The Little Mermaid(s)

Article By: Josie

4 years ago

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Culture-Statue Social Distance-Social distance friendly

Mention Denmark or Copenhagen to most people, and the Little Mermaid immediately springs to mind. The iconic statue was unveiled in 1913 after Hans Christian Andersen wrote the famous fairytale, and was actually financed by Carlsberg breweries. The mermaid has been sitting on her rock in the harbour in the north of the city for over 100 years, but those 100 years have been far from peaceful. She has suffered countless acts of mostly politically-motivated vandalism; she’s been beheaded twice, and has had paint poured on her several times! But, apart from a brief stint at the 2010 Shanghai Expo, she has remained a stalwart of the Copenhagen waterfront. The area around the Little Mermaid is usually packed with tourists trying to catch a glimpse of her. She really is a little mermaid, so you might have to wait your turn for a good view! Just around the corner from this famous statue is another one - the Genetically Modified Little Mermaid. She sits on the other side of the harbour with her genetically modified friends, which together make up a project by Bjørn Nørgaard called the ‘Genetically Modified Paradise’. So, while you’re in the area visiting the more famous mermaid, why not pay a visit to her lesser-known, but just as interesting cousin? The Little Mermaid is in the north of the city on Langelinie, a long pier that stretches from the city centre up to the north harbour. It’s a nice walk or cycle up the waterfront to get to the statue, or you could take the yellow harbour bus. Alternatively, most canal boat tours from Nyhavn or Gammel Strand pass by the Little Mermaid, so you could see her from a different angle from the water. Image credit: enriquelopezgarre from Pixabay.