Copenhagen City Guide

Old Town: Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid & Tivoli

From Kongens Nytorv to Nyhavn and Amalienborg, along the water to the Gefion Fountain, the Little Mermaid and the Citadel, then via Rosenborg, the Round Tower and Strøget to the town-hall square and Tivoli.

1. Nyhavn – Copenhagen's postcard row: colourful gabled houses, old wooden ships and terraces along the 1673 canal. Hans Christian Andersen lived at nos. 20 and 67.
2. Amalienborg – Four identical Rococo palaces around an octagonal square form the Danish royal family's residence, built from 1750 as the heart of Frederiksstaden, with Frederik V's equestrian statue in the middle. At 11:30 the Royal Life Guards march here from Rosenborg Castle across the city, and at noon the changing of the guard follows - with views of the Marble Church and the opera house.
3. Marmorkirken (Frederiks Kirke) – The 'Marble Church' carries one of Scandinavia's largest church domes (31 m across), inspired by St Peter's - surprisingly light and airy inside.
4. Gefionbrunnen – Legend in bronze: the goddess Gefion ploughs the island of Zealand out of Sweden with her four sons turned into oxen - Copenhagen's most monumental fountain, right by St Alban's Church.
5. Kleine Meerjungfrau – The small bronze figure (1913) from Andersen's fairy tale has gazed out over the water for more than a century - the city's icon, and smaller than many expect. Early in the morning you'll have her almost to yourself.
6. Kastellet – The star-shaped fortress of 1664 with its red barracks, ramparts and windmill is still military ground today - and one of the city's loveliest walks.
7. Schloss Rosenborg – Christian IV's Renaissance pleasure palace in the King's Garden guards the Danish crown jewels and the coronation throne with its three silver lions.
8. Rundetaarn – The Round Tower of 1642: instead of stairs, a 209-metre spiral ramp leads up to the viewing platform - Tsar Peter the Great once rode up on horseback.
9. Strøget & Amagertorv – Around 1.8 kilometres of pedestrian street between Kongens Nytorv and the town-hall square, one of Europe's longest: shops, pubs and restaurants in beautifully restored 18th-century houses. On Amagertorv with its Stork Fountain, Royal Copenhagen and Danish design sit side by side.
10. Schloss Christiansborg – Copenhagen was founded on the Slotsholmen castle island in 1167, and Denmark has been governed from here since 1417 - today the palace houses parliament and government. Inside await the Royal Reception Rooms, the royal stables' carriages and the castle ruins; the city's tallest tower is free to visit.
11. Rathausplatz – The broad square in front of the national-romantic city hall, with the Dragon Fountain and the Andersen statue - the tower (guided visit) surveys the whole city.
12. Tivoli – The 1843 amusement park in the heart of the city enchanted even Walt Disney: historic rides, gardens, concerts and thousands of lights after dark.