Frederiksborg Castle

Frederiksborg is the grandest castle in Denmark and, by most accounts, the largest Renaissance castle in the Nordic countries, and it makes one of the finest day trips from Copenhagen. It rises from three small islands in a lake in the market town of Hillerod, in North Zealand, an easy ride on the S-train from Copenhagen, with red brick, sandstone ornaments, copper spires and gables reflected in the water. Frederik II bought the estate in 1560, and his son Christian IV, the builder-king who also gave Copenhagen Rosenborg and the Round Tower, tore down his father's house and built the present castle in the first two decades of the seventeenth century. For a century and a half it was a favourite royal residence, and from 1671 to 1840 the absolute monarchs of Denmark were anointed in its chapel. A great fire in 1859 destroyed most of the interior, sparing only the chapel and the Audience Chamber, and it was the brewer J.C. Jacobsen, founder of Carlsberg, who proposed rebuilding the castle as a museum of national history. The Museum of National History opened in 1878 and is still run by the Carlsberg Foundation. Inside, more than seventy rooms tell around five hundred years of Danish history through portraits, paintings, furniture and decorative arts, arranged in rough chronological order so that a visit becomes a walk through the centuries. The castle chapel is the highlight: a dazzling, gilded Renaissance church with an ebony and silver pulpit and altar, the coats of arms of the knights of the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog on its walls, and a famous organ built in 1610 by Esaias Compenius, which is still played. Upstairs, the Knights' Hall, rebuilt after the fire, is a vast banqueting hall with a carved ceiling. Below the castle, the formal Baroque garden steps down to the lake in terraces and cascades, and it is free to enter. Adults pay around 125 DKK, under-18s enter free, and the castle recommends buying tickets in advance; it is included in the Copenhagen Card.

The rebuilding story is what gives the castle its character. After the fire of 1859, the restoration was paid for by public subscription and above all by Jacobsen, who saw the castle as a monument to the nation, and the Danish history painting collection he commissioned for it, with heroic scenes of kings and battles, is part of the experience. The portrait collection is the most important in Denmark and continues into the present, with modern portraits of the royal family, scientists, writers and sports stars in the top-floor galleries, which can be surprising and fun after centuries of kings in armour. Throughout, the interiors are reconstructions of high quality, furnished with original pieces, so the castle feels lived in rather than empty.

How to visit well: take the S-train to Hillerod, about forty minutes from central Copenhagen, and walk about fifteen minutes through the town to the castle, or take a local bus. Arrive at opening time, go straight to the chapel before tour groups arrive, then follow the rooms in order. Two to three hours inside is enough for most people. Afterwards, cross to the Baroque garden for the view of the castle across the lake, which is the classic photograph. In summer, a small boat crosses the lake, and the town of Hillerod has cafes for lunch. The castle is open daily for much of the year, but hours are shorter in winter, so check the official calendar before you set out.

Frederiksborg combines well with other trips in North Zealand. Kronborg Castle at Helsingor, the setting of Hamlet, is about half an hour away by local train, and together they make a full and satisfying castle day for history lovers, especially with a Copenhagen Card that covers both entries and the trains. Fredensborg Palace, the royal family's spring and autumn residence, is between the two and has a palace garden open to the public. If you have only one day for a castle, choose Frederiksborg for interiors and history, Kronborg for drama and the sea views.