A canal tour of Copenhagen is a must-do. What a great way to see the city, the waterfront, and canals.
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Nyhavn
Our canal tour started in Nyhavn. We weren’t planning on it and didn’t make a reservation – you don’t need one. There were a couple of tours available and we went with the next one. Sitting in the back row, my friend and I enjoyed seeing Copenhagen’s highlights from the water. The open-top boat was large and with regular departures, ours was not close to full. And this was in July.
The Royal Danish Theatre
The Royal Danish Theatre consists of three venues – The Old Stage (Gamle Scene), The Opera House (Operaen), and The Playhouse (Skuespilhuset).
The location for the Royal Danish Threatre dates back to 1748.
The Opera House was strategically placed on Dock Island (Dokøen) in the Inner Harbour. It is in alignment with Amalienborg and Frederik’s Church. Looking from across the harbour, a person standing at the Opera House’s main entrance can see the Marble Church as it’s commonly known, through the royal residence at Amalienborg. Being placed on what is the Amalienborg axis, the Opera House’s location demonstrates its importance and its tie to the historic and cultural centre of Copenhagen.
A donation to the city by AP Møller and Chastine McKinney Mølley Foundation, the Opera House is nearly 135,000 square feet, with the main stage seating for 1,400 people. Design materials include limestone, Sicilian marble, and maple wood. 105,000 sheets of 24-carat gold leaf were used for the main auditorium’s ceiling.
The Copenhagen Opera House had one of the highest construction spends, $500 million USD.
It’s been noted that the architects had the last laugh. In the night as the Opera House glows orange, its three chandeliers shine yellow, an apparition like the flag of Christiana, “in a gentle, subtle, anti-establishment gesture of defiance to those with more dollars than sense”.
The Playhouse, with its three stages, accommodates 1,000 people. The Playhouse has a café and restaurant. While we sailed by, we could see the deck full of people enjoying the summer sun.
Photo: The Opera House (left) and The Playhouse (right)
Slotsholmen, Castle Island
Slotsholmen is known as Castle Island. Denmark’s capital began as a 12th century fortress built here, known as the “Island of Power.” The buildings here include the Christiansborg Palace, The Old Stock Exchange (Børsen), the Supreme Court, the PM’s Office, the Royal Library, the War Museum, and Christian IV’s Brewhouse. The Marble Bridge connects Castle Island to the rest of the city. It’s easy enough to do a self-guided walk here. We saw it from the canal.
Marmorbroen, The Marble Bridge
The Marble Bridge spans Frederiksholms Kanal. With its rococo style, the Marble Bridge is beautifully ornate and stands out on the canal tour. Built in 1745, the bridge served as the entry way to the first Christiansborg Palace, which was destroyed by a 1794 fire. The pavilions flanking the palace entrance still can be seen today. The name comes from the marble paving slabs used to cover the sandstone structure.
Left: My photo of the Old Stock Exchange from canal boat tour in 2015. Right: item from the Frederik Riise’s collection. Unknown artist, reproduced by F Risse. Public Domain, Museum of Copenhagen.
Left: View of the Christiansborg Palace on the Marble Bridge. Photo by Frederik Riise. Public Domain, Frederik Riise’s collection, Museum of Copenhagen. Right: Photo of the Marble Bridge from the canal tour in 2015.
Børsen
Børsen is a historic site as Denmark’s oldest stock exchange and one of the oldest buildings in Copenhagen. With forty market stalls and later, trading offices, Børsen began as a commodity exchange and marketplace in the 17th century. Built between 1619 and 1640 during King Christian IV’s reign, the building is an example of Dutch Renaissance Style. It is located next to the Christiansborg Palace, where Parliament sits.
From the canal, it’s easy to see the special spire at the top – the “Dragon Spire.” At the height of nearly 190 feet, the spire is the entwining of the tails of four dragons with three crowns at the top, representing Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, which made up the Scandinavian empire.
The roof as we saw it is copper. However, originally, it was covered by lead. During the Swedish Occupation of Copenhagen (1658-1659), the lead was used to make cannon balls.
Black Diamond Library
On the canal tour, we passed by the Black Diamond Library. I later returned and visited the famous Old Reading Room.
Larsens Plads
Larsens Plads is located in the Inner Harbour, on the Zealand side, close to the Nyhavn canal. This is where Lars Larsen had his shipyard and lumberyard next to Amalienborg Palace. Several warehouses from the 18th century as well as the Amalie Garden are also part of this area.
Amaliehaven (The Amalie Garden) was another gift from AP Møller and Chastine McKinney Mølley Foundation. Opened in 1983, the park has a symmetrical design with a fountain in the middle. The hedges along with the flowers of Amaliehaven create a quiet oasis in the city.
