CDK Castles of Denmark
Voergaard
Ti slotte · 1100–2026
Ten castles · 1100–2026

The Castles

The Castles

Et udvalg, ikke en udtømmende katalogisering — ti slotte, fra middelalderens grænsefæstninger til den moderne kongefamilies vinterresidens, præsenteret i den rækkefølge, de kom til verden.

A selection, not an exhaustive catalogue — ten castles, from medieval border fortresses to the modern royal family's winter residence, presented in the order they came into being.

Sønderborg Slot
No. 01 · ca. 1170

Sønderborg

Sønderborg

Als · Sønderjylland
Als · Southern Jutland

Et af Danmarks ældste kongelige slotte. Mure i syv lag — én konges arbejde oven på det forrige.

One of Denmark's oldest royal castles. Walls in seven layers — each king's work on top of the one before.

Sønderborg blev opført som et lille forsvarsanlæg på en høj i Alsund, sandsynligvis under Valdemar den Stores rigsdannelse i 1100-tallet. Det rumvolumen, vi ser i dag, er resultatet af mindst syv større ombygninger frem til 1500-tallet. Hans Tausen — den danske reformations Luther — fungerede her som hofprædikant for Christian III i 1530'erne.

Sønderborg was raised as a small defensive work on a hill above Alsund, probably under Valdemar the Great's consolidation of the kingdom in the 12th century. The volume we see today is the result of at least seven major rebuilds before the 16th century. Hans Tausen — the Luther of the Danish Reformation — served here as court preacher for Christian III in the 1530s.

Slottets navn er for evigt knyttet til kong Christian II, kaldt «Tyrannen», som blev fanget her efter sit nederlag i 1532. Han sad indespærret i 17 år. Folkesagnet siger, at han slibede en fure i gulvet ved at gå rundt om et stenbord — det er ikke sandt, men furen findes faktisk og er endnu synlig i tårnet. Faktisk levede han i forholdsvis komfortable kår, omgivet af bøger og besøg, men adskilt fra magten og fra Danmark.

The castle's name is forever bound to King Christian II, known as "the Tyrant", imprisoned here after his defeat in 1532. He sat locked up for 17 years. Folk legend says he wore a groove in the floor by walking around a stone table — not true, but the groove is real and still visible in the tower. In fact he lived in relative comfort, surrounded by books and visitors, but cut off from power and from Denmark.

I 1864 — under den tabte krig mod Preussen og Østrig — stod det blodige slag ved Dybbøl få kilometer fra slottet. 1.700 danske soldater blev dræbt, og hele Sønderjylland gik tabt til Tyskland i 56 år. Slottet rummer i dag landets vigtigste museum om netop denne krig.

In 1864 — during the lost war against Prussia and Austria — the bloody Battle of Dybbøl was fought a few kilometres from the castle. 1,700 Danish soldiers were killed, and the whole of southern Jutland was lost to Germany for 56 years. Today the castle houses the country's most important museum about this very war.

Koldinghus
No. 02 · 1268

Koldinghus

Kolding · Jylland
Kolding · Jutland

Den sidste kongelige borg i Jylland — brændt af spanske soldater, der ville varme sig.

The last royal castle of Jutland — burned by Spanish soldiers who wanted to warm themselves.

Koldinghus blev rejst som grænsefæstning mod hertugdømmet Slesvig i 1268 under Erik Klipping. I 1500-tallet ombyggede Christian III det til kongelig residens med et imponerende kæmpetårn og en festsal med plads til 100 ridende. Christian IV var her ofte og holdt rigsmøde her i 1614.

Koldinghus was raised as a border fortress against the Duchy of Schleswig in 1268 under Eric Klipping. In the 16th century Christian III rebuilt it into a royal residence with an imposing giant tower and a great hall that could hold 100 mounted men. Christian IV came often and held a national council here in 1614.

Den 29. marts 1808 — under Napoleonskrigene — var slottet besat af spanske hjælpetropper under marskal Bernadotte. Soldaterne frøs. De byggede ild op i kaminerne, fyrede så hårdt, at gnisterne sprang ud, og hele slottet stod i flammer inden midnat. Skader: hele interiøret, alle paradesale, hele kongefløjen. Kun ydermurene stod tilbage.

