Danish Residences General Discussion

[Alexandra]

Edit JessRulz:

This thread can be used as a general discussion thread for the Danish residences which do not have a specific thread.
A list of the residences with specific threads can be found here.
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I have visited Christiansborg Palace tree or four times and it is a very beautiful place, too.

 

[paulette]

Frederiksborg Castle and Castle Gardens

Frederiksborg Castle is situated in the centre of Hillerød on three islets in the Castle Lake surrounded by Frederiksborg Castle Gardens. The castle was built in the Dutch Renaissance style at the beginning of the 17th century by Christian IV, then rebuilt about 250 years later by another great Dane, the brewer J.C. Jacobsen, following its destruction by fire. The Castle Chapel survived when the rest of the castle burnt down in 1859 and today it stands as in Christian IV's time.

Frederiksborg Castle Gardens consist of a romantic landscaped garden where one can enjoy the view of Frederik II's small Bath House (Badstueslottet), which is occasionally used by the Royal Family for hunt lunches, and a baroque garden, recreated in 1996 according to studies of J.C. Krieger's gardens from 1725. The garden is especially noteworthy for its four royal monograms executed in boxwood, the historical flowers and the festive cascades.

 

[paulette]

Gråsten Palace and Palace Gardens are beautifully located surrounded by the Southern Jutland countryside's forests and lakes. The palace dates from 1759 and is the successor to several palaces situated on the site since the 16th century.

For many years it was at the disposal of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid. Queen Ingrid used the palace as a summer residence every year up to her death in November 2000, and the palace is still used as a summer residence by the Royal Family today.

The lavishly decorated chapel is the only part of the palace, which is open to the public, although the palace can be enjoyed from outside on a walk through the palace gardens – provided the Royal Family is not in residence.

Gråsten Palace Gardens are Anglo-inspired Romantic landscape gardens, which display a lavish profusion of flowers in the summer season. Unlike the numerous Royal gardens, which are still tended as they were in days gone by, Gråsten is a living example of modern Royal landscape gardening. Queen Ingrid, who had a great interest in gardening, created the gardens as we know them today. For most of the year, when the Royal Family is not using the palace, a large part of the gardens is open to the public.

 

[paulette]

1. Graasten Palace

2. Graasten Palace

 

[hrhcp]

Compliments of the "new" english webpage of the Royal Court,
I found this link:

http://www.ses.dk/b2000c

(link to the english side of the Royal Court is:
http://kongehuset.dk/english/ )

 

[paulette]

Aalborghus Castle

Aalborghus Castle at the Limfjord was built by Christian III from 1539 to ca 1555 as a fortification, but it soon proved inappropriate for this purpose. Instead, it became the seat of the king's provincial governors in Northern Jutland and, after the introduction of absolutism, of the regional prefects, a function which the castle retains today, as it is used by the State County of Northern Jutland.

Today, only the east wing remains of the original castle. The present north wing facing the port was built by Christian IV in the 1630s, and the freestanding building facing south is from 1808-09.

There is no public access to the buildings, but it is possible to walk around the courtyard and the surrounding area where the original ramparts are visible. The casemates and the dungeon can also be visited in the summer season.

 

[paulette]

Bernstorff Palace

Bernstorff Palace dating from 1765 is one of the earliest Neo-classical buildings in Denmark. With its characteristic copper dome, the castle is beautifully situated at the highest point of Bernstorff Palace Gardens in Gentofte. It is named after its first owner, foreign minister J.H.E. Bernstorff, and has been used for long periods as a royal residence.

Today, Bernstorff Palace is home to the Danish Emergency Management Agency Academy. The palace is closed to the public, but can be viewed at close quarters from outside.

Bernstorff Palace Gardens (or Bernstorff Park) are large, wooded gardens laid out in the late 1760s in the Anglo-inspired Romantic style – a style of gardening which had just reached Denmark at that time. With their expansive lawns, and oak and beech woods, the gardens are ideally suited to taking a healthy walk. The superior, more luxurious area of the gardens features a rose garden, an orchard, greenhouses and a teahouse.

