Agnete and the Mermen Statue, Copenhagen — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Just beneath the surface of the Slotsholm Canal, next to Hojbro Bridge, a family of bronze figures reaches upward with outstretched arms. This is "Agnete and the Mermen," one of Copenhagen's least-known and most haunting works of public art.

Created in 1992 by sculptor Suste Bonnen, the sculpture is based on the Danish folklore ballad "Agnete og Havmanden." According to the tale, a young woman named Agnete leaves her family to live with a merman beneath the sea. They have seven sons together, but one day Agnete hears the church bells of her village ringing above the waves. Overcome with longing, she returns to the surface world, abandoning her underwater family forever.

The sculpture depicts the merman and his seven sons, arms stretched upward, silently begging Agnete to come back. They are positioned underwater in the canal, visible from the bridge above but easy to miss if you do not know where to look.

Lighting conditions and water clarity affect how well the figures can be seen during the day, but at night, underwater illumination brings them to ghostly life, their bronze arms glowing beneath the dark water. It is one of the most atmospheric pieces of public art in Scandinavia.

The statue stands in striking contrast to Copenhagen's famous Little Mermaid. Where that sculpture sits above the water, admired by millions, Agnete's abandoned family waits below the surface, mostly unseen and mostly forgotten.

A Questo quest through Copenhagen can lead you to discover this hidden underwater sculpture, adding a layer of folklore and mystery to your city exploration.