Copenhagen, Denmark

A trio of castles. Tuesday 4th June 2019

We are blessed with warm, dry weather again. Our guide mentioned it had been 5 days ago that it was so cold she had to wear gloves and today we were wearing t-shirts. 

I choose to visit the historic three Danish Royal residences, steeped in history and legends. Before heading out of the city of Copenhagen, we visited the most popular tourist attraction in Denmark, the Little Mermaid. It is a sculpture dedicated to the fictional character in Hans Christan Andersen's novel of the same name. One the peninsular on the other side of the Little Mermaid is a huge rubbish incinerator made with a sloped roof to enable people to ski on the grassy slopes. Apparently Denmark now has little waste and takes rubbish from England as a form of income. 

In the harbour I could see the Danish Royal yacht moored after returning yesterday from a 4 day sail around the islands of Denmark. 

On the way to the first castle we travelled through beautiful green countryside with lots of thick woodland and crops. The guide explained two thirds of the Danish crops are exported. 

The first castle Frederiksborg Castle built in the 17th century and now used as the National Portrait Gallery. The castle had been destroyed by fire in the 19th century and repaired by the owner of Carlsburg Brewery. When Tsar Peter the Great visited the castle he marvelled at the gardens in the grounds of Frederiksborg and decided to model them for his Peterhof Castle. The chapel here is used by the local township parishioners as their local church.

Entrance to Frederiksborg Castle. When the Swed's captured Denmark during one of their wars, they took the fountain and all the transportable treasures from the castle.

                                                     Courtyard inside the castle.

                          The ornate 3D images in the Rose or The Knight's Room.

                                                The Chapel. Dating from 1680's.
                   The local townsfolk are able to use this chapel to attend church.

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                                                                Blue tooth stone!
                                                                   The original

The gardens of Frederiksborg Castle. Peterhof Gardens are modelled off these.

                                                           In the Great Hall.

From Frederiksborg Castle we at an inn for a traditional Danish lunch of herrings and cold meats.

Fredensborg Castle. Where the current Queen Margarete of Sweden Resides.

Swedish Queens Guard.

                                                      Traditional cold lunch.

Various styles of preparing herrings.

                                                        In the Gl.Humlebael Kro.

                      Canons overlooking the sea between Denmark and Sweden.

                                        Kronborg Castle behind a series of moats.

                                        In the inner courtyard of Kronborg Castle.

                                   Actor as Horatio guiding us through the castle.

                                                     Entrench to inner courtyard.

                                                             Alas poor Yorrick!

                                                      62 metre long ballroom

                                              original style fisherman's houses.

Staircase in Kronborg Castle.

After lunch we stopped of to view the outside of Fredensborg Castle, apparently one of the grandest castles in Scandinavia, known as the Danish Versailles. The Queen of Denmark was in residence, so we could see more than triple the Royals Guards protecting the castle. This is were Prince Frederick and Princess Mary lived for 5 years after they were married before moving into Copenhagen. 

The last and the further est castle we visited was Kronborg Castle, immortalized by Shakespeare in Hamlet. We had a guide dressed as Horatio who escorted through the castle with tales and quotes from Hamlet. Up spiral staircases and through huge grand rooms to finally arrive at a massive ballroom/stateroom on the 3th floor. 

It is here were we can easily see across the waterway to Sweden, only (I think) 3 miles apart.  This was were the Danish Jews were secreted in rowing boats, across to Sweden during WW11. 

Also before walking across the 3 moats to Kronborg Castle we saw the remains of the ship building industry which had been very productive up to the last 20 years. The old dry dock is now an unusual Maritime Museum, built instead of in it but across.

I had a great day full of beautiful scenery and history. And the weather was perfect. I only wore a jacket to walk around the outside of Kronborg Castle.