Copenhagen is rich with history and filled with many beautiful medieval like castles. That’s why I was very excited to visit Copenhagen this past summer.
There are many castles near Copenhagen City Center to get your fix of fairy tale castles. And if you’re feeling up to the adventure, there are several castles worthy of day trips just north of Copenhagen.
It’s incredible visiting such relics of history. The castles are rich with the history of the Danish royal family. It’s fascinating to see how they actually lived so many years ago.
If you love castles, this guide is for you! Here is the ultimate guide to Copenhagen’s best castles.
1. Kronborg Castle
Kronborg Castle is by far my favorite castle in Copenhagen. There’s so much to love about this incredible 16th century castle.
It was built by King Frederick II to establish himself as the most powerful king of Scandinavia.
Fair warning: the castle is a 1 hour train ride away from the city center.
You need to take the train from Copenhagen Central Station to Helisingor. The train ride is nice and peaceful although the views aren’t the best.
Once you get to the Helsingør station, the castle is a short 10 – 15 minute walk. On the way to the castle, you’ll walk across the water with some beautiful views. In fact, you’ll see many old school boats docked out there!
Now if you’re a fan of Shakespeare, you probably already know all about this castle. Kronborg Castle is the actual castle Shakespeare set Hamlet in!
That’s right, this is Elsinore castle in Hamlet!
Legend has it Shakespeare was inspired by Frederick’s impressive banquets at the castle, which were famous across Europe.
The castle is truly amazing. The castle is surrounded by a small moat. On outer edges of the moat you can see a line of cannons defending this great structure.
The inside of the castle is filled with the history and culture of Denmark. You’ll see things like the King and Queen’s bedrooms.
My favorite part of the castle has to be the grand ballroom. There are many famous and beautiful tapestries in the room depicting important wars and moments in Danish history. And the entire room is just so beautiful.
And if you dare, you can even go underground into the basement (the Casemates). It’s pretty dark in there, so bring a flashlight!
My favorite part of Kronborg Castle was the actors! That’s right! The castle hired actors and placed them all around the place to act scenes from Hamlet.
Yes, I’m not joking and it’s pretty amazing.
All of the actors speak English and they often involve the crowd in their dialogue. I think that’s what sets this castle apart from all of the other ones I visited in Denmark.
Pros:
- The castle is very interactive with the Hamlet actors/actresses.
- The castle has a very beautiful moat and is also right by the water.
- There are stunning tapestries depicting important moments in Danish history.
Cons:
- The castle is about an hour train ride from Copenhagen Central Station.
- There are no gardens.
2. Fredericksborg Castle
Frederiksborg Castle is a 17th century castle in Denmark built for the infamous king Christian IV and was at one point the largest castle in Scandinavia.
The castle is located in Hillerod, which is about a 40 – 50 minute train ride from Copenhagen Central Station.
I actually took the train from Helisingor after seeing Kronborg Castle. The train is about 30 minutes if memory serves.
…it took me a bit longer than that because I took the train in the wrong direction like an idiot haha 🙂
The castle is beautiful and is surrounded by a moat. And like many castles of this era, there is also a beautiful garden.
When you walk to the entrance of the castle, you are greeted by a grand water fountain. Be careful if you’re getting close to it to take pictures! The fountain waterworks has a bigger splash area than you would think!
The castle has pretty much everything you would expect. It has knight’s armors, royal seals, a church, and even glass stained windows.
The most beautiful part of the castle is the Great Hall on the second floor. The room was reconstructed after it was destroyed by a fire. There are several paintings, furniture, and works of art that show you the life of King Christian IV back then.
You’ll truly get a glimpse of how the royalty of Denmark lived so many years ago.
When you are done exploring the castle, step outside and into the gardens. While the gardens are not as big as Versailles (it would be hard to top that!), they are still breathtaking.
Still, the gardens do remind me of Versailles.
The lovely garden has a nice fountain and water stream running throughout its center. Hike up to the very top of the gardens and get a beautiful look at the castle from the distance!
Pros:
- Enjoy the incredible views in the gardens, which comes with a complex series of water fountains.
- The moat around the castle is HUGE!
- The castle is pretty enormous – you could easily spend 2+ hours just in the castle itself.
