We saw the back of the mermaid sculpture from the sea when we were taking the canal boat tour , and listened to the interesting story of this mermaid from our boat tour guide.
The statue is far smaller than I expected. It was about a 15 minute walk from the harbour adjacent to the Opera House. There are many tourists taking a picture of the Little Mermaid and many of them allow their children to climb on the statue - making others' pictures less relevant / appealing.
The history of the statue is intriguing, as we learned it had been beheaded, had an arm removed and had been covered with paint. Each time, the community rallied and restored her to the natural design. It's a beautifully sad statue looking out at the harbour.
Tid bits for travellers: if you are taking pictures with your family/friends/children/etc... be very quick and then leave the direct statue. I witnessed children climbing on the statue for 15 minutes which impacted others that were trying to take a family or more relevant picture. Be quick and be gone of the direct statue when you see others are around and waiting.
Thank goodness we saw this very little mermaid from our canal boat. The crowds on the shore were amazing. Maybe go early morning when no one is about to tick this off your must do list. But be prepared to be underwhelmed.
Worth a visit as it's Copenhagens most iconic landmark, but don't expect much. It's just a small statue with nothing else there. The crowds are huge with tons of people trying to take pictures. Spend 5 minutes there then go see some of the more interesting things in Copenhagen, of which there are many
Can't be in Copenhagen without one visit to famous mermaid. You go, look for five minutes take a few pictures and leave. the end.
