Is the Little Mermaid Statue in Copenhagen Worth Visiting?
The Little Mermaid is one of the most famous statues in the world.
The Little Mermaid is one of the most iconic statues in the world, so we couldn't miss the opportunity to visit it, could we?
If we had to name some of the most famous symbols of Denmark before our trip, the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen would probably be right at the top of the list, along with LEGO and Vikings. I'm sure we could think of a few more, but those would come to mind right away.
Even after we got back home, one of the first things our family and friends would ask when we mentioned we'd been to Copenhagen was, "Yeah, that's cool. How was it? Did you see the Little Mermaid?" And we'd be like, "Yes, it was great, and we did, thank you very much for asking!"
If Denmark trivia's not really your thing, here's the gist: the Little Mermaid (or Den lille Havfrue in Danish) is a bronze statue inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale of the same name. It was made by Edvard Eriksen and unveiled in 1913, gaining worldwide fame ever since. And since we had visited Hans Christian Andersen's House just a few days earlier, it felt only fitting that we also stopped here.
We knew just a few general things about the Little Mermaid before we went, but pretty much nothing about the practical side of the visit, aside from where it's located, obviously. Honestly, we preferred it that way so we could form our own opinion. Besides, how hard can visiting a statue really be, right? If you're curious how it went, keep reading.
The statue is based on The Little Mermaid, one of Hans Christian Andersen's best-known fairy tales.
How to Visit the Little Mermaid Statue
We got an early start to the day, but we didn't reach the Little Mermaid statue until about 10 AM. To get there, we walked from Kongens Nytorv station through the Indre By district, passing Amalienborg and Frederik's Church along the way. We spent quite a bit of time wandering around Kastellet, which we thought was great. The star-shaped fortress was not only really interesting but also surprisingly quiet.
Because we didn't take the promenade route, we were met by this long line of buses instead.
Eventually, we left this military complex through the north exit onto Langelinie Street, where the atmosphere changed completely. It was suddenly really crowded. We turned right and walked the next couple of hundred meters past a line of tour buses, hop-on hop-off tours, and a few other tourists, stopping for a moment at the Maritime Monument and the adjacent marina.
We saw a few more statues like the Maritime Monument on the way to the Little Mermaid.
Seeing all the activity around us, Lucie said something like, "I guess we're not going to have it to ourselves." Her observation was dead on. The closer we got to the statue, the more crowded it felt, as each tour bus brought about 50 tourists, and there were several parked nearby.
There's not a whole lot to say here, except that it really shows how popular the Little Mermaid is, not just in culture or guidebooks (we had this copy of Denmark by LP with us), but in real life, too. There is a way to see the statue without the crowds: the classic travel trick of getting there early, before the tour buses roll in. That said, this is one of those spots where we don't think the crowds matter all that much. It's a quick stop, and you can easily see the statue without even going all the way down to the water.
We got to the Little Mermaid at the same time as several bus tour groups did.
The Little Mermaid Statue
We eventually made it to the roundabout on Langelinie Street, where all the buses turn around, and from there it was only a short walk to the waterfront. It didn't take long before we saw the Little Mermaid statue off to our right. We knew ahead of time that it was small, but even after reading that a dozen times, our first words were, "Wow, it's actually that small."
Did we already mention that the Little Mermaid is actually pretty small?
Given all the buses around us, the waterfront was definitely busy, but there was still space to move around. Honestly, we've been to plenty of places that felt way more crowded, sometimes to the point of making the whole experience kind of frustrating, like seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre or certain viewpoints in Yellowstone.
We figured there was no point in waiting for the groups to leave since more were on their way. So we decided to rip the band-aid off and made our way through one of the large groups that had just been dropped off, fairly quickly reaching the rocky embankment above the statue. The statue sits on a rock in the water, just a couple of meters from the shore.
With a bit of patience, I managed to get this lovely photo of the Little Mermaid.
We walked down to the water level and, within seconds, found ourselves practically face-to-face with the iconic Little Mermaid. Besides being small, I was surprised by how close she actually was. Being so easily within reach is one reason this symbol has been damaged and vandalized multiple times. She's been covered in paint, had her hand sawed off, her head removed, and the wildest part is that she's even been blown up!
Once we'd taken a closer look at the statue and snapped a few photos, we moved away from the busy photo spot and found a quieter spot on Langelinie Promenade to watch the scene from afar. Honestly, we found ourselves more interested in the harbor and all the activity there than in the Little Mermaid or the crowd around her. The morning was beautifully sunny, but since we visited in September, the temperature outside was a little chillier than it might seem from the pictures.
We even spotted a sea plane, not just boats and ocean liners!
Honestly, there was so much to see. Just a few hundred meters down the pier, a massive ocean liner was docked and preparing to leave. Ships of all kinds were sailing through the harbor, but the highlight was a seaplane getting ready for takeoff. We also noticed spots like Trekroner Fort, only accessible by boat, and CopenHill, a power plant that even has a ski slope! Even without any snow, just knowing about it got us excited for our upcoming ski trip to the Swiss Alps. That's a whole other story, though.
There's really a ski slope on top of that power plant in Copenhagen.
The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid
By the way, there's another statue nearby called The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid, about a 10-minute walk from the original. It was created by Bjørn Nørgaard as a critique of postmodern society and its darker sides, like genetic modification.
