Nyhavn is Copenhagen’s most photographed street and an irresistible slice of Danish charm — a 17th-century canal lined with brightly painted townhouses in every shade of the rainbow, their facades reflected in the still water alongside wooden sailing ships and pleasure boats. Originally built as a busy commercial port by King Christian V in the 1670s, Nyhavn has transformed from a rowdy sailors’ quarter into Copenhagen’s most popular waterfront promenade, brimming with restaurants, jazz bars, and outdoor cafes.

Hans Christian Andersen lived at three different addresses along Nyhavn during his lifetime, writing some of his most famous fairy tales here. Today, the sunny side of the canal (the north side with the lower house numbers) is packed with Danes and visitors alike soaking up the atmosphere over plates of smørrebrød and cold Carlsberg.

Pro tip: Skip the pricey canalside restaurants for a meal and instead grab a hot dog from a pølsevogn cart and a beer from a nearby shop to enjoy waterside like the locals do. For the iconic postcard photograph, position yourself at the Kongens Nytorv end of the canal in the early morning when the colorful facades are bathed in soft light and the area is virtually deserted.