Once home to kings and queens, Christiansborg Palace now houses the Danish Parliament, the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of State. You can visit the state rooms and walk in the footsteps of royalty. The Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen are used by the Queen for official occasions.
Walk though gilded rooms and decorated salons, some of which are still used by the Royal Family for various functions and events. The Royal Reception Rooms include The Tower Room and The Oval Throne Room where foreign ambassadors to Denmark are received by the King. The lavish Throne Room gives access to the balcony where the Danish monarchs are proclaimed, with twin thrones to admire.
The Great Hall is the most imposing room in the palace. This is where you will find the Queen's tapestries.The Danish business community marked the occasion of Queen Margrethe's 50th birthday in 1990 by ordering a gift of 11 tapestries. Bjørn Nørgaard painted the full-size sketches upon which the tapestries were woven. The tapestry series depicts 1000 years of Danish history.The Prime Minister of Denmark also uses The Royal Reception Rooms in connection with state visits by foreign state leaders. The Alexandra Hall is used for official dinners.If you hold a ticket to the Royal Reception Rooms, you are entitled to a free guided tour of the premises. Other experiences at Christiansborg Palace include a spooky tour of the ruins discovered underneath the palace, which include a wall dating to the Middle Ages, and a trip round the castle's former kitchens, complete with sounds and models.
The Reception Rooms are richly adorned with furniture and works of art rescued from the two previous palaces, as well as decorations by some of the best Danish artists, such as Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg and Bjørn Nørgaard.
Admission during opening hours, provided that the royal family is not using the premises for official occasions.
Rosenborg Castle
Visit Rosenborg Castle in the heart of Copenhagen and explore some of the kingdom's greatest treasures. The castle features 400 years of splendor, royal art treasures and the nation’s well-guarded Crown Jewels and Royal Regalia.
PLEASE NOTE: Your COPENHAGEN CARD needs to be scanned at the ticket office upon arrival at the castle, where your card will be exchanged for a valid, timed entrance ticket. Therefore we suggest you arrive in plenty of time, and expect waiting time in busy periods.
OPENINGS HOURS: Plan your visit | Rosenborg (kongernessamling.dk)
Rosenborg Castle was built by one of the most famous Scandinavian kings, Christian IV, in the early 17th century. Christian IV fathered more than 20 children, was a patron of the arts and built some of the most significant buildings in Copenhagen. Of his many castles, Rosenborg became his favorite.
Today, the glory of the past can be experienced through the impressive possessions of Christian IV and his descendants.
Among the main attractions is the Great Hall with the coronation thrones and three life-size silver lions standing guard. The king’s coronation throne is made of nar-whale tusk with gilt figures, while the queen’s is of silver. Tapestries on the walls commemorate battles between Denmark and Sweden.
The interiors are well-preserved and invite the visitor to take a journey in time. The visitor can experience the king’s private writing cabinet, his bathroom, and see wax figures of former royal inhabitants. Rosenborg houses one of the world’s finest Venetian glass collections, both set in tower chambers.
The crowns of the Danish kings and queens are kept in special vaults with access from Rosenborg’s basement. The crowns are embellished with table-cut stones, enamel and gold ornamentation. They were last used for coronations in 1840.
The crown jewels are living treasures, as they are the only ones in the world which are both displayed to the public and in royal use, by HM Queen Margrethe. They primarily consist of four garnitures: a diamond set, a ruby set, a pearl set, and an emerald set – the emeralds being among the world’s finest.
Travel back in history
Visit The Winter Room; the best preserved room from the original Castle, which was the most important of the Christian IV's three private chambers.
The bays are from 1758. In front of the bay to the right stood Christian IV's mechanical arrangement for raising and lowering the drawbridge.
Christian IV lay in state here and the exhibits are mostly from his time.
Related Attractions
Complete your visit to Amalienborg Palace square – step inside Amalienborg and experience royal life past and present. The Amalienborg Museum presents the private interiors of the most recent kings and queens and a treasury with world class jewellery.