Cons:
- The castle is a good 40 – 50 minute train ride from Copenhagen Central Station. Once you get off at the station in Hillerod, you’ll need to take a bus to get to the castle unless you want to walk for 15 – 20 minutes.
- They don’t let you take your bags into the museum/castle (you have to put them in lockers).
3. Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is one of the favorite residences of King Christian IV. It was originally built as one of his summer homes.
The castle even houses many royal treasures, including crowns, swords, and jewelry. This is one of the best castles in Denmark if you want to look at the Royal Jewels!
You even can see Christian IV’s crown from 1596! And in the lower level of the treasury, you can take pictures of the Crown of the Absolute Monarchs, which was used for all coronations of all kings from Christian V until Christian VIII.
Fun fact: The crown weighs more than 2 kgs (4 lbs) and is set with sapphire, garnets, diamonds, and a large ruby on the top!
A part from the crowns, you can visit many of the rooms Christian IV worked from! You can see his winter room, his writing room, his bedchamber, and even his toilet!
The thrones…
My favorite part of the castle was the grand hallway on the top. The black and white marble steps extends as far as the eye can see. It kind of looks like a never-ending chess board.
At one end of the hall are three silver lions that guard the King and Queen’s thrones (which are made of narwhal tusk and silver).
Further, 12 tapestries hang across the wall that depict Christian IV’s victories in the war against Sweden between 1675 and 1679!
Once you are finished with the castle, walk outside to enjoy the gardens. Although, I must say, the gardens were a little bit of a let down compared to what I’ve seen in Copenhagen and other European cities like Paris.
Pros:
- The Great Hall is a sight to see. Make sure to take your pictures in front of the lions and the thrones!
- This is one of the few castles in Copenhagen where you can see the Danish royal family crowns.
- The castle is located within Copenhagen City Center so it should be an easy walk depending on where your hotel is.
Cons
- I didn’t think the gardens were that great compared to other ones around Copenhagen, particularly Fredericksborg Castle.
4. Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg is the home of the royal Danish family. The palace contains four identical buildings and a large courtyard with a statue of King Frederick V.
The four buildings make up the palace include:
- Christian VII’s Palace
- Christian VIII’s Palace
- Frederick VIII’s Palace
- Christian IX’s Palace
In the castle museum you can learn all about the history of the Danish royal family. To this day, I’m still surprised by how they lived. The amount of politics is just mind blowing for mere peasants like me.
Fun fact: the museum has a bunch of information about King Christian IX and Queen Louise. They were known as “the in-laws of Europe” because four of their children ascended to the thrones of England, Greece, Russia and Denmark.
The palace is guarded by Royal Life Guards (Den Kongelige Livgarde). Their uniform is pretty similar to what you see at Buckingham Palace in London.
If you’re lucky, you can catch the changing of the guard at noon every day. It’s quite the show they give.
Pros:
- If you want to learn more about the history of the Danish Kings and Queens, this is the place to go.
- The changing of the royal guard is a sight to see!
Cons:
- The palace does not have a garden.
- The museum does not have a paper map guide (or at least I didn’t see any).
5. Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace is a both a palace and a government building in the center of Copenhagen.
It houses the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister’s Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark.
Further, parts of the palace are still used by the Danish monarch, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel and the Royal Stables. You can take tours and visit all three of those locations.
When I went there the Royal Stables were pretty empty. Also, the Royal Reception Rooms and the Palace Chapel were both closed at that time.
If you’re visiting the palace, I would recommend going up the “Tower”. It’s the tallest building in the city and you will enjoy the views.
There is no fee to get up there, but there is a security checkpoint and they only allow 30 – 40 people up at one time.
One of the coolest things to do at the palace is visit the palace ruins. Christiansborg Palace was built on several other castles that were destroyed by fires.
Underneath Christiansborg you can visit the ruins of Absalon, which was built in 1167, that’s nearly 1,000 years ago!
Pros:
- The ruins of the castle are one of the big highlights. Go underground and literally see the ruins of another castle that was built nearly 1,000 years ago!
- Aside from the historic castles, you can walk around the area and check out the Danish Supreme Court. The building is beautiful!
Cons:
- Most of the places to visit within the palace are pretty spread out around the grounds.