Kongens Nytorv, Nyhavn & Amalienborg: A Self-Guided Walk in Copenhagen
Here’s my self-guided walk from Nyhavn to Amalienborg via Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The area around Nyhavn was developed in the 17th century as a new market place that would be larger and more accommodating than the old Gammel Tov. The neighbourhood, called Frederiksstaden, also emerged as a place for Copenhagen’s elite to build their manor homes. Today Kongens Nytorv, the old market, has been turned into a major traffic junction in Copenhagen, while the old harbour Nyhavn has become the city’s most famous attraction. The royal family also call Frederiksstaden home at their palace Amalienborg.
On this walk you’ll wander through the neighbourhood, seeing all the different sides it has to offer.
In this article...
Downloadable Version of This Guide
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Online Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the neighbourhood
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
Downloadable Guide
- Information about points of interest
- Images of each point of interest
- Historic overview of the city
- Directions between points
- Historic photos
Kongens Nytorv, Nyhavn & Amalienborg
This walk begins in the centre of Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen.
Kongens Nytorv
The walk begins in the middle of Kongens Nytorv – a large square in the east of Copenhagen.
Kongens Nytorv was laid out by King Christian V in 1670 as Copenhagen was being expanded. The idea was to move away from the older square Gammeltorv (literally The Old Square), which at the time was a muddy medieval market. Kongens Nytorv was to have a lovely garden and cobblestones. The inspiration came from Paris.
The city’s eastern gate used to be here, but it was moved to make way for the district to be called New Copenhagen. Eventually the eastern gate was abandoned.
The baroque garden was completed in 1688 but didn’t survive too long – in 1747 the entire square was rebuilt by King Frederick V as a military ceremony ground.
Throughout the 2000s Kongens Nytorv underwent a massive refurbishment including the construction of the metro – it opened in 2019 to the public. It is used as an exhibition space, ice skating rink, market, and for high school graduation ceremonies.
Christian V Statue
The equestrian statue is of King Christian V, who initiated the construction of Kongens Nytorv. It dates to 1688, when the baroque garden was completed, and today it’s the oldest equestrian statue in Scandinavia.
Inspiration came from the statue of Louis XIII which stands at Place des Vosges in Paris.
The positioning of the horse made it difficult for the metal, and the construction had to be strengthened. To do this, they put a naked man under the horse – this is supposed to represent envy, but really it’s just supporting the horse.
The Old Kiosk
The old kiosk dates back to 1913. It is built int he Baroque Revival style and used to offer the first public telephone connection in Copenhagen. It was possible to make a call every day except Sundays. The phone box was open from 10am to 8pm.
Charlottenborg Palace
Charlottenborg Palace is the oldest building on Kongens Nytorv. When the square was being constructed, the plots around it were sold off to Copenhagen’s elite. This one was built as a residence for Ulrik Frederick Gyldenløve, who was Christian V’s half brother. At the time, he was the Governor General of Norway.
Today the building is home to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (they have been here since 1754) and there is a exhibition space called Kunsthal Charlottenborg that you can visit.
French Classicism, 1780
Harsdorff House
Harsdorff House was built in 1780 as a private residence for Caspar Frederick Harsdorfff, who had become the professor of perspective at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1766.
It has since served as a model for the many master builders of the time who had little academic training.
Art Nouveau, 1931
The Royal Theatre
The theatre was founded in 1748 as a theatre for the King, but has since become a theatre for the country.
1874
Hotel D'Angleterre
This hotel is one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in the world, and on top of that it is regarded as one of the first deluxe hotels in the world.
There are 30 rooms and 60 suites inside, and the most expensive room I could find online is a 90m2 apartment that goes for $2,500 USD a night. The cheapest room I could find for January 2022 was $479 for one night.
In Alfred Hitchcock’s Tom Curtain, the protagonist (played by Paul Newman) stays here. Hitchcock is one of the scenes sitting in the lobby with a baby in his arms.
There is also a 1 Michelin Star restaurant inside.
Dutch Baroque, 1683
French Embassy
This lovely building was constructed in 1683 as the home for the Danish war hero Niels Juel, who had won the fame of wealth for his victory in the Battle of Køge Bay. When Niels died, Christian V had his “official mistress” and mother of five of his children, Sophie Amalie Moth, take over the mansion.