On 29 March 1808 — during the Napoleonic Wars — the castle was occupied by Spanish auxiliary troops under Marshal Bernadotte. The soldiers were freezing. They built fires in the chimneys, stoked them so hard that sparks flew, and the entire castle was ablaze before midnight. Damage: the whole interior, every state room, the whole royal wing. Only the outer walls remained.

Slottet stod som ruin i over 80 år. Den banebrydende restaurering 1972–94 ved arkitektparret Inger og Johannes Exner blev internationalt rost: i stedet for at rekonstruere det tabte sætter man bevidst nyt ind — store hvide trækonstruktioner, ny tagstol, moderne søjler — så de gamle brandmure forbliver synlige. Det er ikke et restaureret slot. Det er en samtale mellem en brand og en arkitektur.

The castle stood as a ruin for more than 80 years. The pioneering 1972–94 restoration by the architect couple Inger and Johannes Exner won international acclaim: rather than reconstructing what was lost, new is deliberately inserted — great pale timber structures, a new roof, modern columns — so that the old burned walls remain visible. It is not a restored castle. It is a conversation between a fire and an architecture.

Kronborg
No. 03 · 1420 · UNESCO

Kronborg

Helsingør · Sjælland
Helsingør · Zealand

Vagten over Øresund. I 437 år opkrævede dets kanoner told af hvert eneste skib mellem Nordsøen og Østersøen.

The guardian of the Sound. For 437 years its cannons collected dues from every ship between the North Sea and the Baltic.

Den oprindelige borg — Krogen — blev rejst af kong Erik af Pommern omkring 1420 på det smalleste punkt i Øresund, hvor kysten kun er fire kilometer fra Sverige. Krogen var brutal og funktionel. Det var Erik, der indførte Øresundstolden, som de næste fire århundreder betalte for kongedømmet.

The original castle — Krogen — was raised by King Eric of Pomerania around 1420 at the narrowest point of the Øresund, where the coast is only four kilometres from Sweden. Krogen was brutal and functional. It was Eric who introduced the Sound Dues, which for the next four centuries paid for the kingdom.

I 1574 begyndte Frederik II at forvandle borgen til det renæssanceslot, vi kender. Hollænderen Antonis van Obbergen var hovedarkitekt; han hentede sandsten fra Bremen, kobber fra Norge og bjælker fra de fineste danske egeskove. I 1585 stod Kronborg færdigt med kobbertårne, sandstenportaler og en kongesal — Riddersalen — på 62 meter, den længste i Nordeuropa.

In 1574 Frederick II began the transformation of the castle into the Renaissance palace we know. The Dutchman Antonis van Obbergen was chief architect; he brought sandstone from Bremen, copper from Norway and timber from the finest Danish oak forests. In 1585 Kronborg stood completed with copper spires, sandstone portals and a royal hall — the Knights' Hall — 62 metres long, the longest in Northern Europe.

I 1629 brændte næsten hele slottet. I 1658 erobrede den svenske hær det og førte kunstskattene til Stockholm. I 1772 blev dronning Caroline Mathilde fanget her efter Struensee-affæren. Slottet blev fængsel, kaserne, militærdepot — alt undtagen kongelig bolig. Først i det 20. århundrede genåbnede det som museum.

In 1629 nearly the whole castle burned. In 1658 the Swedish army captured it and shipped its art treasures to Stockholm. In 1772 Queen Caroline Matilda was imprisoned here after the Struensee affair. The castle became a prison, a barracks, a military depot — everything except a royal residence. Only in the 20th century did it reopen as a museum.

Og så er der Hamlet. Da Shakespeare skrev sit stykke omkring år 1600, lod han det foregå på Elsinore — sin engelske stavemåde for Helsingør. Han havde aldrig været her, men flere af hans skuespillere havde optrådt ved Frederik IIs hof. Stykket har været opført på slottet hver eneste sommer siden 1816.

And then there is Hamlet. When Shakespeare wrote his play around 1600, he set it in Elsinore — his English spelling of Helsingør. He had never been there, but several of his actors had performed at Frederick II's court. The play has been staged at the castle every summer since 1816.

Egeskov
No. 04 · 1554

Egeskov

Kværndrup · Fyn
Kværndrup · Funen

Europas bedst bevarede vandborg. Hviler på en hel skov.