The yellow, timber house – the Swedish Villa – was purchased by Christian IX's Queen, Louise, at the famous Agriculture and Art Exhibition in 1888. The Villa is now used for art exhibitions and as a café.

 

[paulette]

Charlottenlund Palace and Palace Gardens

Charlottenlund Palace was a royal residence for many years. Through some 200 years, ca 1730-1930, the successive royal residents left their imprint on the palace. Originally it was designed as a baroque castle, but was later converted into the French Renaissance palace we see today. The palace is used by the Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, although the Great Hall is occasionally open to the public for classical concerts.

In the 1880s Charlottenlund Palace Gardens were transformed from the Baroque to the Romantic style. The Anglo-inspired gardens are home to a multitude of small, stylish attractions such as the old ice-house with polar bears carved above its entrance, and the idyllic, yellow, half-timbered house with thatch, which has been used as a wash house and as lodgings for the Royal Life Guards.

Danmarks Akvarium is located on the outskirts of the gardens

 

[paulette]

Koldinghus Castle

Koldinghus was founded at the end of the 13th century and developed over the centuries, during which the castle led a changing life and served various functions as fortress, royal residence, ruin, museum and venue for countless negotiations.

Koldinghus acquired its characteristic profile in 1600 when Christian IV added an extra storey to the west wing and built the Giant’s Tower. The castle burnt down in 1808 during the quartering of the Spanish auxiliaries, and lay in ruins for many years. Over a period of about 100 years, the ruin was gradually covered over and rebuilt until its final full restoration in 1991.

Koldinghus is used by Kolding Municipality to house the Museum at Koldinghus and for other cultural activities.

The ramparts surrounding the castle offer a fabulous view over the town and the castle lake.

 

[paulette]

Kronborg Castle

Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, at the seaward approach to The Sound Øresund, is one of northern Europe's most important Renaissance castles. Known all over the world from Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is also the most famous castle in Denmark and is visited each year by about 200,000 Danes and tourists.

Frederik II's Kronborg is both an elegant Renaissance castle and a monumental military fortress surrounded by major fortifications with bastions and ravelins. Some of the historical rooms house collections of Renaissance and Baroque interiors, and among the most important attractions are the 62-metre long ballroom, the wonderfully preserved chapel and the statue of "Holger the Dane".

During the period 1998-2010, Kronborg Castle is undergoing extensive development to turn it into a modern exhibition centre and visitor attraction. The restoration of the buildings and fortress areas go hand-in-hand with the development of the historical presentation of the castle to the public.

 

[paulette]

Helsingor Castle

 

[paulette]

Nyborg Castle

The present Nyborg Castle's history dates back to around 1200. The dense, low tower and the basement of the castle building are the remains of the original fortress, which was surrounded by a 1.5-metre thick ring wall with semicircular corners.

Due to its central location, the fortress became the site of the so-called Danehof assembly meetings of the nation’s most powerful men for some 200 years until Erik of Pomerania made Copenhagen the capital.

The fortress was enlarged through the centuries, and became more of a castle under Christian III in the mid-16th century. During the Dano-Swedish wars of 1658-59, the castle suffered such serious damage that it lost its status as a royal residence and began to decline. This was not halted until the 1900s, when the ruins were restored. Since the 1920s, the castle has served as a museum. The public can see old furniture and models of the castle, as well as an exhibition of Nyborg as a garrison town in the years 1670-1913.

 

[paulette]

Rosenborg Castle and Castle Gardens

Rosenborg Castle was originally built by Christian IV as a country summerhouse, but up to 1624 it was developed into the Dutch Renaissance castle we know today. The castle houses the Royal Danish Collections of interiors, portraits and handicrafts from Christian IV to Frederik VII. After many years at Christiansborg, Christian V's tapestries were returned to Rosenborg in 1999, where they can now be viewed by the public, while the Treasury houses the well-guarded Crown Jewels.