The building was purchased by the French state in 1930 and is now the French Embassy.
Nyhavn
Nyhavn is arguably the most famous place in Copenhagen. This harbour area (Nyhavn literally means “New Harbour”) is full of colourful warehouses that have now been converted into hip restaurants, bars and shops – though the area does feel particularly touristy and a little overpriced.
The harbour is artificial. It was constructed by King Christian V from 1670 to 1675 and dug out by Swedish prisoners of war from the Dano-Swedish War of 1658-1660. It was designed to be a gateway into the new Kongens Nytorv and was a place for fishermen to drop off their catch and for ships to handle cargo.
Shortly after it was finished, it became notorious for the flowing of beer, the large number of sailors, and for prostitution. Most of the plots were sold off to merchants and skippers, and the buildings were used by people associated with maritime professions.
Fortunately the largest fires of Copenhagen have not made it to Nyhavn, so many of the buildings are from the mid-1700s, though there are some still standing from the 17th century.
The area was pestrianised in 1980 and cleaned up. It became too small for modern ships and was transformed into the destination area we see today. It still has a grungy feel thanks to the bars, but that’s part of the charm of the area.
Memorial Anchor
At the end of the harbour is a memorial anchor. it is placed there to commemorate the 1700 Danish soldiers and sailors in service for the Navy, merchant fleet or Allied forces who sacrificed their lives during World War II.
The anchor was inaugurated in 1951.
Ships in the Harbour
The ships at. the inner part of the harbour are owned by the Danish National Museum.
One of the most unique ships is the Lightvessel XVII Gedser Rev – the ship acts as a lighthouse and was used in areas that are too deep or unsuitable for lighthouse construction.
Nyhavn 7: Hong Kong Bar
Nyhavn 7 is an old building from the 17th century. The name of the bar, the Hong Kong Bar, has nothing to do with Hong Kong. In fact, this is one of the last remaining sailors bars on Nyhavn. The Hong Kong bar was also a place where the sailors could get something besides beer, if you know what I mean…
Nyhavn 9
Nyhavn 9 is believed to be the oldest house remaining on the street. It is also one of the few townhouses that was not heightened in the 19th century.
The property was built in 1681 for harbourmaster Christen Christensen. After that, it was divided into apartments.
Since 1982, the building has been owned by Christel Windfeld-Lund. She doesn’t live in the building, but the restaurant Leonora Christine is based in the cellar.
Nyhavn 11
Nyhavn 11 is from 1689 and has had a wide variety of interesting owners. One of the first owners was Jacob Severin, who married into wealth and was in 1733 granted a full monopoly on trade with Greenland. He founded a town in Greenland called Jacobshavn after himself. The town is still there, but is today known as Ilulissat.
Another interesting owner is Ludvig Ferdinand Romer, who established a sugar refinery in the building. He had previously been the governor of the Danish Gold Coast – a Danish colony in West Africa in present day Ghana.
Above the front entrance today is a figure of a sugar baker holding a sugar loaf in one hand and a sugar tin in the other. It was a way of identifying the houses before house numbers were a thing.
By 1840, there were 34 people living in the property.
Nyhavn 67
Nyhavn 67 is famous because it is where Hans Christian Andersen lived. Originally built as one household in the late 17th century, it was expanded and in the mid-19th century had five households here.
Andersen lived here with only short interruptions from 1848 to 1865.
Today it is known as cafe H.C. Anderson.
Toldbodegade
Toldbodegade (Customs House Street) led from the city centre of Copenhagen to the customs office. A string of warehouses were built along this street, most notably the West India Warehouse.
Sankt Annæ Plads
Saint Anne Place is named after a chapel that used to stand here in the Middle Ages. The chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary’s mother, Saint Anna. The chapel only lasted for a few decades and is mostly forgotten in history, but its name was shared with a hospital called Saint Anna. The hospital stood for a long time in this area.
The location was believed to have healing power, and during excavations a number of crutches were found near where the chapel used to stand. People think the “cripples” (as the term in history books is used) were healed on the site and no longer needed their crutches.