Europe's best-preserved water castle. Resting on an entire forest.

Egeskov blev opført i 1554 af adelsmanden Frands Brockenhuus, som af gode grunde frygtede borgerkrig: bondeoprøret, der havde rystet Danmark to årtier tidligere, lå frisk i hukommelsen. Han valgte derfor at bygge en privat vandfæstning midt i en lille naturlig sø. Bygherrernes første opgave var fundamentet: tusinder af lange, lodrette egetræsstammer blev banket ned i søens dynd, indtil de stod tæt sammen som tænder. Navnet «Egeskov» fortæller historien — en hel egeskov blev fældet til pælene.

Egeskov was built in 1554 by the nobleman Frands Brockenhuus, who for good reason feared civil war: the peasant uprising that had shaken Denmark two decades earlier was still fresh in memory. He therefore chose to build a private water fortress in the middle of a small natural lake. The builders' first task was the foundation: thousands of long, vertical oak trunks were driven into the lake mud until they stood close together like teeth. The name "Egeskov" — "oak forest" — tells the story: an entire oak forest was felled for the piles.

Selve borgen består af to lange fløje forbundet af en tværfløj. Mellem fløjene blev der oprindeligt placeret en hængebro: hvis fjenden trængte ind i den ene fløj, kunne familien trække sig over til den anden og hejse broen op. Murene har skydeskår, og over tårngangene findes endnu de såkaldte mordhuller — åbninger i loftet, hvorigennem man kunne hælde varm beg eller skydevåben ned på indtrængende.

The castle itself consists of two long wings connected by a transverse wing. Between them a drawbridge was originally placed: if the enemy broke into one wing, the family could withdraw to the other and pull the bridge up. The walls have arrow slits, and above the tower passages are the so-called murder holes — openings in the ceiling through which boiling pitch or firearms could be poured down on intruders.

På slottets loft ligger den lille træfigur «Træmanden». Lokal overlevering siger: hvis han nogensinde flyttes, vil slottet synke i søen. Han er derfor blevet liggende uforstyrret siden 1700-tallet.

In the attic of the castle lies the small wooden figure known as "the Wooden Man". Local tradition says: if he is ever moved, the castle will sink into the lake. He has therefore been left undisturbed since the 18th century.

Frederiksborg
No. 05 · 1602

Frederiksborg

Hillerød · Nordsjælland
Hillerød · North Zealand

Skandinaviens største slotskompleks, bygget på tre øer. Brændt af en røget skorsten. Genrejst af en ølbrygger.

Scandinavia's largest castle complex, built on three islands. Burned by a smoking chimney. Rebuilt by a beer brewer.

Christian IV købte i 1560 en gammel herregård ved en sø i Nordsjælland og lod sin far Frederik II rejse det første Frederiksborg her. Da Christian selv kom på tronen i 1596, var det første, han gjorde, at rive faderens slot ned og rejse et helt nyt — et større, prægtigere, mere ambitiøst. Han hentede de hollandske arkitekter Hans og Lorenz van Steenwinckel, importerede sandsten fra Tyskland og kobber fra Norge, og lod 600 håndværkere arbejde i atten år.

In 1560 Christian IV bought an old manor by a lake in North Zealand and let his father Frederick II raise the first Frederiksborg here. When Christian himself came to the throne in 1596, the first thing he did was tear his father's castle down and raise an entirely new one — larger, grander, more ambitious. He brought in the Dutch architects Hans and Lorenz van Steenwinckel, imported sandstone from Germany and copper from Norway, and let 600 craftsmen work for eighteen years.

Det færdige Frederiksborg dækker tre øer i Slotssøen. Det er kongens private slot — et sted for jagt, fester og kongelige bryllupper. Slotskirken, der har overlevet alle ulykker, er stadig den oprindelige fra 1617. Her er konger blevet salvet siden Christian V.

The finished Frederiksborg covers three islands in the Castle Lake. It is the king's private castle — a place for hunting, feasting and royal weddings. The chapel, which has survived every disaster, is still the original from 1617. Kings have been anointed here since Christian V.

Klokken 22:30 den 17. december 1859 brød ild ud i et soveværelse. En tilstoppet skorsten havde antændt et bjælkeloft. Inden morgenen var næsten hele slottet ødelagt — paradesale, riddersal, biblioteker, malerier. Familien Frederik VII reddede sig ud uskadt.