Rosenborg Castle Gardens (commonly referred to as the King's Gardens) are the country's oldest royal gardens and were established in the Renaissance style by Christian IV in the early 1600s. Today the gardens are a popular retreat in the centre of Copenhagen, and are visited by an estimated 2.5 million people per year. The gardens are home to a large herbaceous border, a rose-garden and a multitude of different-sized sculptures. In 2001 the garden acquired a new attraction, the symmetrical Renaissance garden Krumspringet, while for the amusement of children there is an artistic adventure playground which opened in 1998.

In the summer season the gardens are the setting for various musical and theatrical events, including a puppet theatre for children.

 

[paulette]

Roskilde Palace

The royal palace in Roskilde was built 1733-36 on the site of the old bishops' palace immediately east of Roskilde Cathedral. The architect was the young court builder Lauritz de Thurah. The palace was to provide a suitable stopover should the monarch be passing through, or as accommodation in connection with royal funerals (Danish monarchs are buried in the Cathedral).

The yellow-washed, four-wing baroque building was to become the headquarters of the Duke of Wellington during the English siege of Copenhagen in 1807. Later, the palace provided a venue for the so-called Assembly of the Estates of the Realm, which was a forerunner to the introduction of representative government in 1849.

Today, Roskilde Palace is home to three exhibition venues: the Museum of Contemporary Art, Roskilde Art Association in the Palace Wing and the Palace Collections. The palace's gardens and courtyard are also used for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events.

 

[paulette]

Skanderborg Palace Mound

Skanderborg Palace Mound is a small, lovely garden surrounded by Skanderborg Chapel and its churchyard. The castle mound, with its beautiful sea-view, is the exact spot where the castle yard of the royal Skanderborg Palace once stood. The Chapel is the only remains of this castle.

The monument to Frederik VI on top of Palace Mound is from 1845. It was erected to express the gratitude of the Danish people for the king's abolition of adscription. The bust and bas-reliefs were modelled by Bertel Thorvaldsen and chiselled in marble by C. F. Holbech. The reliefs are by H. V. Bissen.

The Palace Mound was previously a baroque garden. It was planted in the 1930s as an arboretum with a collection of exotic trees in particular such as the Chinese temple tree ginkgo bilopa.

 

[paulette]

Spøttrup Castle

Spøttrup Castle from around 1500 is one of the most remarkable of Danish country manors because it shows what a medieval baronial castle looked like. In their time, both Reformation gunfire and Skipper Clement's peasant army tried to penetrate these defences – but in vain. Although over the centuries the castle was subjected to modification and ravage, following extensive repairs around 1940 Spøttrup is the best example of a medieval Danish fortress.

Today the castle houses a museum showing the public how people lived, fought and worked at the castle over the years, and in the summer season there are various concerts, medieval markets and other cultural events focusing on days gone by. For schools, the museum has a special offer of teaching brought-to-life where children can try out medieval clothing and lifestyles.

The old garden of medicinal plants is divided into characteristic square and rectangular beds with medicinal plants and herbs. In the southern area of the gardens lies a beautiful rose-garden with trellises.

 

[paulette]

Sønderborg Castle

Sønderborg Castle is reckoned to date back as far as 1158, when it was said to be founded by Valdemar the Great as a fortified tower. Over the centuries the castle has been enlarged and rebuilt, but in 1964-73 it was restored and returned to the Baroque form it was given by Frederik IV in the 1720s.

Under Christian III, in the mid-16th century, the castle was modified and converted into a four-wing castle. After the war of 1864, the province and the castle became German. On reunion in 1920, the Danish state acquired the castle, which came to house a museum of Southern Jutland history.

