Copenhagen harbour – from Amalienborg to The Little Mermaid
If you only have time for one walk along the harbour in Copenhagen this one is the one to do. This short and easy walk takes you past a handful of the top sights in Copenhagen: Amalienborg Castle, The Royal Pavillons,The Little Mermaid, Kastellet – and the harbour itself.
1. Amalienborg Palace
Starting out from Amalienborg Palace you will get to have a close look at the residence of the Queen of Denmark. This is where she lives – when she is not residing temporarily in one of her other palaces in Denmark. You can walk freely around in the inner courtyard and get very close to the buildings. Close enough to maybe catch a glimpse of her majesty if she takes a look out of her window? She is guarded by the Royal Life Guards, so if you don’t catch a glimpse of the queen you can always get selfied with one of those. Don’t expect to get close with those guys, though. They have an important job to do.
2. Amalienborg Gardens
A small garden and a roaring fountain separates Amalienborg Palace from the harbour. If you are already in need of a break it is a great place to sit down before you venture on along the harbour. The fountain is closed down during the winter and the garden is most beautiful in the spring when the flowering trees are blooming.
The harbour side from Amalienborg Palace towards the statue of the Little Mermaid is closed for motorized traffic and is a haven for pedestrians, bikes and scooters. The area is a teeming with maritime atmosphere. Sometimes an old wooden boat will pass by, at other times the harbour is filled with kayaks, speedboats and tourboats.
3. The Royal Pavillions
After 5-10 minutes of walk you will reach to the Royal Pavillions from 1905. This is where the royal family boards smaller boats.
4. Kastellet – The Citadel
Right after the Royal Pavillions you will reach the Kastellet, a.k.a The Citadel in English. You will know you reach it when you see the bridge and the church. Cross the bridge to get to the park area that surrounds the mots. Inside the park and the moats lies the historic military buildings, which today are the offices of The Danish Defence Intelligence Service.
5. The statue of the Little Mermaid
On this short walk you can enjoy the harbour with views of ships and its clean water, the Amalienborg Garden and the green area around the Little Mermaid statue where you can relax on a bench with a pretty view.