At 22:30 on 17 December 1859 fire broke out in a bedroom. A blocked chimney had ignited a wooden ceiling. By morning nearly the whole castle was destroyed — state rooms, knights' hall, libraries, paintings. The household of Frederick VII escaped unharmed.

Bryggeren J.C. Jacobsen, manden bag Carlsberg, tilbød at finansiere genopbygningen — mod én ting: at slottet skulle åbnes for offentligheden som Det Nationalhistoriske Museum. Det gav han 2,5 millioner rigsdaler for. Det er en af de største private kulturdonationer nogensinde i Danmark.

The brewer J.C. Jacobsen, the man behind Carlsberg, offered to fund the restoration — on one condition: that the castle should open to the public as the Museum of National History. He paid 2.5 million rigsdaler for it. It remains one of the largest private cultural donations ever made in Denmark.

Rosenborg
No. 06 · 1606

Rosenborg

København · Kongens Have
Copenhagen · The King's Garden

«Vores nye hus», kaldte Christian IV det selv. Det blev hans sidste — og Danmarks rigeste — skatkammer.

"Our new house", Christian IV himself called it. It became his last — and Denmark's richest — treasury.

Rosenborg blev ikke bygget som magtdemonstration men som privat lysthus. I 1606 anlagde den unge Christian IV en grøn park uden for Københavns volde — det, vi i dag kalder Kongens Have — og lod opføre et lille slot inde i den. I starten var det bare ét tårn. I løbet af de næste 28 år tilføjede han endnu et tårn, en fløj, en have, og endnu et tårn. Hver gang han kom hjem fra en byggerejse i Europa, bragte han nye ideer med.

Rosenborg was built not as a demonstration of power but as a private summerhouse. In 1606 the young Christian IV laid out a green park outside the walls of Copenhagen — what we now call the King's Garden — and had a small castle built inside it. At first it was just one tower. Over the next 28 years he added another tower, a wing, a garden and yet another tower. Every time he returned from a building tour in Europe, he brought new ideas.

Slottets indre er nærmest uændret siden Christian IVs tid: smalle vindeltrapper, små rum, lave døre, tunge ege-paneler. Det er fyldt med konkrete, personlige genstande: kongens skydevåben, hans portrætter, hans skrivebord, det blodige tøj han bar, da han blev såret i kampen ved Femern i 1644.

The interior is almost unchanged since Christian IV's day: narrow spiral staircases, small rooms, low doors, heavy oak panels. It is full of concrete, personal objects: the king's firearms, his portraits, his desk, the bloodied clothes he wore when he was wounded in the battle of Fehmarn in 1644.

Dybt under slottet ligger Schatzkammeret: Danmarks kronregalier. Christian IVs kongekrone fra 1596 med atten facetslebne smaragder. Christian Vs salvningskrone fra 1671. Sværdet, scepteret, rigsæblet. Sættet er det eneste i Europa, der ikke har været hverken pantsat eller stjålet — og det bruges stadig ved tronskifte.

Deep beneath the castle lies the Treasury: the Danish Crown Jewels. Christian IV's royal crown from 1596 with eighteen cut emeralds. Christian V's anointing crown from 1671. The sword, the sceptre, the orb. The set is the only one in Europe never to have been pawned or stolen — and is still used at royal succession.

Christiansborg
No. 07 · 1740 / 1828 / 1928

Christiansborg

København · Slotsholmen
Copenhagen · Slotsholmen

Det eneste sted i verden, hvor lovgivende, dømmende og udøvende magt mødes under samme tag — og monarken bor ovenpå.

The only place in the world where legislative, judicial and executive power meet under one roof — with the monarch upstairs.

Det er den tredje version af et slot, der har stået på Slotsholmen i mere end 850 år. Den allerførste — Absalons Borg fra 1167 — gav København sit navn («Køpmannæhavn» betyder «købmandshavn»). Den blev nedrevet og erstattet af Københavns Slot omkring 1370, som igen blev nedrevet og erstattet af det første Christiansborg under Christian VI i 1740.

