Denmark has beautiful castles scattered all over the
country. In and around Copenhagen there are four castles that I have been to
and would recommend visiting. Two of the castles are in the city and you can
walk to them. The other two would require transit.
Amalienborg
Palace is in the city and is the main residence of the Royal Family. It is
built around a huge square that you have access to. In fact, the palace is
heavily guarded but you can almost walk up to the door. This makes for an
experience you won’t get at other palaces. If you time it right you will be
able to watch the changing of the guard in the square.
Rosenborg Castle
is also located in the city and within walking distance of the city center. It
is located in Kongens Have (Kings Garden) which is a park in Copenhagen. The
Danes enjoy the summer sun and warmth. As you walk through the park to the
castle you will see many people in the summertime. At lunch time many office
workers will eat their lunch in the park. You can tour the castle and see
artifacts from many reigns of Danish Kings. Under the castle are the Crown
Jewels. Make sure you take the time to take that tour. There you will see a huge collection of jewels and gifts from around the world.
Kronborg
Castle is located in Helsingør, not far from Copenhagen. The castle was really
a working castle as it is located on the Danish side of a narrow strait between
Denmark and Sweden. Denmark used to charge a tax to pass the strait and the
castle was there to enforce the tax collection. The most interesting fact about this castle is that it was the
inspiration for the castle in Hamlet. When touring the castle you can visit
the living quarters, chapel and huge halls that I can picture festive parties.
You can also tour the Casements under the castle. This is where the soldiers
that manned the castles lived and trained. It is also where some prisoners were
kept. The Casements is also the resting place
for one of Denmark's greatest legends - Holger the Dane - who is laying in wait
to protect Denmark. Legend has it, that if Denmark is attacked, Holger will
rise from his resting place and defend Denmark. On one of my visits I just
missed out on seeing the play Hamlet at the castle. By the time I heard of the
play the tickets were already sold out. I wish it would have worked out. What
an experience that would have been.
Frederiksborg
Palace or Frederiksborg
Castle is a palace in Hillerød. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV and is now a museum of
national history. The current edifice replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II and is the largest Renaissance
palace in Scandinavia. The palace is located on three small islands in the
middle of Palace Lake (Slotsøen) and is adjoined by a large formal
garden in the Baroque style. Since both Kronborg and Frederiksborg are outside the
city and require transit I would recommend see both castles in the same day.
In other posts I
will talk about some of the other castles around Denmark.
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