The most photogenic port in Europe: Nyhavn

The boats used as restaurants or breweries, the boats waiting to lead tourists to explore the canals of the city are sleeping lying on the walls of the port. A few unloaders in the dark of the morning deposit along the dock supplies for the cafes overlooking it. Behind the foggy windows you can see someone preparing the tables for breakfast. On the facades, a few more lit lamps project a light that laps the plaster and makes you glimpse the faded colors between one window and another. The roofs draw the irregular shape of the neighbourhood against the clear and still dark sky.

At the first light of the morning, when the dawn has now drawn more clearly the profiles of the terraced houses along the canal, the sun animates the ribbon of water that connects the open sea to Kongens Nytorv square. The windows light up yellow, reflecting the sun, as if all the lights in each room were illuminated at the same time.

The chimneys light up, then the red and black roofs, then the dormer windows, and finally all the facades that, like coloured confetti pitted along the canal, bring to life the scene of this austere city.

In the early morning Nyhavn is a spectacle to admire, perhaps embracing a thermos of hot tea so as not to freeze. Everything is silent, the crowd that after a few hours will invade the north quay of the port is still asleep, and you can take undisturbed pictures of the beautiful buildings.

The north side is the most picturesque and colourful. Like a fairytale village. But the south side is also pleasant and much quieter. There are no shops here, or clubs to attract people, and it offers a great platform for photographing its twin side, where the houses are hiding between the trees of the boats.