It is the third version of a palace that has stood on Slotsholmen for more than 850 years. The very first — Absalon's Castle from 1167 — gave Copenhagen its name ("Køpmannæhavn" means "merchant's harbour"). It was demolished and replaced by Copenhagen Castle around 1370, which was again demolished and replaced by the first Christiansborg under Christian VI in 1740.

Den 26. februar 1794 brændte det første Christiansborg. Den 3. oktober 1884 brændte det andet. Kun slotskirken fra 1826 overlevede den anden brand — og brændte så selv i 1992 under en forsoringsulykke. Det tredje og nuværende slot stod færdigt i 1928 efter 21 års byggeri ved arkitekten Thorvald Jørgensen. Det er bygget over de gamle fundamenter; man kan stadig gå ned i ruinerne under nutiden.

On 26 February 1794 the first Christiansborg burned. On 3 October 1884 the second burned. Only the palace chapel from 1826 survived the second fire — and itself burned in 1992 in a fireworks accident. The third and current palace was completed in 1928 after 21 years of construction by the architect Thorvald Jørgensen. It is built on the old foundations; one can still descend into the ruins beneath the present.

Slottets tårn er Danmarks højeste — 106 meter, ti centimeter højere end Vor Frelsers Kirkes spir. Når Folketinget er samlet, vajer det danske flag på toppen.

The palace tower is Denmark's tallest — 106 metres, ten centimetres higher than the spire of Our Saviour's Church. When the Folketing is in session, the Danish flag flies from the top.

Amalienborg
No. 08 · 1760

Amalienborg

København · Frederiksstaden
Copenhagen · Frederiksstaden

Fire identiske rokokopalæer omkring en ottekantet plads. Bygget af adelen — overtaget af monarken — bebos endnu af kongen.

Four identical Rococo mansions around an octagonal square. Built by nobles — taken over by the monarch — still inhabited by the king.

Amalienborg er resultatet af en byudviklingsplan. I 1749 fejrede Det Oldenborgske kongehus 300 års jubilæum, og Frederik V besluttede at lade en helt ny bydel anlægge nord for det daværende København. Hans hofbygmester Nicolai Eigtved tegnede en regulær plan med en stor oktogonal plads i centrum, fire identiske palæer i hjørnerne af pladsen — bestilt af fire forskellige adelsfamilier — og en akse, der peger ud mod havet, hvor den uafsluttede Marmorkirke skulle rejses som klimaks.

Amalienborg is the result of a city-planning vision. In 1749 the House of Oldenburg celebrated its 300th anniversary, and Frederick V decided to lay out an entirely new district north of the existing Copenhagen. His court architect Nicolai Eigtved drew a regular plan: a great octagonal square in the centre, four identical palaces at its corners — commissioned by four different noble families — and an axis pointing out to the harbour where the unfinished Marble Church would later rise as climax.

Palæerne stod færdige omkring 1760 og blev bolig for grever og hertuger. Men da Christiansborg brændte i februar 1794, måtte kongefamilien finde et nyt hjem hurtigt. De købte palæerne på Amalienborg den samme uge og flyttede ind. Det skulle være en midlertidig løsning. Den blev permanent. I dag er Amalienborg den kongelige families officielle vinterresidens.

The mansions were completed around 1760 and became homes for counts and dukes. But when Christiansborg burned in February 1794, the royal family had to find a new home fast. They bought the Amalienborg mansions the same week and moved in. It was supposed to be temporary. It became permanent. Today Amalienborg is the royal family's official winter residence.

De fire palæer hedder hver sit: Christian VIIs Palæ (officielle gæstebolig), Frederik VIIIs Palæ (kongens), Christian IXs Palæ (dronning Margrethes) og Christian VIIIs Palæ (Amalienborgmuseet). Hver dag kl. 12 marcherer Den Kongelige Livgarde fra Rosenborgs kaserne til Amalienborg for at skifte vagt.

The four mansions each have their own name: Christian VII's Palace (official guest residence), Frederick VIII's Palace (the king's), Christian IX's Palace (Queen Margrethe's) and Christian VIII's Palace (the Amalienborg Museum). Every day at noon the Royal Life Guard marches from Rosenborg's barracks to Amalienborg to change the watch.

Gråsten Slot
No. 09 · 1700

Gråsten

Gråsten

Sønderjylland
Southern Jutland

Det hvide slot ved søen i syd — dronning Ingrids yndlingssted, kongefamiliens sommer.

