The Gefion Fountain
A Norse goddess ploughing Zealand with her oxen.
Benoît Prieur — CC0 · Olivier Bruchez — CC BY-SA 2.0 · wanghongliu — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Public Domain Images — Public domain
The Little Mermaid is uncontested the world's most famous small statue: a bronze just 125 centimetres tall on a rock at the water (1913), gifted to the city by the Carlsberg brewery's owner to honour Andersen's tale — and the world comes to be surprised by her size and take the photo anyway: Denmark's most photographed landmark. Her real value is the walk to her: from Amalienborg past the huge Gefion Fountain (a Norse goddess ploughing Zealand's land with her four oxen, in legend) to Kastellet — a five-pointed star fortress from the 17th century with moats and grassy ramparts, still a working barracks, the city's calmest park with its windmill — then the Mermaid on the quay. Ninety minutes of harbourside walking joins three landmarks for free — and the Mermaid is crowdless only before nine in the morning: cruise-ship coaches besiege her from mid-morning.
A Norse goddess ploughing Zealand with her oxen.
A five-pointed star with moats and windmill — the city's calmest park.
Langelinie, 2100 Copenhagen
Museum of Danish ResistanceGermany occupied Denmark in April 1940 in a matter of hours and with almost no f7 minutes walk4.3
LangelinieA quay and waterside promenade running about two kilometres along the harbour ed9 minutes walk4.2
Designmuseum DanmarkIf one place in Copenhagen explains why "Danish" became an adjective attached to10 minutes walk4.4
Amalienborg Palace & the Changing of the GuardAmalienborg is the Danish royal family's actual home — Europe's oldest continuou13 minutes walk4.4
Frederik's Church (The Marble Church)Its official name is **Frederik's Church**, but nobody calls it anything but the13 minutes walk4.7Because fame inflates expectation: a modest statue on an ordinary rock with no theatre around her — and she has been beheaded twice, lost an arm once, and been painted several times in political vandalism that made her Europe's most injured statue. Take her as she is: a lovely stop on a walk, not a destination alone, and you'll find her charming.