In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Little Mermaid is a 1.25-metre bronze on a rock off the Langelinie promenade, free to see at any hour. It is a 15-minute walk from Østerport station, which the metro and S-trains serve. She was unveiled on 23 August 1913 as a gift from the brewer Carl Jacobsen. The Citadel (Kastellet) is close by, with its ramparts open to the public. In summer the Netto-Bådene boats run an extra departure from a bridge beside her, from 16 July to 31 August. Or book a tour: the city highlights bike tourad sees the Little Mermaid and Christiania and is from DKK 349 (GetYourGuide).
Getting there
The Little Mermaid sits on the water at Langelinie Pier. VisitCopenhagen gives the walk as 15 minutes from Østerport station, which you reach by metro or S-train depending on where you start. Copenhagen public transport has the fares and the zones.
- On foot: from Østerport, a 15-minute walk.
- By boat: the Netto-Bådene canal boats run a departure from a bridge by the Little Mermaid every day from 16 July to 31 August, first at 10:20 and then about every 25 minutes. Copenhagen’s canal tours compares the operators.
- By bike: the bike tours below include her.
- Cost: nothing. She is on an open waterfront.
What you will see
The statue is a bronze by Edvard Eriksen, 1.25 metres tall and 175 kilograms, showing a mermaid on a rock at the water’s edge. It was unveiled on 23 August 1913. Carl Jacobsen, the brewer who also founded the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, paid for her after a ballet of Hans Christian Andersen’s story at the Royal Danish Theatre moved him. Ellen Price, who danced the lead in 1909, inspired the face but declined to pose nude, so Eriksen’s wife, Eline, posed for the body.
- Size: she is small, and VisitCopenhagen calls her one of the city’s most photographed and visited monuments. The crowd at her rock is the sight as much as she is.
- Damage: she has lost her head twice, had an arm sawn off and been painted over, and each time she was restored.
- The story behind her: Andersen’s 1837 fairy tale of a mermaid who gives up her underwater life for love.
Close by
- Kastellet, the Citadel, was built from 1662 to 1665 for Frederik III, after the fort Christian IV began in 1626, on the border of inner Copenhagen and Østerbro. Its buildings are barracks and offices, and the ramparts are open to the public for a walk.
Kastellet’s ramparts and barracks. Photo: Pudelek, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- The Gefion Fountain, by Anders Bundgaard and completed in 1908, stands near the south-east corner of Kastellet.
The Gefion Fountain beside Kastellet. Photo: Fraser Mummery, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- SMK, the National Gallery of Denmark, is close too, and is closed on Mondays. See Copenhagen’s museums.
Tours worth paying for
The statue takes minutes, so the tours are the ones that reach her as part of a route. The price is the lowest “from” price, per person.
City highlights bike tour with Christiania
From DKK 349 · 2.5 hours · 4.9 stars from 171 reviews
Copenhagen: City Highlights Bike Tour with Christiania Visitad is a guided bike tour in English that sees Christiania and the Little Mermaid and rides the city’s bike lanes. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Copenhagen’s bike tours compares the others.
Practical information
- When: at any hour for the statue. The Citadel is open 6:00 to 20:00 in the winter half of the year and 6:00 to 22:00 in the summer half.
- What to skip: nothing else on the waterfront needs a ticket. A visit to the statue alone is a short stop, so combine it with the Citadel or a harbour tour, as VisitCopenhagen suggests.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: expecting a large monument. She is 1.25 metres tall.
What to book in Copenhagen has the closed days for every sight. Nyhavn and the changing of the guard at Amalienborg are the other free harbour sights, and free things to do in Copenhagen lists her with the rest. 3 days in Copenhagen puts the harbour on one morning. Cruise ships at Langelinie dock a few minutes’ walk away: the cruise port to the city has the routes from all three terminals. For a bed nearby, see where to stay in Copenhagen. The Nyhavn to Little Mermaid walk joins her to Nyhavn, Amalienborg and Kastellet on one route.
Common questions
Where is the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen?
On a rock by the water on the Langelinie promenade, a 15-minute walk from Østerport station. You can reach Østerport by metro or S-train.
How big is the Little Mermaid?
The bronze is 1.25 metres tall and weighs 175 kilograms. VisitCopenhagen calls it one of Copenhagen's most photographed and visited monuments, so expect tour groups around it.
Is the Little Mermaid free to see?
Yes. She sits on the open waterfront, with no ticket and no opening hours.
Who made the Little Mermaid, and when?
Edvard Eriksen made her and she was unveiled on 23 August 1913. The brewer Carl Jacobsen gave her to the city. Jacobsen was moved by a ballet of Hans Christian Andersen's story at the Royal Danish Theatre. The face was inspired by the ballerina Ellen Price, and Eriksen's wife, Eline, modelled the body.
Has the Little Mermaid been damaged?
Yes, several times. She has lost her head twice, had an arm sawn off and been painted over. Each time she was restored to her rock.
Can I see the Little Mermaid by boat?
The Netto-Bådene canal boats run an extra departure from a bridge by the Little Mermaid from 16 July to 31 August only, first at 10:20 and then about every 25 minutes.
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