Opening Hours: Plan your visit - The Amalienborg Museum (kongernessamling.dk)
The scope of the museum stretches back 150 years to Christian IX and Queen Louise, who were known as "the in-laws of Europe" because four of their children ascended to the thrones of England, Greece, Russia and Denmark respectively.
As in a journey through time the rooms of the royal couple and their descendants stand intact. Each reflects the modern taste of its period and the personalities of the kings and queens, whether it is in military, Victorian, or knightly style. From February 2020, one of the world’s most important collections of Russian jewellery can be enjoyed in the so-called Fabergé chamber. The collection came to Denmark mainly via empress Dagmar (Maria Fedodorovna), daughter of Christian IX and queen Louise.
On most days, there is admittance to the Gala Hall and the other magnificent rooms on the piano nobile. The royal reception rooms are still used by the royal family. Check opening hours on the piano nobile on amalienborg.dk.
Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, north of Copenhagen, is one of northern Europe's finest Renaissance castles. It is located at the entrance to Øresund and was built in 1574-1585.
Kronborg Castle is probably the most famous Danish castle, known worldwide from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Hamlet's spirit is still roaming the hallways of Kronborg, and every summer you can experience Hamlet Scene perform Hamlet on an open-air stage in the courtyard.
Frederik 2's Kronborg is at once an elegant castle and a monumental military fortress surrounded by considerable fortifications with bastions and ravelins. It has not been inhabited by the royal family since the late 1600's.
The castle houses collections of Renaissance and Baroque interiors, and among the main attractions is the 62-meter ballroom, the very well-preserved chapel and the mythological statue of Holger Danske below the castle.
Queen Caroline Mathilde under house arrest
In 1772 Kronborg Castle played a minor role in the fatal drama between the insane King Christian 7, his wife Queen Caroline Mathilde and her secret lover Johan Friedrich Struensee.
After the arrest of Struensee in Copenhagen 17 January 1772, Caroline Mathilde was taken to Kronborg Castle, where she was under house arrest for a period of time. Her fate was long uncertain.
She was accused of infidelity, and although her defender Peter Uldall did what he could, she was convicted, divorced from the king and banished to the town of Celle in northern Germany. She never saw her children again and died a few years later of an epidemic.
A trip to Kronborg is the perfect start to a day in Elsinore. With Copenhagen Card you can also visit the Maritime Museum, the Øresound Aquarium and much much.
From 1785-1923 Kronborg Castle was inhabited by the Danish military. The castle was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000.
Closed Dec 24, 25 and 31
Experience Frederiksborg Castle and Museum of National History with magnificent halls, portraits, history paintings, and special exhibitions, located just 35 minutes north of Copenhagen. The impressive Renaissance castle was built by Christian IV to showcase the king's power. With its fairytale-like location in the middle of the Castle Lake, surrounded by the Baroque Garden and the romantic landscape garden, Frederiksborg Castle offers a unique destination with great cultural experiences, garden walks, and boat trips with the Little Ferry on the Castle Lake throughout the summer. Museum of National History Museum and National Portrait Gallery Christian IV's (1588-1648) magnificent castle from the early 17th century now serves as the framework for more than 500 years of stories and myths that shaped Denmark into what it is today. Frederiksborg Castle is both Museum of National History and the National Portrait Gallery, where hundreds of portraits give faces to individuals who have shaped Denmark's history. The portrait collection is the country's largest and most significant, and the collection of paintings, busts, drawings, and photographs is continuously supplemented with new works. History paintings also communicate important national events.
Experience the pomp and splendor of bygone times up close. The museum's fine period interiors and the castle's impressive grand rooms, such as the Castle Church, the Great Hall, and the Audience Hall, provide insight into changing periods and styles. Additionally, changing special exhibitions on portrait art and the history of both Denmark and Frederiksborg Castle are shown each year. The museum has been housed at Frederiksborg Castle since 1878 when it was established by the founder of Carlsberg, brewer J.C. Jacobsen, after a devastating fire in 1859. The museum continues to operate as a department of the Carlsberg Foundation.
