Nyhavn 17 is a late 17th-century building situated at the corner of Nyhavn and Lille Strandstræde in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was listed on the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1951. Architecture The corner building ...

from 1928.

References

External links

Copenhagen-Portal - Nyhavn

{{Authority control Canals in Copenhagen Tourist attractions in Copenhagen Streets in Copenhagen Restaurant districts and streets Entertainment districts in Denmark Port of Copenhagen Canals opened in the 17th century Buildings and structures completed in 1673 Transport infrastructure completed in the 1670s 1673 establishments in Denmark