VisitNyhavn
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The history of Nyhavn — from harbour canal 1673 to tourist attraction
Nyhavn was dug 1671–1673 by soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war as an inner commercial harbour for Christian V. For three centuries it was a sailors' district — pubs, brothels, tattoo parlours. Only in the 1970s was the quay transformed into the tourist setting we know today.
Excavated in the 1670s as a busy commercial port, Nyhavn has a rich history shaped by sailors, trade, and the writer Hans Christian Andersen. Today, the preserved warehouses and historic ships serve as a living monument to Copenhagen's maritime past.
When the canal was dug 1671–1673, it was to bring world trade right into the city's new centre, Kongens Nytorv. In the 1800s, Hans Christian Andersen lived in three different buildings here — Nyhavn 20, 67 and 18 — and it was at Nyhavn 20 that he published his very first fairy tales, in 1835.
For most of the 1900s Nyhavn was a working-class quarter with sailors, pubs and a rough reputation. A well-known anecdote dates from then: the artist Asger Jorn — later a co-founder of CoBrA — painted the sign for restaurant Hyttefadet at Nyhavn 25 in 1938, according to the venue's own history.
Trade and harbour traffic disappeared from Nyhavn during the 1960s and 70s. In 1976 the sunny side of the inner canal became a harbour for historic wooden ships, and in 1980 the quay was pedestrianised. The local plan now protects the facades: when a house is renovated, it must get its original light colour back.
Ten verified facts about the harbour
Numbers we could document — from addresses and opening dates to visitor counts. Sources noted per field.
Estimates are marked. The rest are from public registries, official tariffs, or the venue's own pages.
The History of Nyhavn: frequently asked questions
Why are the Nyhavn houses coloured?
The plastered houses are mostly painted in light earth colours, and the brick ones are red, a few yellow. The city's local plan protects this: when a facade is renovated, it must get its original light colour back. A popular story says sailors recognised their homes by the colours — we haven't found a source for it.
Did H.C. Andersen really live in Nyhavn?
Yes — at three addresses: Nyhavn 20 (1834–38), Nyhavn 67 (on and off, 1848–65) and Nyhavn 18 (1871–74). He published his very first fairy tales at Nyhavn 20 in 1835. He did not, however, die in Nyhavn.
When was the canal dug?
1671–1673, under Christian V. It was dug by soldiers and Swedish prisoners of war, and it brought world trade right into the city's new centre, Kongens Nytorv.
Your next stop in Nyhavn
Nyhavn, house by house
All 52 houses along the quay in watercolour – with what's fact, and the myths that don't hold up.
Hans Christian Andersen in Nyhavn
The writer lived at three spots on the quay — where the fairy tales began, and where the myth about his death is wrong.
Canal Tours in Nyhavn
Canal tours, compared honestly — which one is worth booking.