Fredensborg between Castle History, Art and Lake Esrum

At the heart of Fredensborg stands Fredensborg Castle, which was built from 1719 to 1722 as a smaller pleasure palace for the king. The castle contains a Baroque dining room dating from the construction period in 1722. Fredensborg Castle is normally closed to the public, but it opens for guided tours in summer. The public part of the Fredensborg Castle Gardens is accessible to visitors at all times. In Nordmandsdalen in the castle gardens stand 70 sculptures of Norwegian and Faroese farmers, fishermen and other subjects of the king.

Culture and history

Nivaagaard's Collection of Paintings became a self-governing institution with public access through a foundation deed dated 30 September 1908. The collection displays portraits from the Renaissance, Baroque and the Danish Golden Age. Among the works mentioned is Giovanni Bellini's “Portrait of a Young Man”, dated to around 1490. The present-day Fredensborg Municipality is also home to the Fredensborg Museum in Avderød, a local history museum about the municipality's people, objects and places. In the schoolroom there, children and adults can experience how their great-grandparents wrote with pen and ink or on slates with slate pencils.

Routes and walks

The experience routes in Fredensborg form an interconnected system of more than 5 kilometres. It connects local paths, passages and historic road layouts with the straight Baroque axes of the castle park. Brass plaques set into the ground tell stories about the royal family, architecture and notable people from the town. The Queen's Round leads through Kokkedal, Nivå, Humlebæk and Fredensborg in Fredensborg Municipality. In Nivå, a historical audio walk is approximately 2.5 kilometres long, takes about 1.5 hours and includes nine stops. The different route lengths and the stated duration make the paths comparable in terms of their time requirements.

A 5-kilometre walking route through the Fredensborg Castle Gardens begins in front of Fredensborg Castle, follows the shore of Lake Esrum to the rear of the castle and returns along Kancellihuset. The castle gardens are located in Kongernes Nordsjælland National Park. Højsager Mill is open on selected dates during the summer season; volunteers explain the mill and, when there is sufficient wind, demonstrate how it operates. In 1985, Højsager Mill was ready to reopen as a museum mill and landmark of the municipality.

Art, mills and crafts

In Fredensborg Municipality, Karlebo Mill is a Dutch-style windmill built in 1835. Also in the municipality, Nivaagaard Brickworks Ring Kiln was built in 1870. A guided visit to the ring kiln complex can be extended with a visit and lesson in the smithy, where the blacksmith explains and demonstrates the traditional craft. The Sculpture Park at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art contains around 50 permanent works that form a significant part of the Louisiana experience throughout the year.

Lake Esrum and its surroundings

Bådfarten Esrum Sø offers boat trips with views of the Fredensborg Castle Gardens and Gribskov. A round trip travels from Skipperhuset past Sørup, a bird sanctuary, and Nødebo Holt to Dronningens Bøge, then returns along the castle park side to Skipperhuset. At Lake Esrum, visitors can swim, go for walks, watch birds, fish and take trips by kayak, canoe, SUP and boat. Sørup Is & Kaffestue serves ice cream made the traditional way from fresh ingredients.

To the higher-level travel overview: The Capital Region.

More destinations in Fredensborg

More places to help plan your trip:

Niverød.

More destinations

More places under the same destination:

Høje-Taastrup Municipality, Vallensbæk, Rudersdal Municipality, Frederikssund.