This word translates to mean New Harbor in English. Nyhavn is one of the most photographed sites in Copenhagen, because the long line of old sailor's quarters next to the canal makes quite a picture. Nowadays, the living quarters have been gentrified, restaurants flourish along the edge of the street and fancy sailing yachts come from all over the world to tie up here. Still, the place maintains its old world charm and is well worth a leisurely stroll or a visit to a waterfront restaurant. Nyhavn is located near the eastern edge of the harbor.
This tiny statue sits only a few feet from the rocky shoreline of the harbor, but yet it draws tourists by the busloads. As cultural sites go, The Little Mermaid might be overrated, even though she still is an important symbol to the city. The walk along the shore and nearby parks, however, are not overrated and should be enjoyed by everyone that visits the famous sculpture.
Denmark has a Queen (and a king) and when the royal family is in town there is the changing of the guard that occurs everyday at the royal palace (Amalienborg Palace). This definitively European ritual resembles a similar event that takes place in London, except here the royal guards wear blue coats instead of red. The Queen does not live at the palace during the summer months, she retires to the countryside.
This old 17th century Dutch Renaissance castle offers tours of the interior or you can just go outside and enjoy the gardens, where there are a few food and drink concessions. Just across the street is the extensive State Museum of Art (Statens Museum for Kunst), which is free and open to the public.
This place was once a "free city" taken over by a group of hippies and free thinkers in the early 1970s. Slowly, this section of town that once housed the military in large barracks is moving towards the mainstream, but still progress is slow. Come here just to gaze at psychedelically painted buildings or spend some time in a vegetarian restaurant or trendy nightclub. Christiana still has a long way to go to reach normality, so enjoy the place as it is.
This little seaside town is actually located just outside the city near the main airport, but since the city buses run there, the quaint fishing village makes for a nice bus ride or a short drive. Dragor is not as quaint as other places in the country, but it does offer nice restaurants, where you can sit and watch the water. Take special note of the new bridge that now, for the first time, connects Denmark with Sweden. This long steel structure that spans the Oresund (a small body of water that separates Denmark from Sweden) has linked Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmo and thus created one thriving metropolitan area.