The shape of the square today is similar to that of Nyhavn. That’s because this used to be a canal, but it was filled in to build the Royal Navy Hospital. Once it became a square, the district became fashionable with many nice buildings here. The garden was planted in 1852.
The beautiful building to your right is the old headquarters for DFDS (De Forende Dampskibs Selskaber), a shipping company. It now houses the Embassy of Finland and the Danish Nurses Association.
The statue that you see is of Carl Frederick Tietgen (1829-1901). He was a Danish financier and industrialist who played an important role in the industrialisation of Denmark and founded companies such as Tuborg (beer company) and DFDS.
Admiral Hotel
This warehouse was constructed in 1787 for a shipping company. From the 1880s it was used to store grain.
The building was bought in 1973 to be converted into a hotel, which it is today.
Copenhagen Opera House
Step into Amaliehaven – the garden area facing the water. This park is fairly new – it was established in 1983 and is designed to compliment the symmetry of Frederiksgade and Amalienborg. Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro created the works for the park, including the four columns that are supposed to represent the areas old use as a shipyard.
The opera house in Copenhagen is a bit of a controversy. It is one of the most expensive opera houses ever built, costing 2.5 billion DKK ($370,000,000 USD). It was funded by the Maersk shipping company. Some politicians were offended by the private donation, in part because the full cost was tax deductible, thus virtually forcing the government to buy the building.
The Maersk shipping magnate Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller had final say in the design. Many think the intention was to make. it look like a shipping container.
After its opening in 2005, the architect Henning Larsen wrote a book being very critical of the building. He distanced himself from it, calling it a “mausoleum” for Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller and “without comparison the most owner-infected ‘worst case’ in my fifty years as an independent arhcitect – squeezed between the Phantom of the Opera himself (i.e. Maersk), shipping magnates and lawyers.
Directions: Head across the street into Amalienborg. Look at the wall to your left as you enter – there are bullet holes there from fighting between the Danes and the Nazis during World War II.
Amalienborg Palace
You have made it to Amalienborg Palace, the home of the Danish royal family.
The name comes from Queen Sophie Amalie, who built a palace here after buying the land in 1660. It was a small mansion and large garden area, but it was all destroyed in 1689. The plot was deserted until 1728 before being bought and built as four manors for four noble families.
When the original royal residence, Christiansborg Palace, burned down in 1794 this became the temporary home of the royal family. Eventually they decided to make it their permanent residence.
Today the Danish royal family is one of the world’s oldest monarchs, and Amalienborg is considered to be the most distinguished piece of Rococo architecture in Denmark.
We’ll go clockwise around the square, starting with the building immediately to your left.
Schacks Palace / Christian IX's Palace
This is the current residence of Queen Margrethe II – if the flag is up, she’s home.
Moltke Palace
Since 1885, this palace has been used to accommodate prominent guests.
Levetzau's Palace
This was the home of Crown Prince Frederick until 2004. Today it is used as a museum for the royal house and you can visit the royal apartments with their original fittings and furnishings.
Brockdorff's Palace
This is the current residence of Crown Prince Frederick and Princess Mary. It is fairly common to see them in this area – cycling their kids to school and so on.
Statue: King Frederick V
The statue represents King Frederick V, the founder of Amalienborg. It was commissioned by Moltke, one of the old palace owners. The statue cost more than the entirety of Amalienborg.
Marble Church
The Marble Church, formally known as Fredericks Church, is one of the most distinctive buildings in Copenhagen. The church was designed in 1740 and. the foundation stone was set by King Frederick V on 31 October 1749. However, due to budget constraints, the church was abandoned in 1770 and stood in ruins for 150 years.
In 1874 Andreas Frederick Krieger, Denmark’s Finance Minister, sold. the ruins of the uncompleted church to Carl Frederick Tietgen on the condition that Tietgen would build a church similar to the original plans and then donate it to the state. Tietgen did just that. In return, Tietgen got the rights to subdivide the neighbouring plots for development. The deal was highly controversial at the time and Krieger was charged with corruption, though he was acquitted.
The church is mostly made of limestone and not marble as the name implies, due to budget cuts.
