Frederiksborg Slot in Hillerød, Denmark
Frederiksborg Slot or Frederiksborg Castle sits on three islets of Castle Lake in Hillerød. In 1560, King Frederik II began building the first part of the castle but it was really between 1600 and 1620 that the king’s son, Christian IV demolished the original castle and built what we see today. The castle was used as a royal residence for about a hundred years. The gardens were established in 1720 and by the end of the 18th century, the castle was used to house the royal portaits. Others would come and go and royal couples would use the castle as their home. Since 1878, the castle is home to The Museum of National History, which is the major attractor for visitors to learn about Danish history and meander the castle halls.
Having been to our fair share of castles and palaces, there’s something so grand about this one. The sheer size of it is one thing. The thoughtfully curated collections also showcase up to five centuries of Danish history through art, furniture, and more. We love their more modern art collection too.
While the Little Ferry wasn’t running when we visited, we can imagine that the ride from town towards palace grounds is a blissful one. According to their website, the ferry is active when both flags are up at Hillerød Square and the Baroque Garden and the price is 40 DKK for adults and 10 DKK for children. We’re remiss we couldn’t try this, but next time!
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Travel
Frederiksborg Slot 10, 3400 Hillerød, Denmark
Coordinates: 55.9350° N, 12.3013° E
Cost & Admission
The museum is open every day 10 am - 5 pm
Individual Tickets Here
We used the Copenhagen card, which includes transportation and entry tickets to many attractions here.
Food
Check out Cafe Havehuset after you wander through the castle and gardens.
Activities
Exploring, walking, historic palace
Tips
The palace is deceptively large and the grounds are equally large. Assuming you take the train into Hillerød, it’s a bit of a walk through town towards the palace. Wear comfortable shoes and map out the journey if walking might post an issue.