Also on Larsens Plads is a replica of David. It stands outside Vestindisk Pakhus or West India Warehouse, built in the early 1780s for the Danish West India Company. The warehouse stored coffee, sugar, and rum from its trade in Danish West Indies – St Thomas, St Jan, and St Croix. In 1917 the United States of America purchased these islands for $25 million in gold. Today these islands are known as the US Virgin Islands.
First founded in 1659 as the Danish Africa Company, their ships transported an estimated 12,000 African slaves to Danish West Indies, where they were sold.
These days, West India Warehouse displays plaster casts from the Royal Cast Collection. Founded in 1895 and now funded by Carl Jacobsen, the Royal Cast Collection is one of the oldest in the world, with items dating back to 600 BC. Aside from 2,000 plaster casts, the collection includes bronze and marble sculptures. Also on display at the warehouse are costumes from the Royal Danish Theatre.
Circle Bridge
Cirkelbroen (Circle Bridge) is a unique design that gives a nod to Copenhagen’s maritime history. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson based his concept on a sailboat. The 130-foot-long bridge is formed by five circular platforms of different sizes and elevations and 118 cables. Each platform has its own mast-like structure. Lattice topped by Brazil’s Guariba wood railing encircles each of the five structures. The bridge has a clearance height of just over seven feet, and when necessary, it opens by swinging the northern part clockwise around the middle part.
The Circle Bridge wasn’t opened until August, a month after my stay in Copenhagen. Spanning the Christianshavn Canal, Cirkelbroen connects Christiansbro and Appelbys Plads. It’s built for pedestrian and bike use.
The Standard & Dome of Visions
The Standard is a complex of restaurants and a jazz club. After being closed for some time, in October last year, this 1930s building got another lease on life with its three restaurants. At least for a few years anyway.
Verandah Restaurant serves contemporary Indian offerings in a beautiful and open Nordic setting in gray and white tones. Their menu, based on a region in India, changes every couple of months. STUDIO! with its art deco design offers modern international cuisine, receiving a Michelin star in 2015. Almanak has a menu of traditional Danish dishes that’ve been modernized. In the summer months, its terrace opens for outdoor seating. Its style is casual, focused on local and seasonal ingredients.
While Verandah closed in 2016, the other two moved out of The Standard in 2020. You can find Almanak at the Opera House.
STUD!O was at Carlsberg Byen before closing in 2024. Its Head Chef and 2021 winner of Michelin Young Chef, Christoffer Sørenson recently announced something is in the works in a March 2025 IG post.
(Here’s an article about Verandah, another about STUD!O at its new location.)
When I visited Copenhagen in 2015, the mint-green building also housed a jazz club, The Standard Copenhagen. A cozy space, it had seating for 68 people. A cocktail bar served up some accompaniments to the music. Updating this article in 2025, I couldn’t find any news about the status of the jazz club or The Standard itself.
Built in 1937 and known then as Gammelholms Toldkammer, it was a custom clearing house for goods between Denmark and Sweden. Part of the building was also used for the Øresund Ferries, the last of which sailed in April 2002 from this location.
While on the canal tour, I spotted a glass geodesic dome. It stands out against the harbour’s more traditional architecture. I did walk past it on my way to the library another time. It is an experimental lab for self-sustainability, as well as a bar where you can order drinks and relax in a softa among greenery, with a view of the water.
Brøste House
Located on Christianshavn, Brøste House is known as Potter House. Dating back to the 17th century, four properties – No 112, 113, 115, and 119 – sat on this site. They later merged into two, No 197 and 193, which was used as a cloth, arrow, clay pipe factory. After Thomas Potter (1746-1811) purchased No. 193, he built a house in the neoclassical style in 1785. He was a young immigrant from Scotland. The Potter House was a residence, offices, and iron foundry, which moved from his rented land at Applebys Plads.
Brøste House passed hands numerous times. According to the 1860 census, it was home to several families, about twenty-six people. In the 1890s, Danish carpenter and cabinet maker Fritz Hansen (a native of Nakskov) owned the house. Fritz Hansen, the furniture company he founded in 1872, held contracts with institutions such as the Danish Parliament, the University Library, and the Copenhagen City Hall.
The family-run company collaborated with notable designers over the years, including Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) on classics such as the “Series 7” in 1955, the “Swan” in 1958, and the “Egg” also in 1958. To this day, Fritz Hansen continues to manufacture these icons. Other designers include Verner Panton. I love my two outdoor Panton Chairs, famous for its S-curve and one-piece body. Designed in 1967, the Panton Chair is the first moulded plastic chair.
In 1979, the company divested and sold 75% of its shares, ending management by family after 107 years.
Arne Jacobsen is a Danish design icon and one of the most important 20th century influences as an architect and designer. This book explores all of his work, and not just his famous chairs.
The canal tour in Copenhagen is a great way to see this city with a maritime origin. From the boat, we see the modern development of the city with its cultural buildings amidst its historical landmarks.