The Little Mermaid is one of Copenhagen’s top tourist attractions. We all know the backstory behind it thanks to Disney’s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, but we bet you didn’t hear these amazing facts about the timeless statues.
Just a Copy
The Little Mermaid you’ll get to see during your visit to the Danish capital is actually just a copy of the original. The heirs of the sculptor Edvard Eriksen are keeping the real thing in an undisclosed location.
Extremely Small
The Little Mermaid is not one of those enormous statues you can admire from a distance. It’s actually surprisingly small and only measures 1.25 meters.
Two Models
Carlsberg founder Carl Jacobsen, who commissioned this statue, asked ballerina Ellen Price if she was willing to pose for the statue. The face was modeled after her, but since she didn’t want to pose nude, the body was modeled after the sculptor’s wife Eline Eriksen.
Around the World
Copenhagen isn’t the only place where you can see this statue. Copies can be found in several cities around the world, including Solvang, California, Seoul, South Korea, and Calgary, Canada.
