Frederiksborg Castle is the largest Renaissance palace in Northern Europe. The castle complex is located on the three islands of a small lake with spreading baroque and landscape gardens on the mainland. It is also referred to in documents as Danish or Scandinavian. This huge building is one of the most impressive in Denmark, the Renaissance palace proudly rises above the unusual moat-lake Slotse.
Guests enjoy free access to stunning central courtyards and a large well-kept park with baroque gardens. A ticket is required to visit an unusual place. You will need about three hours to see more than eighty rooms furnished with beautiful furniture, tapestries, endless portraits and magnificent gilded decor. There are informative maps along with free audio guides in nine languages, which makes visiting even more convenient. In the article, we will consider such interesting issues as the history of the fortress, tips on how to get to Frederiksborg castle. We also discuss other important details.
History of Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark
Like many monumental buildings in Copenhagen, Frederiksborg Palace was the property of King Christian IV (C4 on the facades of buildings). The royal person had a manor where the king was born in 1577. Then it was replaced by this massive complex of red bricks. This happened in the first two decades of the 17th century. The oldest part of the castle dates from the reign of Frederick II, in whose honor it is named. His son Christian IV was born here, and most of the current building was built by him at the beginning of the XVII century. Photos of Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark are fascinating. This is a magnificent complex both from the outside and from the inside.
In the 1850s, King Frederick VII once again approved Frederiksborg Castle as a residence, but a fire broke out in a newly installed fireplace, as a result of which the palace was destroyed in 1859. The castle was rebuilt, and since 1878 was used as the Danish National History Museum.
The construction of the existing palace began in 1599 and lasted 22 years. At that time, Christian IV was king. He demolished most of the old castle and built a new version. It has survived to our times, pleasing the eye of visitors.
Particularly magnificent is the part of the castle called Slotskirken, where the Danish monarchs were crowned between 1671 and 1840. She preserved the original interior planned by Christian IV, survived the fire in 1859, which destroyed most of the original castle.
Rich interior
It is adorned delightfully, decorated with elegant gold ornaments, images of cherubs, altars, fonts and pulpits for preachers, covered with silver ornaments, there is also the priceless organ of the year 1610 Compenius (it was played on Thursdays for half an hour at 13:30).
Other rooms in the castle were restored to their original appearance in the 19th century, especially richly decorated Riddershalen - a huge ballroom with a gallery of minstrels and bright ceiling carvings.
On the first and second floors there is a museum of national history, a chronologically constructed portrait gallery of kings, nobles and famous elders, interspersed with unusual pieces of furniture.
To the north of Frederiksborg Castle lies the vast Slotshaven Park. An outdoor baroque garden (open from 10 AM to sunset), consisting of beautiful terraces and stunningly decorated plants. Even nature was forced to submit to the will of the king. Frederiksborg Castle was often used as a royal residence in the 17th century, but was then empty, except during the wedding of the Danish kings between 1671 and 1840.
The most beautiful part of the palace is the old chapel. It is still in use and is one of the most beautiful Protestant churches. This is a very popular place to get married.
Visitors enter the castle using many gates and courtyards with movable bridges overlooking the various sights of the palace. Near the main entrance is a copy of the Neptune Fountain Adrian de Vries (1617). The original was taken by the Swedes as a war trophy in 1659. He is currently located at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm.
Danish Museum of National History
In Frederiksborg Castle in Copenhagen since 1878, there has been a museum of national history, founded by brewer Jacobsen and Carlsberg. The museum is an independent branch of the Carlsberg Foundation.
The museum presents the history of Denmark with a rich collection of portraits, historical paintings, antique furniture and decorative art. Traveling through the museum, you will see people and events that helped shape the history of Denmark from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.
The historical interior of the museum and the magnificent halls of the castle show a change in styles and eras, as well as the social conditions of the past. The collection of portraits is the largest and most significant in Denmark, and new works are constantly updated. It can be described as a museum of arts and crafts, since it does not explain Danish history through the prism of wars, expansion and national disasters.
Chapels
The highlight of Frederiksborg Castle is the magnificent Baroque Chapel of 1617, which largely escaped the fire of 1859.
Visitors look down at the church from the top floor, which provides an overview of the original decorations and paintings in the Baroque and Rococo style. There are several other important elements in the chapel.
