The Little Mermaid, Bronze statue at Langelinie harbor, Denmark.
The Little Mermaid is a bronze figure sitting on a rock at the harbor in Copenhagen, standing 125 centimeters tall. She looks out over the water as ships and walkers pass along the Langelinie promenade.
Carl Jacobsen from the Carlsberg brewery commissioned Edvard Eriksen to create her, and she was unveiled on August 23, 1913. Since then she has remained at this spot, witnessing decades of change in the city around her.
The name comes from the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, which tells of a mermaid who leaves her underwater world behind. Today she sits quietly on her rock by the water, while visitors from around the world stop to see her and take photographs.
Access is free every day, and the promenade makes a pleasant walk along the water. Morning light is often softer and crowds are lighter for taking photographs.
Edvard Eriksen worked with two models: his wife Eline posed for the body, while the ballerina Ellen Price lent her face. This collaboration explains the particular mix of grace and reserve in the figure's posture.
Location: Copenhagen Municipality
Inception: 1913
Creator: Edvard Eriksen
Height: 125 cm
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Subject: woman, nudity, siren, sitting, navel, waist-length hair, flipper, female breast, mermaid, Little Mermaid
Made from material: bronze
Creator: Edvard Eriksen
Website: http://mermaidsculpture.dk
GPS coordinates: 55.69287,12.59929
Latest update: December 6, 2025 03:23
This selection presents significant sculptures and statues from different periods and cultures. From the Sphinx in Egypt to the Terracotta Army in China, it showcases international sculptural art and stonework.
Copenhagen brings together centuries of history with recent construction in a walkable city by the water. Nyhavn lines the harbor with narrow houses painted in strong colors, where wooden ships dock beside outdoor cafes. The Little Mermaid sits on a rock at the edge of the sound, a bronze figure that has drawn visitors since the early 20th century. Christiansborg Palace rises near the old city center, while Amalienborg forms a royal residence around an octagonal plaza. The Opera House stands across the harbor with a flat, cantilevered roof, and The Black Diamond adds a modern glass facade to the Royal Library. Further out, The Blue Planet aquarium curves along the coast in Ørestad, and the VM Houses show angular residential design in the same district. Parks and gardens spread across the city, offering green space and different moods. The Botanical Garden collects plants from around the world under glass domes and in open beds. Superkilen Park stretches through the Nørrebro neighborhood with colored surfaces and objects gathered from many countries. King's Garden surrounds Rosenborg Castle with tree-lined paths and lawns where people sit in warm weather. Assistens Cemetery lies quiet among the streets, used both as a burial ground and a place to walk. Tivoli Gardens mixes rides, stages, and flower beds in the center of the city. Strøget runs as a long pedestrian street through the old town. Freetown Christiania remains a self-governed neighborhood with painted buildings and its own rules. Dragør preserves old fishing cottages and cobblestones just outside the capital.
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