Frederiksborg Palace, Hillerød, Denmark

Frederiksborg Palace 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.

The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 1560 structure built by Frederick II. Although he remains its namesake, most of the current palace was instead constructed by Christian IV between 1602 and 1620. He employed the Flemish architects Hans and Lorenz van Steenwinckel and the castle follows the Dutch style employed by Christian IV for his new buildings in Copenhagen. After Christian IV's death in 1648, the palace was used mainly for ceremonial events.

The church has also been used as the knight's chapel for the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog since 1693; housed the Danish royal family's art collection, notably works on the life of Jesus by Danish painter Carl Heinrich Bloch; and was the site of the 1720 Treaty of Frederiksborg.

In the 1850s, the palace was again used as a residence by King Frederick VII. While he was in residence on the evening of December 16, 1859, a fire destroyed a large part of the main palace's interior. Reconstruction was funded by public subscription, with large contributions from the king and state, as well as the prominent philanthropist J. C. Jacobsen of the Carlsberg Brewery. Jacobsen also funded the museum of national history that now occupies Frederiksborg.

The Palace Church or Chapel of Orders serves as a local church today and is a part of the museum on the premises. The coats-of-arms of recipients of the Order of the Elephantand of the Dannebrog are displayed on the walls of the church. The museum houses an important collection of portraits and historical paintings.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Lady Dingus (2 months ago)
An absolutely beautiful castle, a great visit for lovers of art and culture. Was consistently wowed by the art work and the detail. You can get up close to all of it. Wasn't a fan of the top floor with it's modern art but all other floors were stunning.

Soumya Mp (3 months ago)
Amazing place. So peaceful and well maintained. The garden was also so beautiful. Recommended and convenient for walks. The small bridges and the water around the castle adds more beauty to the architecture.

Rodrigo Cossara (3 months ago)
I went to this castle not expecting much but it amazed me. How well maintained it is, the art that has inside and outside, precious. The best part is the church, it has many paintings and shields( I believe they’re family shields) and one giant organ on the top floor. One man started explaining the history about it and played a few pieces. It’s incredible that these places keep living. Thank you for keeping it as it was.

Olga Sed (4 months ago)
In my previous visit, I was in 2016 and I was late after 5pm. Castle was closed. But now I decided my new day in Copenhagen starts from this castle - Frederiksborg castle. For me and my family it was good idea. My suggestion - be first people in castle. Firstly, you feel alone in all castle. It is magic. Secondly, after 11 am some Chinese tourists' buses is arrived and you can see queues in very important places connect with food and, sorry, WC. The ceilings were amazing! I visited some castles. In my list of castles Frederiksborg has the first place. Many thanks. Best regards! :) Very polite staff ?

Francis (4 months ago)
Totally worth coming here from Copenhagen. Only about a 40 minute train ride and then a 20 minute walk from the station. The town of Hillerod was quite nice as well. The main attraction is definitely the church and the grand hall. The castle is quite big over multiple floors which are accessible by elevators. The walk from the town street to the main entrance is all cobblestone. The gardens are also quite nice but since it's fall none of the fountains are working so doesn't give the same feel but still nice to see. The little ferry from the garden to the town was also not in operation.

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