The wooden 1000-pipe organ, built in 1610, which to this day remains original, without structural changes. Its bellows are still operated manually. The musical instrument can be heard on Thursdays at 13:30 during a short concert.
The golden, silver and ebony pulpit is an original made by Jacob Mores in 1605. Since 1693, the church served the Ridderkirka (Chapel of the Knights), the two most noble Danish orders: the Order of the Elephant and the Order of Dannebrog. The emblems of the participants are on the walls of the gallery and include collections of portraits of other prominent figures such as Nelson Mandela, leaders of World War II allies (Churchill, Montgomery, Eisenhower, De Gaulle), the current president of Germany and senior members of the royal family from many countries.
In the majestic castle chapel, absolute monarchs were anointed. Currently, ordinary citizens also have access to services and listening to concerts in a historic interior. From the top floor of the gallery, where coats of arms for knights of the Order of the Elephant are regularly added, and large crosses of the Order of Dannebrog, a breathtaking view of the interior of the chapel opens.
Havehuset Cafe
Havehuset Cafe is an idyllic café in the castle that serves food and drinks both inside and out. In the open courtyard you can see a large model of the garden, as well as an exhibition on the history of the garden. Public bathrooms are also located in Havehuset Café.
Children's Museum
The Museum of National History has a whole department specifically for young visitors called "Danish History for Children" in the castle's old wine cellar. Here you can get acquainted with the exhibition for children "Christian Four - a child and a king", telling the story of this famous rulers of Denmark with an emphasis on his childhood. Here, the youngest history buffs can write with ink pens, look at color drawings or dress in beautiful children's costumes specially made for the Museum of National History. The Children's Museum is open from 10.00 to 16.30 on weekends and Danish school holidays from Easter until mid-October.
Castle garden
One of the main features of Frederiksborg Castle is that it has several gardens in one. The garden that surrounds the castle is a huge part of the history of the fortress, it is also associated with another Renaissance palace in Hillerod. This is a large recreational area for residents of cities and numerous visitors from around the world. Here, enthusiasts can notice the interweaving of different styles: Baroque meets romance, and also contrasts with the natural landscape.
Baroque garden
The Baroque garden, designed by J. K. Krieger in the 1700s and recreated in 1993-1996, is an excellent example of landscaping and gardening. The garden is built of four terraces that go down to the castle lake.
The garden is characterized by numerous straight lines, manicured glades and trees in the molding trim. All this demonstrates how ideal landscape design was in the 1700s. Along the central axis, you can see cascading fountains that reach the main entrance to the castle.
On the ground floor you will find four royal monograms: Frederick IV, who founded the Baroque garden, Christian VI and Frederic V, and finally Queen Margrethe II, who reopened the recreated Baroque garden in 1996.
History of baroque gardens and a mobile guide
If you want to know more about the history of the baroque garden, you can use the telephone directory located there. There are six signs in the park where you can find and hear about the history of the gardens, their design, shape, creation and rare plants. Use your telephone to call the numbers indicated on the signs.
Garden Tours
You can book a baroque garden tour with a trained guide in Danish, English, German, Spanish or French. The tour lasts 1 hour 15 minutes. Tours for groups can be booked by writing to the post office. Rest assured, the photos of Frederiksborg Castle during the tour will be incredible.
Tips and practical information
The Baroque garden is open year-round from 10 am to sunset, that is, until 21:00. The rest of the castle gardens are always open to the public. Entrance to the garden is free. Cascades and a fountain open from May 1 until the end of the autumn holidays, until October 17. They operate every day from 10:00 to 21:00. During the ringing of castle bells, hydraulic structures close for 15 minutes. No pets allowed.
How to get to Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark
The palace is located 35 kilometers from Copenhagen. The easiest way is to get by train from the central station in Copenhagen to the city of Hillerod, and then walk to the palace. The train journey takes 42 minutes, and walking takes another 20-25 minutes (1.5 km).
There is another piece of advice on how to get to Frederiksborg Castle in Denmark - join the GRAND DAY TRIP AROUND COPENHAGEN tour. This tour includes a full trip to the Frederiksborg Palace, as well as other major historical sites in the Copenhagen area. This is the only way to see everything in one day.