The Sønderborg Castle Museum houses local history collections from the Middle Ages to the present day, but with focus on the Schleswig wars of 1848-50 and 1864. The museum also hosts exhibitions on navigation, textiles and handicrafts and holds a small art collection with works by prominent Southern Jutland painters over the years.

The original ramparts around the castle became a visible part of the gardens in the 1970s.

 

[paulette]

There are a lot of castles, palaces and manors in Denmark. Some are being used by the Royal Family, some are owned by the Danish Government and the rest are owned privately.

Here are the list of some palaces, castles and manors in Denmark.

1.Zealand and Islands of Lolland, Falster and Moen

Amalienborg Slot
Bernstorff Slot
Borreby
Charlottenlund Slot
Christiansborg Slot
Corcelitze
Dragsholm Slot
Dronning Gård
Eremitagen
Frederiksberg Slot
Fredensborg Slot
Frederiksdal
Fuglsang
Gavnø Slot
Gisselfeld
Gjeddesdal
Holsteinsborg
Jægerspris Slot
Knuthenborg
Krenkerup
Kronborg Slot
Lerchenborg
Ledreborg Slot
Lindholm
Liselund
Lungholm
Nysø
Næsbyholm
Pederstrup (Rewentlowmuseet)
Rosenborg Slot
Selsø Slot
Skjoldenæsholm
Sorgenfri Slot
Søholt
Vemmetofte Kloster
Vallø Slot
Åstrup

2. Islands of Funen, Taasinge and Langeland

Egeskov Slot
Erholm
Glorup
Hagenskov
Hesselager Slot
Hindemae
Hindsgavl Slot
Hofmansgave
Holckenhavn
Hollufgård
Holstenshuus
Hvedholm
Juelsberg
Odense Slot
Skovsgård
Tranekær
Valdemar Slot
Wedellsborg
Ørbæklunde
Østrupgård ved Fåborg
Østrupgård ved Otterup

3. Jutland

Aalborghus Slot
Augustenborg Slot
Baggesvogn
Bangsbo
Bregninggård
Børglum Kloster
Clasonsborg
Clausholm Slot
Dronninglund Slot
Engelsholm
Fussingø Slot
Gammel Estrup
Gram Slot
Gråsten Slot
Hald Hovedgård
Haraldskær
Herningsholm
Jensgård
Julianelyst
Koldinghus Slot
Kongstedlund
Lønborg Gård
Løvenholm
Marselisborg Slot
Meilgård
Moesgård
Møllerup
Nørre-Wosborg
Palsgård
Rosenholm
Rydhave
Schackenborg Slot
Skanderborg Slot
Spøttrup Slot
Store Restrup
Sæbygaard
Sønderskov
Visborggård
Vitskøl Kloster
Voergård Slot
Willestrup

 

[Alexandra]

Thank you, Paulette. it was very interesting. I have visited Christiansborg Castle three or four times and seen Amalienborg Castle many times. Once I saw some Royals getting out of a black car near one of the gates. Koldinghus Castle I have visited once, when I was living in Germany and made a trip to Danemark over weekend.

 

[Alexandria]

1. IBL - Frederiksborg Castle

 

[hrhcp]

These places are all nice to look at, but look at the reality ...... you couldn't live in these alone like is the style among the proliteriat.

I found this link for Copenhagen, and seeing 'surfing the web' is so much more convenient than spending the coin to fly to a flat metropolis ....

High-resolution free photos to download


a big splash in 2005

 

[Lady Cathrine Rose]

Does anyone know if Mary or Fred have been to the palace they received as a gift for their marriage from the Queen? Have they ever spent the night there? I forgot what the name was, but I thought it was pretty far south from Coppenhaggen. Thanks! I love this site!

 

[H.M. Margrethe]

Does anyone know if Mary or Fred have been to the palace they received as a gift for their marriage from the Queen? Have they ever spent the night there? I forgot what the name was, but I thought it was pretty far south from Coppenhaggen. Thanks! I love this site!

