The majestic castles of Denmark. Which ones are worth visiting?

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Denmark does not appeal to either white sand beaches or a climate suitable for seaside recreation. The prices here are quite high. This small country will not amaze you with high-tech miracles, will not delight you with sales. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Denmark every year. And they are attracted not by the sea or gastronomic tours, but by castles. Denmark has located more than 500 fortresses and palaces in its small territory. Powerful Romanesque fortifications, gloomy Gothic castles, luxurious residences in the Renaissance style - most of these country attractions are available to tourists. Some fortresses lie in ruins, others have been painstakingly restored. There are also castles that have been converted into hotels. In this article we will talk about the most interesting fortresses and palaces of the country. Which of them belong to the “must visit” category?

Kronborg

This castle in Denmark is a must visit for anyone who lovesShakespeare's work. After all, it is in Kronsborg, which is located in Elsinore, that the action of the drama "Hamlet" unfolds. The dark and mysterious atmosphere of the castle will make you feel like the Prince of Denmark or Ophelia. But there is also a local legend about this residence in the style of the Dutch Renaissance. Ogier, an ancient warrior who is sure to wake up when Denmark is in danger, is said to sleep in the hidden dungeon. Getting to Kronsborg is easy. Electric trains run from Copenhagen to Helsingar (Shakespeare's Elsinore) every twenty minutes during the day and once an hour in the evening. Travel time is 45 minutes. It takes a quarter of an hour to walk from the railway station to the castle. The walk will certainly stretch, because the beautiful city deserves to wander around it. Entrance to the castle costs 90 crowns (about 915 rubles). Indeed, the exposition of the Maritime Museum is located in Kronsborg.

Egeskov

Of all the castles in Denmark, this one is the most beautiful. He seemed to have descended from an illustration to a fairy tale about a beautiful princess. Egeskov is surrounded on all sides by water that reflects the sky. Once on the island of Funen, where the castle rises, there was an oak grove. It was cut down to clear a place for development, but the memory of it remained in the name. After all, "Eges-kov" is translated as "oak grove". Rounded towers, a fuchsia castle park with a green "maze", openwork cornices - it seems that this Renaissance residence was created specifically for a beautiful princess to live there. But this impression is deceptive. And a person familiar with the fortifications of antiquity, this immediatelywill understand. Double walls, a drawbridge, narrow loopholes - the castle withstood more than one siege. But the interiors of Egeskov are designed in the Renaissance style. You can stroll through the enfilades of rooms lined with furniture of that era, and admire the exhibition of vintage cars in the former barn. To visit Egeskov, you need to get to the island of Funen, take the train to Kvaerndrup in the city of Odense, and from there drive to the castle by bus number 920. The entrance ticket costs 2230 rubles.

Valle

I should immediately warn you that this castle is privately owned by the diocese, so tourists are not allowed to enter the interior. But Valle is so beautiful that it does not lack visitors. It is located near Koge, a city on the island of Zealand. When the castle of Valle was founded, no one knows for sure. The first written mention of it dates back to 1256. But those buildings that can be admired today date back to the 16th century. Then the castle was inherited by the two daughters of Oluf Rosencrantz, who divided it into separate parts. Since then it has been owned by women. En-Sophie, the second wife of King Frederick IV, ordered the establishment of a boarding house here for girls from noble families. An abbess could only be a high-born aristocrat who had taken vows. But now this castle is used as a place of residence for women of ordinary origin, who for some reason are not connected by family ties. Entrance to the courtyard and park of the residence is free.

Rosenborg Castle

To admire the majesticresidences, you do not even need to travel outside the capital of Denmark. At the beginning of the 17th century, King Christian IV ordered the construction of a castle on the outskirts of Copenhagen to house his family. Several generations of monarchs lived here. But already in 1838, Rosenborg Castle turned into a museum accessible to mere mortals. But the residence has not lost its connection with the royal family. All the regalia of the rulers of Denmark, crowns, jewels and a collection of artifacts are exhibited here. Entrance to Rosenborg costs about 1100 rubles. No less interesting for tourists is the royal garden, which annually gathers about 2.5 million visitors.

Dragsholm Castle (Denmark)

Old Gothic mansions are often associated with ghosts and other disembodied spirits. And if you want to plunge into an atmosphere full of mysticism and secrets, go to Dragsholm. This Danish castle is located in the west of the country. It has been known since 1215. True, at first it was the house of the canons. Due to the successful strategic location, the building was taken away from the church and converted into a fortress. The name "Dragsholm" itself means "Island of Resistance". The castle received such an honorary name after it withstood the army of Count Kristoffer. Then there was a royal prison for prisoners from aristocratic families. For a long time the residence was privately owned by the Adeler family. There are legends about Dragsholm Castle. They say that about 300 ghosts live there - prisoners who died in captivity, bricked up by ruthless fathers of daughters who died under strange circumstancesmaidservants.