Visit Copenhagen's Little Mermaid
A Tour and History of Denmark's Most Famous Tourist Attraction
Copenhagen's Little Mermaid is one of the most visited but unfortunate tourist attractions in the world. Discover her turbulent history and where she is today.
The Little Mermaid is probably Copenhagen’s most famous and romantic asset. Edvard Eriksen created the little four and a half foot high statue in 1913 to commemorate the story written by Hans Christian Anderson, Copenhagen’s most famous son. Eriksen used his pregnant wife Eline as the model for the mermaid.
The Unhappy Life of the Little Mermaid
According to Anderson’s 1837 tale, the Little Mermaid fell in love with a prince and cut a deal with the sea witch. To become human she lost her tongue and suffered excruciating pain. She also faced the indignity of turning into sea foam once the prince rejected her love.
Life as a statue has been little better. Copenhagen radicals have been cruel to the solid Little Mermaid. She has suffered the embarrassment of being covered in red, green and pink paint (on separate occasions), been decapitated twice and lost an arm once. She has been dressed in a painted bra and in a real Muslim burkha, and even blown off her rock with dynamite. It’s no wonder the government ponder relocating the statue further out to sea. No doubt with her luck, our Little Mermaid would only end up in a bizarre wind surfing or fishing incident.
Given her turbulent experience, we can only speculate whether the Little Mermaid has regretted her decision to appear above the water. As her life was so cruel, it is probably fitting that her statue also suffers.
With the tourist hype about the Little Mermaid, you might imagine she sits on a prime piece of land gazing out to a pristine and beautiful harbour, while star struck lovers gaze on. Most visitors to Copenhagen will be surprised to find her on a little rocky outcrop on what seems to be a service road for the historic army camp at Churchill Park. Instead of gazing out to sea, the mermaid appears to be fastidiously turning her head away from the smoking chimneys of the chemical plant on the opposite shore of the bay.
Today visitors can still gently step across the rocky shoreline to have their photograph taken with (or throw paint over) the diminutive slightly larger than life size form. She slowly seems to become human, as her fish rear end is slightly leg and feet shaped. Fortunately, photographers can take her photo and miss out the steaming factory opposite, but it hardly cuts the romantic image. There is often a steady stream of photographers waiting patiently for other tourists to move out of the line of vision, to enable them to take their snap.
Visiting Copenhagen's Little Mermaid
While a visit to the Little Mermaid disappoints, it still features on most walking tours of Copenhagen. Just pick up one of the free tourist guides from your hotel, or a local restaurant or bar. She is located about 10 minutes walk from Churchill Park on Langelinie, and can be spotted from the ramparts of the 17th century army fortifications in the park.
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