Frederiksborg for children Experience Frederiksborg Castle from a child's perspective with one of the museum's treasure hunts or the children's audio guide. During holiday seasons, there are special activities for children. Visit dnm.dk for current activities.
Make the most of your visit Download the Smartify app for the museum’s audio guides. Use the app to scan and explore portraits and paintings. Download the app before your visit to be well-prepared. Also, keep an eye out for the museum's podcast PORTRÆT, which delves into both the castle and its collection. Dine at Rabarbergaarden Slottet The museum's restaurant, Rabarbergaarden Slottet (meaning the Rhubarb farm at the castle) brings the flavors of North Zealand to the table. Enjoy a gastronomic experience with local, organic ingredients from the sustainable farm-to-table kitchen. The restaurant is located in a former carriage port and stable building, offering views of both a lake and the castle at Northern Europe's largest Renaissance complex. The Castle Gardens Frederiksborg Castle was completed by creating gardens around the grand building complex. Christian IV had his own garden, but in 1720, architect J. Krieger was commissioned to create a Baroque garden. The Baroque Garden was recreated in the 1990s. The lowest terraces in the garden feature four monograms in tightly trimmed hedges: Frederik IV, Frederik V, Christian VI, and Margrethe II. These are the four monarchs under whom the garden has existed, from its establishment by Frederik IV to its restoration in Queen Margrethe's time. However, the Baroque Garden is not the only garden at the castle. Next to the Baroque Garden is the romantic, English-inspired garden, where a small Bath House Castle is also located. With its small lakes and groves, the romantic garden is designed to convey moods and showcase the beauty of nature. In contrast, the Baroque Garden with its straight lines and sharp edges represents the beauty that lies in human control over nature. Getting There The museum is open every day of the year. It takes approximately 35 minutes to drive from Copenhagen. If you are coming by train, the easiest way to reach Frederiksborg is via the S-train line A. It takes about 15 minutes to walk from Hillerød Station. You can walk along the Castle Lake or through the city's pedestrian streets with cafes and shops.
Special Exhibitions:
12/01 2024 - 21/04 2024: Images of a queen
Frederiksborg commemorates the succession to the throne with an exhibition featuring portraits of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe. Explore Andy Warhol’s iconic glitter-adorned silk screen print portrait of Her Majesty, official portraits such as Rigmor Mydtskov’s photographic portrait from 1972, as well as a wide range of photographs, paintings, and drawings created between 1940 and 2022. From gala events at Fredensborg to gray weather on the beach, Her Majesty is depicted as introspective, dreamy, and creatively expressive. The young heir and Princess Margrethe. Her Majesty in different stages of life and situations.
Jægerspris Castle is one of Denmark's oldest royal castles. It is beautifully located, surrounded by forest and fjords. The royal history goes back to the 13th Century and the castle has served as a hunting and summer residence for kings and queens.
In 1854 Frederik VII and Countess Danner moved into Jægerspris Castle. They decorated the castle as their private residence and the rooms still stand as they did in the 1850s.
The living rooms at Jægerspris Castle are decorated according to the taste of the time by the fashion- and style-conscious Countess Danner. Incidentally, the castle is the only place in Denmark where the interior design of the 1850s can be experienced as a whole. During a visit to the museum, you can also experience King Frederik VII’s archaeological collection, which contains several unique gold finds from the Bronze Age.
You can also see an exhibition about the orphanage that Countess Danner set up at the castle. The exhibition tells how the children lived in the orphanage wards around the castle in the 1920s, 30s and 40s, and here it is shown how this large private orphanage has had an impact on childcare in Denmark.
At the castle is a small cozy café, Cafe Danner, with organic coffee and tea, delicious cakes baked with care and cozy lunch. There is also a small shop with lots of gift ideas. The café and shop offer sheltered employment for people who find it difficult to find and maintain regular work.
This year's special exhibition is about Jægerspris’ giant oaks, pictured by artists since the 1840s. After a visit to the museum, you can go for a walk in the castle park, where 54 memorial columns from the 1780s lead you from the park to the forest and Roskilde Fjord.
Opening Hours
Location
Øster Voldgade 4A
1350 København K