The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid statue sits on a granite rock at Langelinie Pier, looking toward Copenhagen Harbor. This bronze figure, created in 1913, draws visitors to its location near Nyhavn’s yellow and orange buildings, Amalienborg Palace with its changing royal guards, and the Kastellet fortress with its moats. The sculpture takes inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen’s story about a mermaid who gives up her voice to walk on land. At 1.25 meters tall, it combines understated presence with cultural importance, surviving decades of damage and shifting tastes. Begin your visit here before walking along the harbor path past wooden sailboats and old cannons.

Creation of The Little Mermaid

Carl Jacobsen, heir to the Carlsberg brewery, had the statue made after seeing a 1909 ballet version of Andersen’s story at the Royal Danish Theatre. He wanted ballerina Ellen Price to model for the sculpture, but she refused to pose without clothes. Sculptor Edvard Eriksen used his wife Eline’s body instead, crafting the mermaid’s torso while referencing Price’s face. The finished bronze shows the mermaid halfway through her transformation from sea creature to human, her fish tail splitting into legs as she bends toward the shore. Andersen’s story ends with the mermaid turning into sea foam after the prince marries someone else, but the statue captures her pause between hope and loss.

Getting to the Statue

The Little Mermaid stands 2.3 kilometers northeast of Copenhagen’s central train station at Langelinie Pier. You can walk there from Nyhavn in 30 minutes, passing the Opera House’s glass walls and Amalienborg Palace’s courtyard. Bus 1A or 26 stops at Østerport station, a 7-minute walk from the site. Rent a bike near Kongens Nytorv square and follow the marked paths along the harbor. Ferries from Oslo or Stockholm often dock within sight of the statue, so passengers frequently visit before exploring the city. No tickets are needed, but mornings before 9 AM or evenings after 6 PM have smaller crowds.

Nearby Places to Explore

Langelinie Promenade curves along the water, giving clear sightlines to ships entering the Øresund Strait. Follow it north to reach the Kastellet, a 17th-century fortress shaped like a five-pointed star, where you can walk on grassy walls above dry moats. The Black Diamond library, 15 minutes southwest, displays a different mermaid statue by Marie Carl-Nielsen, showing a figure with scales climbing up her legs. To learn more about Andersen’s life, visit his former home at Nyhavn 20 or the museum in Odense, a 90-minute train ride away. The DFDS ferry terminal nearby connects Copenhagen to Oslo and Helsingborg.

Damage and Repairs

Since the 1960s, people have sawed off the statue’s head twice, blown it off its base with dynamite, and sprayed it with paint over a dozen times. In 2007, activists poured red dye around it to criticize Denmark’s whale hunting. Original plaster molds kept by the Eriksen family let workers rebuild damaged parts accurately each time. During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, the city moved the statue to China for six months, the only time it’s been officially relocated. Some propose anchoring it farther offshore to prevent vandalism, but it remains on its original rock as of 2024.

Copies Around the World

Thirteen official copies exist, including one in Solvang, California’s Danish-themed town, and another in Romania’s Piatra Neamț. Calgary’s Danish Canadian Club displays a smaller version, and Greenville, Michigan, erected a replica in 1994 to celebrate its Danish roots. In Denmark, Helsingør’s Han statue reinterprets the mermaid as a bearded man gazing toward Sweden. Copenhagen’s Slotsholm Canal holds the Agnete and the Merman bronze, based on a local myth about a woman lured underwater. The Eriksen family holds legal rights to the original design until 2030, limiting how others can reproduce it.

Andersen’s Story Compared to Adaptations

Andersen’s 1837 tale focuses on suffering: the mermaid’s legs cause constant pain, and she dies when the prince rejects her. Disney’s 1989 film changes this, letting her marry the prince and keep her voice. Eriksen’s statue reflects the original story’s sadness, with the mermaid’s slumped shoulders and downcast eyes. Each August, the Copenhagen Historic Grand Prix event near Langelinie includes public readings of Andersen’s version, contrasting with the upbeat jazz festivals happening elsewhere in the city.

Best Times to Visit and Practical Advice

Winter lets you photograph the statue with frost on its shoulders and fewer people nearby, though strong winds are common. Summer daylight lasts until 10 PM, giving extra time to explore the harbor. Join a guided tour of Langelinie to hear about its naval defenses or rent a kayak from nearby operators to approach the mermaid from the water. Bring snacks and use restrooms at Amalienborg or Nyhavn, as options near the statue are limited. Check Copenhagen’s tourism website for updates on temporary art displays along the promenade, which occasionally add new sculptures or plaques about the mermaid.