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Grandeur of Frederiksborg Castle Denmark

Castles and palaces transport us to the world of fairytales and back to our childhood dreams of wanting to be princesses and knights (for some of us anyway).  Home of one of the oldest monarchies in the world, Denmark certainly had plenty of castles worth exploring.  Frederiksborg Castle or Frederiksborg Slot was one of the finest and most memorable during our visit last month.

Frederiksborg Castle or Frederiksborg slot image

We first caught a glimpse of the castle upon entering the main square in the town of Hillerod.  There it was – radiant despite the ominous dark clouds hanging over it.  With the shimmering lake surrounding it, we all let out a huge gasp in amazement.  Its spires and turrets rising high above just added to its majestic look.

Frederiksborg Castle or Frederiksborg slot image

Known as the Nordic Versailles, this was built on three islets by King Christian IV as his royal residence in the 17th century.  It was later occupied and renovated by Frederik VII.  Unfortunately, a heating appliance caused a fire in 1859 and burnt a large part of the castle’s interior.

Frederiksborg Castle entrance image
Frederiksborg Castle entrance

It was rebuilt after the fire and became Denmark’s Museum of National History in 1878.  Frederiksborg Slot though is still considered one of the finest Renaissance palaces in Scandinavia.

Frederiksborg castle facade image

Before entering the building, it was hard not to spend time admiring all the architectural and ornate details in the building’s facade.

Frederiksborg castle facade

We did the self-guided tour using their free audio guides on iPods and available in various languages.  Numbers above the doors (60+ of them) corresponded to the audio guide.  The first room we entered was the Rose Room displaying knight armory and fancy dresses.   This once served as the dining hall for the young royals.

Frederiksborg Rose Room

Moving up the stairs adorned with various knights’ coat of arms, we entered the incredible castle church, Slotskirke.  It was stunning!  With the sunlight streaming through the windows, it was almost magical to see the gold accents shining.

Frederiksborg slot church

This was one of the few rooms that wasn’t harmed by the fire and kept in its original form.  The intricate ceilings were just amazing.  Many coronations were held here for 200 years.  Today, it serves as a parish church where services are held every Sunday.

Frederiksborg castle slot Church

If I was a parishioner, I’m not sure if I could concentrate while surrounded with all these glorious decorations.

Frederiksborg slot church details

While we were there, we were graced with the lovely music playing on a 17th century organ using its 1,000 wooden pipes.  The walkways on the top floor were decorated with even more knights’ coat of arms.  This window full of colorful stained glass panels was one of the few lined up behind the organ.

Frederiksborg castle stained glass

One of the most mesmerizing things I found with this castle was the abundance of intricate and lavish ceiling paintings.  They were magnificent pieces of art.  It seemed as if every room was trying to outdo the next one.

Frederiksborg slot ceiling

Fancy chandeliers were also hung in the middle of many rooms.  I can’t imagine living here surrounded by all this opulence.

Frederiksborg castle slot ceiling image

The royals had such fascination with elaborate ceilings and here’s another example of extravagance gone wild.

Frederiksborg castle slot ceiling

The largest room in the castle is the Great Hall once known as the ballroom.  This was rebuilt and modeled to its original state after the fire.  The marble floors, the musician’s balcony and walls of tapestries exhibited luxury at its finest.   Frederiksborg castle slot Grand Hall

Three large and shiny brass chandeliers were also hanging from the ceiling to brighten the room.  This was one of the detailed ceiling panels with numerous carved and painted figures at the Great Hall.

Frederiksborg castle slot ceiling

For castles like these where the ceiling is an attraction in itself, I sometimes wish they would set up a chaise lounge or a recliner chair to lay down and admire and scrutinize the details.  It beats lying on the ground or getting a neck strain.  My kids couldn’t get enough of this ceiling and took quite a few pictures.

Many colorful, detailed tapestries, in almost pristine condition for its age, also covered the walls.  The various portraits hanging on the wall were of the current Royal Danish house.

Frederiksborg castle slot tapestry wall

The museum’s underlying purpose was to strengthen national pride.  As a national portrait gallery, it used the various paintings of the royals and noble citizens to show 500 years of Denmark’s history.  It was a bit overwhelming with so many items and every space occupied with objects to feast your eyes on.  Not a bad thing when visiting with children since my kids dashed from one room to the next looking at the many shiny objects.

Frederiksborg castle slot hallway

Its vast collection of furniture, glass and silverware and porcelain were shown in exhibits in chronological order.  It was designed with the feeling of a “comfortably furnished, lived-in” castle.

Frederiksborg slot bedroom imageIt was interesting to see their interpretation of comfortable furnishings as luxurious material, silver, gold and elegant, handcrafted furniture.

Frederiksborg slot museum

The informative audio guide was a wonderful way to learn more about each room and emphasized the important pieces.   Things like this portrait of Frederick VI with a red chair to the side and how that same chair still exists and was displayed alongside the painting.

Frederiksborg slot castle chair

There were also portraits and paintings of Denmark’s famous poets, artists, scientists and those who made vast contributions to the country.   One of the last areas we saw inside was this small nook dedicated to Denmark’s native son, Hans Christian Andersen, author of many beloved fairy tales.

Frederiksborg Hans Christian andersen

Of course, every castle has its garden and Fredericksborg Slot didn’t disappoint.  A lakeside pathway perfect for strolling and biking led us to the castle gardens.

Frederiksborg castle slot garden

The splendid Baroque garden was filled with neatly trimmed hedges and flower gardens.  This was recreated in the mid-1990s based on the gardens that were once here in the 18th century.

Frederiksborg slot castle Garden

A terraced canal and fountains provided soothing sounds while strolling through the gardens.

