After spending almost a month camping, swimming and enjoying friends and rural delights on the Danish Island of Bornholm, we'd like to "wow" our 9 year old daughter, who is a huge fan of castle/royalty/jewel themed stories.... We'll be visiting the Viking Ship Museum, Tivoli at night, and boat tour the Kanal too, but I'll figure that stuff out. I'd like advice on which castle might impress the most (Frederiksborg?), and the guard change at Amalienborg. Not much interest in historical paintings, documents etc., but in crowns, gowns, ballrooms, royal coaches and the like... I seem to remember reading about a museum of royal coaches somewhere in Cph, but am appealing to the community in order to cut down lots of research time - and have the benefit of your first-hand experience... Thanks to all who reply!
Posted by
Copenhagen, Denmark
265 posts
Of the tree castles/palaces, Frederiksborg, Kronborg and Rosenborg, I would say that Frederiksborg is the most impressive. It has a huge ballroom, many paintings and relics, and a very nice overall decor in nice surroundings. Kronborg is more rustic, as it has been raided and plundered several times in history. So much of the decor of Kronborg is gone, including many of the marvellous ceilings. Rosenborg is also very nice, but it is quite small and does not have the grandness that Frederiksborg has. On the other hand, Rosenborg features the crown jewels, which are vey fascinating. Except for the change of the guard, Amalienborg is not very interesting from a visitors point of view, as you can't really visit the palace from the inside, only a small part of the inside is accessible to the public, as it that has been converted into a museum. Maybe the museum, you are referring to is the The Royal Danish Arsenal Museum (www.thm.dk). But this is more about old cannons and other weapons.
Posted by
Myrtle Beach, USA
12313 posts
In order, I'd probably put Rosenborg first. It's relatively small and includes the crown jewels. It's also easiest to reach (walking distance from Amalienborg) and has a park around it. We liked Kronborg. The casemates were great and might be really interesting to your daughter. With a flashlight, there are messages written in reflective paint that tell about the place. It's fun to look around for more "hidden" messages. We didn't go to Frederiksborg. They were doing maintenance on the train line (which made the trip significantly longer). I guess I'll have to see it next time. There is also a basement area under Amalienborg that is the original castle but it's not particularly exciting. The changing of the guard isn't very dramatic. We watched but had more fun talking to one of the police who were providing security. He wanted us to know they were real soldiers and all do tours in wars. We asked if we could take a picture with a soldier; his response was funny, "Yes, but you can't get any closer than this (holding out his arm). They will warn you once but, if you get too close again, they will shoot you - that's for shore."
Posted by
Ojai, CA
591 posts
Frederiksborg is the one to see, It's everthing a castle should be.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1068 posts
When I was 9, Fredericksborg would have blown me away. Heck, it blew me away as an adult! Even the church is highly ornate, wildly Baroque, and gilt-encrusted! The gardens are lovely, the ballroom is lovely... the building just looks like the perfect Renaissance palace. (Not castle - this is a residence, not a fort. Don't expect King Arthur-style medieval crenellations. Instead, it has pointy fairytale-esque turrets. It's GORGEOUS.) I haven't been to the museum of royal coaches for almost 30 years.... but my memory is of absolutely lovely, highly polished old vehicles, lovingly preserved, and very impressive. It is on Slotsholmen island, very near the Christianborg palace. The little mermaid is a hike, but for a 9 year old, might be a must-see.