Is it Gråsten carstel you are thinking about ?
If it is i don´t think that the carstel in Gråsten was a weeding gift from the Queen since she dos not owen the carstel.
The only carstel she and prince Henrik owns is Marsellisborg carstel in Aarhus
and Château de Caïx in France.

 

[Lady Cathrine Rose]

Oh no! I didn't write down the name of the castle that she gave as a gift! I absolutely should have since it always takes me forever when I have to go back through all of there wedding threads! But it was definetly given to them as a gift. That I distinctly remember. Thanks for the help.

 

[Lyle]

Is it Gråsten carstel you are thinking about ?
If it is i don´t think that the carstel in Gråsten was a weeding gift from the Queen since she dos not owen the carstel.

I also remember reading that the queen "gave" Gråsten to Fred and Mary for their wedding. Even though she doesn't own the palace, I think it was said that she gave them the right to use the castle as their own, which she can do even though she doesn't privately own the castle.

I remember the Queen spent some time there this summer, but I haven't seen anything about Fred and Mary spending time there yet.

 

[Liva]

I remember the Queen spent some time there this summer, but I haven't seen anything about Fred and Mary spending time there yet.

Gråsten Castle was Queen Ingrids, after her death it was passed on to Queen Margrethe.. When the time comes, it will be Frederik and Marys(although state owned, it still is considered theirs, as only they can live there). Mary and Frrderik was their last summer. There are pictures from it. It is a tradtion that the Queen and prince consort live there during the summer, and it is also a tradition that other family members join them e.g. Ex-King Konstantin and Ex-queen Anne-Marie, Joachim, Frederik and all their cousins.. It has been a tradition since late Queen Ingrid made it a tradition to get the family together every summer. Her children and granchildren. I am sure Mary and Frederik will continue this tradition when it is their turn to decide..

 

[Australian]

Here is an article about the old medieval Danish royal residences. It talks about the history of palace rooms and what they are now used for with the present Queen Margrethe II. Quite interesting.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=14&click_id=418&art_id=vn20061111130031311C970654

 

[Tricota]

^^Those damn Swedes...But, then again, we were just as bad in other places...

 

[Marengo]

I have been looking through this thread, and I have some questions:

Grasten, is it private or state owned? Is it used at all at the moment, apart for summer holidays for the entire RF?

Rosenborg is now mosly a museum I believe. It is state owned, but does the RF ever use it?

Frederiksborg: is it state or private property and does the RF ever use it. If they don't what is happening there through the year?

The list above and the Ermitage Lodge are all the palaces that the family is using/can use at the moment or are there more?

 

[UserDane]

I have been looking through this thread, and I have some questions:

Grasten, is it private or state owned? Is it used at all at the moment, apart for summer holidays for the entire RF?

Rosenborg is now mosly a museum I believe. It is state owned, but does the RF ever use it?

Frederiksborg: is it state or private property and does the RF ever use it. If they don't what is happening there through the year?

The list above and the Ermitage Lodge are all the palaces that the family is using/can use at the moment or are there more?

Marengo, most of these castle are administered by Slots- og ejendomsstyrelsen (the Palaces and Properties Agency). Here is a link to a map with explanations in English to a number of the palaces you ask about - Slots- og Ejendomsstyrelsen - Map of Castles and Gardens

On the royal family's own website they list the palaces they have at their disposal The Danish Monarchy - Palaces - and the royal yacht. As you can see it also lists the chateau Cayx in France.

The only other properties I can think of right now which are not on your list is the hunting lodge at Trent - which I think was a wedding present to King Frederik and Queen Ingrid. And then of course Kronborg Castle; it is a museum but queen Margrethe gave a party there on occasion of Konstantine's and Anne Marie's silver anniversary. - oh, one more. One the grounds of Frederiksborg Castle (my personal favourite....) is a tiny castle called Badstueslottet - The Bath House. I'm not sure it even has electricity; it has been used on rare occasions to house a hunting party for lunch.