Frederiksborg slot castle garden

Frederiksborg Slot offered something for everyone in my family.  The history fascinated my husband and me.  My daughter excitedly admired the jewels and fancy bedrooms and there were enough knights and armory to entertain my son.  It’s always a challenge taking kids to museums or places involving a lot of walking.  But, this castle satisfied everyone and with hardly any complaints.  That alone was worth the day trip from Copenhagen.

Frederiksborg slot castle image

Frederiksborg Slot Basics

  • Getting Here:  Take the E line of the suburban S-train to the town of Hillerod.  Journey takes 40 minutes from central Copenhagen. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk to the castle from Hillerod station.
  • Admission and transport on the boat across the lake is Free with the Copenhagen Card.
  • Admission Prices: Adults 75 DKK ($12 US); Kids (6-15 yrs) 20 DKK ($3 US) ; Family Ticket (2 adults/3 kids) 150 DKK ($25)
  • Get the iPod audio-guide for self-guided tours (for kids too).  There were hardly any signs and labels throughout the castle.  Guided Tours are also available.
  • Backpacks and large purses must be checked in to the provided lockers.
  • Visit the Museum of National History website for more details.

*Have you explored Frederiksborg Castle?  What fascinating castles have you visited in your travels? 

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Frederiksborg Castle Denmark

46 thoughts on “Grandeur of Frederiksborg Castle Denmark”

    1. Thanks Ryan! We like that you can get very close to them too and you can take as many pictures as you want. It’s rare for museums with so much great stuff to allow photography.

  1. They definitely have a slightly different version of comfortable and lived-in than I do, but any castle that can keep the kids attention is definitely worth a tour. Thanks for taking us along and providing some great pictures.

    1. Thanks Steve! It was definitely family-friendly and may even entertain teens. I know what you mean. I guess now we know what comfortable living means to royalty and the filthy rich.

    1. Thanks Jenny! It really was an incredible place to visit – almost like being transported into fairy tale land. I had a bit of a neck strain from those ceilings but worth it.

  2. How interesting – Frederiksborg Slot is less than 30 km from here and I’ve been there often, but I don’t think I’ve ever taken a proper look at the place. Incredible.

    1. Thanks Gaye! Our jaws hung open a number of times too especially seeing the chapel and those ceilings. It was stunning! Yeah, we couldn’t believe the iPod guides either but so worth it.

  3. Wow, what an absolutely breathtaking castle! I wonder how many people it takes to keep this clean. Also, I’m with you: it’d be hard to keep my mind on Scriptures in this chapel.

    1. Doesn’t look like it came out of a fairy tale page? We didn’t see that many workers but we did see someone cleaning one of the beds with a small brush. I don’t think I can help myself but look around while in church.

    1. I couldn’t imagine myself living there. It was just too fancy! :) The furniture didn’t look comfortable and I’d probably have a hard time sleeping looking at the beautiful ceilings. Yes, the beds looked tiny.

  4. What a beautiful castle and gardens! I wish we would have had the time to take the train to Frederiksborg Slot when we were in Copenhagen. Emma would LOVE this castle and I think she’d spend quite a bit of time taking photos too!

    1. It was an amazing castle many little girls would love. My daughter was so excited and I’m sure Emma will be beside herself with joy too. When you return to Copenhagen, at least you know you’ll have someplace to see.

    1. Those ceilings were just beyond gorgeous. I only posted the ones I liked but every room had a different theme. Worth all the neck strain I got.

    1. That was one of the things we loved about the castle. The freedom to take all the pictures and the lack of security. It didn’t feel like a museum so I guess they really were going for visiting a large house. It’s amazing how good a condition the furnishings were in considering their age.

  5. There really aren’t enough superlatives for me to use for your photos of the castle and grounds…wow!!! I would love to see this in person, and I’d be staring at those celings for so long that my neck would be strained :-) So cool that there is an iPod tour, too!

    1. Thank you Andi! We loved the iPod tour and learned so much from it. I was running out of superlatives trying to describe things in this post. Yes, the ceilings were definitely one of the highlights for me.

    1. I believe our iPod guide had 60+ rooms and hallways. It took us more two hours to follow it along. The details, especially in the ceilings, were incredible. Thanks Sabrina!

  6. STUNNING – the pictures are amazing!! I love seeing history like this and imaging what it was like “back then”. Also, is it me or does that bed look incredibly small?? Perfect for your kids!!!!

    Thanks for linking up with us this week!!

    1. Thanks Becca! It was fun to get an insight on how the royals lived. The bed was small and seemed perfect for the kids which is why my daughter loved it.

    1. It was a bit overwhelming with every wall and ceiling ornately decorated. But, they were beautiful to look at. The gardens fit perfectly with the castle depite it not being originally part of the castle.

    1. It was a wonderful experience to tour this castle and has become of my favorites. Yes, it was still a little cold since it was a bit cloudy and not truly the height of summer just yet.

    1. It was very surprising how well-maintained and preserved everything was inside the castle. The wall was even more impressive when the sun shone on all the stained glass windows. Thanks for stopping by Christy!

  7. Wow! what an amazing castle! i love the diversity in your shot selection. I would love to visit this place someday. Thanks for sharing these stunning photos with us and i’m looking forward to read more from you!

    1. Thanks Miriam! I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos and posts from our trip. It really was an incredible castle. I hope you visit it someday too.

  8. What a great collection of photos. You have really captured the grandeur of Frederiksborg castle.

    I have been working on our travel guide to the castles of Denmark, including Frederiksborg, and you have done an inspirational job here. Many thanks!

  9. Hi! I’mplanning to trip to Frederiksborg Castle soon and would like to ask where to get the ipod audio guide? Btw,love the photos you took of the castle. thanks so much!

  10. Hello, may I use one of your photos ONCE on my public Facebook page, please? I’m happy to credit any way you wish. Thanks.

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