Europe Explored » Castles

Egeskov Castle – the most beautiful Renaissance water castle in Europe | Denmark

Claire — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:51:27 +0000

Egeskov Castle (Egeskov Slot) is located in Denmark and is considered the best preserved and also the most beautiful Renaissance water castle in Europe. This cultural and historical monument is the second most visited place in the island of Funen. The castle is situated in the southern part of the island, between Svendborg and Odense cities.

Egeskov Castle was built in 1544 on oak stilts in the middle of the water.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Rico Bergholdt Hansen

The castle is still inhabited so only few room are available to the tourists. Old family history is often completely in contrast with modern times. In addition to a painting of modern art which hangs above the old stone fireplace, but also in one of the rooms, you can find the superman costume (the original costume from the first Hollywood film) right next to grandfather’s armor. It is hard to overlook also a collection of dolls with the faces of some female members of the royal family. Among them are the first and second wife of the current landowner. Dolls have a beautiful house, which was designed by a retired soldier for his granddaughter. It took him 7 years. Everything is invented in the greatest detail.

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The water area is surrounded by a beautiful park with a labyrinth. There is a beautiful herb garden waiting for lovers of spices and herbs. You will find a lot of museums here, café, gift shop and other traders who want to capitalize on tourism.

You can stay overnight in the camping that is just near the castle. It is only available for tents and is completely free.

Egeskov Castle is open daily from May to September (from 10:00am to 5:00pm, during the summer even longer) and basic admission is €21.

For further details see the official website of Egeskov Castle.

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Kronborg Castle in Denmark – the place of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy Hamlet

Claire — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 08:24:54 +0000

If you take the ferry from Helsingør to Helsinborg, it’s hard to miss the fortified castle of Kronborg at the coast. It became famous mainly because its corridors and rooms were used for William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. It is known as Elsinor in Shakespeare’s tragedy. That’s why the most of tourists are from England.

The Kronborg castle has been one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. The castle was originally used to collect duties, and was later rebuilt to Renaissance castle. However it is important to note, that Renaissance means something else in Italy and something else in Scandinavia. Later the castle was used as barracks for two centuries.

You can save a tour of the interior. After the fire, there is not much remained to be seen inside. It is best to walk along the sea and the view from the ship.

Kronborg Castle has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list in 2000.

History of Kronborg Castle

In 1420s the fortress, Krogen, was built by the Danish king, Eric of Pomerania.
In 1585 was rebuilt by Frederick II into a magnificent Renaissance castle and renamed to Kronborg.
In 1629 the castle was totally burned due to some mistake of two workers.
In 1639 the castle was restored by Christian IV, but the interior never fully regained its former glory.
From 1688-1690, an advanced line of defence and ramparts were built around it, which made Kronborg Castle the strongest fortress in Europe.
From 1739 until the 1900s, Kronborg was used as a prison.

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Frederiksborg Palace in Denmark – the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia

Claire — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 12:31:36 +0000

Magnificent Frederiksborg Palace (or castle) is situated on the shores of the lake Slotsø near the town of Hillerød. King Christian IV. began with the construction of the Renaissance chateau in the early 17th century. He built a beautiful palace with the castle church. By 1840 all Danish kings were crowned there. On the walls of the church there are characters and coats of arms of the most famous noble families. The church has also been used as Knight’s Chapel for the Order of the Elephant and the Order of the Dannebrog.

Since 1848, Denmark is a constitutional monarchy and kings have not been crowned any more. In 1859 there was a large fire in the castle and the majority of the castle has been destroyed. Restoration has been proceeded with the intention to build a museum of Danish history in the castle. Tourists now pass through magnificently furnished rooms which are divided into different time periods, and can see the rich history of the Danish kingdom. The castle is richly equipped with paintings, furniture and interior decorative accessories. Frederiksborg is the Denmark’s largest gallery of portraits of all kings and queens from the year 1500, along with hundreds of other prominent Danish people.

Frederiksborg Palace is surrounded by a lake and park, which consists of a Baroque French garden and English park. From May to September, you can take tour boat around the castle. The start point is near the main square with city hall and the finish at the castle gardens.

The castle is located in the town of Hillerød, the final lines of the S-train. The city’s history is closely linked to the castle. Before castle construction there stood only a few village houses. Soon the city grew and became a center of commerce. Even today you can do shopping here, as well as in the center of Copenhagen, all the major companies have their own clothing shops here in the shopping street.

Hillerød is a vibrant town with 35,000 inhabitants and a beautiful castle, which is its greatest attraction.

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