VisitNyhavn
EN
The history of Nyhavn — from harbour canal 1673 to tourist attraction.
Nyhavn was dug 1670–1673 by 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 1670–1673 it was to give grain ships direct access to the Kongens Nytorv market. 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.
The canal was closed to commercial shipping in 1967, and the current restaurateur transformation began in the 1980s. The houses' current standardised palette dates from the conservation restoration of the 1960s and 70s, with colours drawn from historical records.
The places.
We're gathering our first picks here — coming soon. In the meantime, see our A–Z directory for every place we cover.
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.
Frequently asked.
Why are the Nyhavn houses coloured?
The current standardised palette dates from the conservation restoration of the 1960s and 70s, with colours drawn from historical records. A popular story says sailors recognised their houses by the colours, but the present palette is a conservation decision.
Did H.C. Andersen really live in Nyhavn?
Yes — at three addresses: Nyhavn 20 (1834–38), Nyhavn 67 (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?
1670–1673, under Christian V. It was dug by Swedish prisoners of war from the Scanian War and served as the inner grain harbour for the Kongens Nytorv market.