The white castle by the lake in the south — Queen Ingrid's favourite place, the royal family's summer.

Gråsten har en længere brandhistorie end de fleste. Det første slot på stedet brændte i 1603, det andet i 1757. Det nuværende — et hvidt barokt anlæg ved Gråsten Sø — er stort set fra det sene 1700-tal, med en kerne af det ældre fra 1600-tallet, hvor slotskirken er bevaret.

Gråsten has a longer record of fires than most. The first castle on the site burned in 1603, the second in 1757. The present one — a white Baroque complex by Gråsten Lake — is largely from the late 18th century, with a core of the older 17th-century building, where the chapel survives.

I 1935 modtog kronprinsesse Ingrid, kong Frederik IXs hustru, slottet som bryllupsgave fra den danske stat. Hun forelskede sig i stedet og gjorde det til familiens sommerbolig. Det er det stadig: kong Frederik X og dronning Mary tilbringer dele af sommeren her hvert år. Når kongefamilien er hjemme, vajer Splitflaget — den kongelige standart — over slottet, og slotshaverne åbnes for publikum.

In 1935 Crown Princess Ingrid, wife of King Frederick IX, received the castle as a wedding gift from the Danish state. She fell in love with the place and made it the family's summer home. It still is: King Frederick X and Queen Mary spend parts of every summer here. When the royal family is in residence, the split-flag — the royal standard — flies over the castle, and the gardens are opened to the public.

Den specielle danske kålvariant «Gråsten-kålen», som blev udviklet af slotsgartneren i 1800-tallet og siden formeret videre i de kongelige haver, vokser stadig i køkkenhaven om somrene.

The peculiar Danish cabbage variety "Gråsten cabbage", developed by the castle gardener in the 19th century and propagated ever since in the royal gardens, still grows in the kitchen garden each summer.

Marselisborg Slot
No. 10 · 1902

Marselisborg

Aarhus · Jylland
Aarhus · Jutland

Det yngste danske kongelige slot — bygget af en by til en konge, ikke omvendt.

The youngest Danish royal castle — built by a city for a king, not the other way around.

I 1898 forlovede den senere kong Christian X sig med prinsesse Alexandrine af Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Aarhus by — som dengang stadig var en lille provinsby — besluttede at give parret en bryllupsgave, der kunne måle sig med det, hovedstaden ville tilbyde. Indbyggerne indsamlede penge ved hjælp af en folkesubskription. Resultatet blev Marselisborg: et hvidt slot i nyklassicisme, tegnet af arkitekten Hack Kampmann, og rejst på Hovedgårdsbakke syd for byen.

In 1898 the later King Christian X became engaged to Princess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The city of Aarhus — then still a small provincial town — decided to give the couple a wedding gift that could match what the capital would offer. The inhabitants raised the money through a public subscription. The result was Marselisborg: a white castle in neoclassicism, designed by the architect Hack Kampmann, raised on Hovedgårdsbakke south of the city.

Slottet bruges som efterårs- og påskeresidens af den kongelige familie. Når kongen er hjemme, hejses Splitflaget. Slotsparken og haverne er åbne for offentligheden, når familien ikke opholder sig her.

The castle is used as autumn and Easter residence by the royal family. When the king is in residence, the royal split-flag is hoisted. The castle park and gardens are open to the public when the family is not present.

Geografi
Geography

Hvor de ligger

Where they stand

Hovedstaden The capital

København

  • Rosenborg
  • Christiansborg
  • Amalienborg
Nordsjælland North Zealand

Sjælland

  • Kronborg · Helsingør
  • Frederiksborg · Hillerød
  • Fredensborg
  • Dragsholm
Fyn & øer Funen & isles

Fyn

  • Egeskov · Kværndrup
  • Nyborg Slot
  • Valdemars Slot · Tåsinge
Jylland Jutland

Jylland

  • Koldinghus · Kolding
  • Marselisborg · Aarhus
  • Voergaard · Vendsyssel
  • Spøttrup · Salling
Sønderjylland Southern Jutland

Syd

  • Gråsten Slot
  • Sønderborg · Als
  • Schackenborg · Møgeltønder
Østersøen The Baltic

Bornholm

  • Hammershus