Nyhavn

Nyhavn — which simply means 'New Harbour' — is a 17th-century waterfront canal in the heart of Copenhagen, stretching from Kongens Nytorv down to the harbour. Built in 1671 under King Christian V to connect the sea to the city centre, it was originally a working port where sailors, traders, and merchants crowded the quays. Today it's one of the most recognisable streetscapes in Scandinavia: a tight row of tall, narrow townhouses painted in vivid reds, yellows, and blues, their reflections shimmering in the dark canal water below. Hans Christian Andersen lived at three different addresses here — numbers 18, 20, and 67 — which adds a pleasingly storybook quality to a street that already looks like it was designed for fairy tales.

The experience of Nyhavn is mostly about being outside and soaking it in. In summer, the wooden canal boats moored along the quay are converted into floating bars and restaurants, and half of Copenhagen seems to be sitting on the sunny north-facing side of the canal with a cold Carlsberg or a glass of white wine, legs dangling over the edge. You can also board one of the canal tour boats that depart from here — a 60-minute loop that takes you past the Little Mermaid statue, the Opera House, and under a string of low bridges — which is genuinely one of the best ways to see the city. The south side of the canal is lined with restaurants, most of them aimed squarely at tourists but atmospheric all the same.

Nyhavn is at its absolute best on a clear summer afternoon, when the light hits the coloured facades just right and everyone is out. Come early morning to photograph it without crowds, and be aware that the tourist-facing restaurants along the south quay charge a premium — walk one or two streets back into Indre By and you'll find far better food for far less money. It's entirely walkable from the main shopping street Strøget and from the Royal Danish Theatre on Kongens Nytorv, making it an easy and essential stop on any Copenhagen itinerary.