DESCRIPTION:

Commonly known as “the colorful houses”, Nyhavn is a 17th century harbour that leads into the center of Copenhagen at Kongens Nytorv.

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Nyhavn was built by king Christian V as a gateway from the sea to the inner city for fishing vessels and cargo ships, it was dug by Swedish prisoners of war and finished in 1673.

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As commercial ships became larger thus requiring deeper water and wider harbours, Nyhavn became obsolete as a commercial harbor and became the home of small recreation vessels, but in the 1960s the Nyhavn society was formed and the revitalising process for the area begun. A few years later the key was pedestrianised and the veteran ship museum was established, which currently displays six ships from the 1800s and 1900s. With the influx of tourists attracted to the area, the key became what people like to call the longest bar in the world with diverse bars and cafes on the beautiful waterfront as well as a few restaurant ships dotted around.

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Nyhavn also has very rich history. From being used as a commercial harbour and renowned for a pungent fish smell, drunken sailors and prostitution in the 1700s to becoming one of the cleanest and most famous districts of Copenhagen today, it is one of those places that you will always remember when thinking about Copenhagen, Denmark.