This statue has distorted parts of her body, so it's quite different from the original. It's part of a larger sculpture park called The Genetically Modified Paradise, and if you enjoy visiting off-the-beaten-path spots, this one's definitely worth checking out. We didn't make it there ourselves since we'd already seen several statues that day, including the Little Mermaid, and figured that was more than enough.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip. Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more. Travel smarter and safer!
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Is the Little Mermaid Statue Worth Seeing?
So, circling back to our original question. Do we think the Little Mermaid statue is worth seeing? We'd probably say yes, but not just because of the statue itself. It's also about the nice waterfront walk, the beautiful harbor views, and other spots like Kastellet that we got to see on the way.
Being in the area, it just made sense to walk a few extra minutes to see one of Copenhagen's top sights. Starting from Nyhavn, we actually saw quite a bit on the way there and back, including the fortress we talked about earlier, as well as the Nyboder district and Amalienborg. It was a lovely morning, and we were happy we came all the way out here.
The Little Mermaid remains one of Denmark's iconic symbols.
We'd heard people say a few times that the Little Mermaid is overrated and not worth the visit. To be honest, we talked it over briefly and decided to judge for ourselves. It seems like the statue's biggest challenge is that, unlike landmarks like the Eiffel Tower or Machu Picchu, this little figure just doesn't pack the same wow factor.
Even if we focus just on statues, the 1.25-meter-tall Little Mermaid isn't quite as striking at first glance compared to the Statue of Liberty or Christ the Redeemer. It's more about what it symbolizes than how it looks. Another thing is that it's often crowded, but what popular site isn't? In the end, like always, it really comes down to personal preference.
Anyway, it was time to keep moving. Our next stop was Rosenborg Castle, a Renaissance gem and one of Copenhagen's must-sees. We got there by walking through Nyboder, a historic row house district that once served as Naval barracks. If you enjoy Rosenborg, you might also want to visit Frederiksborg and Kronborg, both located on Zealand and only a short drive away from Copenhagen.
Essential Tips for the Little Mermaid
While the Little Mermaid is 'just' a statue by the sea and pretty easy to visit, we've put together a few extra practical tips here to help make your trip even smoother.
How Long Does It Take to Visit the Little Mermaid
Our visit to the Little Mermaid was pretty quick. I'd say we spent no more than five minutes at the statue itself. That said, we hung around this part of the waterfront for about half an hour, just watching the harbor life go by. Plus, what should've been a 20-minute walk from Kongens Nytorv metro station turned into a two-hour stroll since there was so much to see along the way.
It's fair to say the Little Mermaid is mostly a quick photo stop.
Entry Fee
There's no admission fee to see the Little Mermaid, which is another reason it's worth checking out. Free attraction is a free attraction, right? We visited plenty of spots during our trip across Denmark and spent quite a bit on tickets, whether it was the Tirpitz Bunker Museum or Egeskov Castle. So being able to see such an iconic site without paying was a welcome break.
Opening Times
The Little Mermaid is open to the public 24/7 all year round. There's no entrance fee or fence since it's just a statue by the seashore, so you can visit anytime you want. Since the east is behind the statue, it could be a great spot to catch sunrise in Copenhagen, and also a good way to beat the crowds, since they won't be around that early.
The Little Mermaid Tours
Visiting the Little Mermaid on your own is super easy, and quite frankly, there's really no guide needed just for the statue. But if you want to explore more attractions in the area, it might be a different story. There are plenty of tours that include the Little Mermaid on their itinerary, whether it's a Copenhagen Canal Cruise or a guided bike tour.
Some tourists just see the Little Mermaid as part of the boat tour.
Hotels Near the Little Mermaid
If you want to stay as close to the Little Mermaid as possible, your options are a bit limited. There's Go Hotel Østerport and Babette Guldsmeden nearby, which are fine, but that's pretty much it. You could also stay directly in the super popular Nyhavn (which, quite frankly, makes more sense), as it has some incredible hotels like Copenhagen Admiral Hotel or 71 Nyhavn Hotel. We stayed at AC Hotel Bella Sky, about seven kilometers from the Little Mermaid, but as we said, Copenhagen has a great metro system, so getting there wasn't an issue.
How to Get to the Little Mermaid
Located roughly 1.7 kilometers north of Copenhagen's Nyhavn, the Little Mermaid statue is easiest to reach on foot. Since we were on the opposite side of town, we took the metro to Kongens Nytorv, the main metro stop in this famous harbor area, then walked from there. The station sits about 200 meters from the old harbor, so starting there means walking just under two kilometers to the statue.
Cycling is always an option since Copenhagen is very bike-friendly, or you can take the metro to Østerport, the nearest station to the Little Mermaid. This station is about 1.2 kilometers from the statue, while Kongens Nytorv is around 1.9 kilometers. Even though Kongens Nytorv was a bit farther, we chose to get off there because it let us make a nice loop with stops at Amalienborg, Kastellet, the Little Mermaid, Nyboder, the Botanical Garden, and finally Rosenborg. You can also take a ferry to Nordre Toldbod from the other side of the harbor, which drops you off about 500 meters from the Little Mermaid statue.
The Nordre Toldbod ferry is the quickest way to reach the Little Mermaid from the other side of Copenhagen’s harbor.
Even though we drove to Copenhagen, there wasn’t much reason to take the car to the Little Mermaid, as public transport and walking were far more convenient. We didn’t have to deal with traffic or parking, which was a big plus. Renting a car does make sense if you're planning to go beyond the capital or Zealand, with Funen and especially Jutland ended up being some of our favorite places in all of Denmark.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
