Copenhagen's Little Amsterdam: A Mindful Walk through Christianshavn

If you were in this very spot 500 years ago, you’d probably be swimming. Welcome to the artificial island of Christianshavn, one of Copenhagen’s most captivating districts, with its beautiful skyline, featuring the spire of Our Saviour’s Church.

This walking tour of Christianshavn, or Little Amsterdam as it’s affectionately called, starts at the bakery called Lagkagehuset (or the Layer Cake House), named because of its alternating strips of white and cream paint. On this stroll, you’ll hear stories about the area’s humble – and probably stinky – beginnings in the early 1600s, and a few insights about the island today.

As you explore the island’s central square, I’ll tell you about its connection to Greenland. After a photo-worthy moment on Børnehusbroen Bridge, you’ll walk along the canal and hear how this island fostered the beginnings of industrial Copenhagen in 1846. You’ll meander through the park that houses the famous sculpture Seasurge by Morten Stræde before taking a stroll along the harbor.

After a short mindfulness exercise by the water, you’ll have an opportunity to practice presence of mind while exploring three of Christianshavn’s intimate and hidden courtyards, known only to locals. The tour ends at one of the district’s most picturesque corners, the Christianshavns Færgecafé (Christianshavn Ferry Café), where you’ll be tempted to toast the Danish way in a charming maritime atmosphere.

Along the way, you’ll have a chance to:

• Consider the complicated relationship between Greenland – the world’s largest island – and tiny Denmark while you stand in Christianshavns Torv, the neighborhood’s central square
• Unwind with some breathing exercises against the backdrop of the old harbor, Asiatisk Plads, and learn why Copenhagen is considered the cradle of modern transatlantic shipping
• Experience several of Strandgade’s courtyards, enclosed by Copenhagen’s oldest apartments
• Get the truth behind a few cultural myths, like what makes someone Danish
• Figure out the connection between metal rock music and the crypt beneath Christians Church (hint: it’s not the skulls)
• See the residence of Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig, one of the founding fathers of modern Danish culture
• Discover what the ornate, handcrafted kiosks in Copenhagen’s oldest squares were originally designed for
• Find out why toasting with Danes is a ritual that entails presence and ceremony

By the end of this hour-long tour, you’ll have gained an appreciation of Christianshavn’s history and an insider perspective of the island today, through cultural insights and mindfulness exercises.

Happy exploring!

Additional resources:
To see the photograph I mentioned in Location 3 about the spire of Our Saviour’s Church, scroll all the way to the end of this page. You’ll also be able to find a treasure trove of old Christianshavn pictures, giving you a better idea of how it looked just half a century ago.

Image Credits
All photographs by Eliana Cobos, except:

Location 14 - Photograph of N.F.S. Grundtvig by Christian Adolph Barfod Lønborg, 1872 - Public Domain
Location 21 - Front view of white half-timbered house. 27 February 2022, Strandgade 28 by Ramblersen2, Wikipedia, (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Location 21 - Sotheby's announcement on SoMe, Sotheby's