Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark

Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.

The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.

Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment. The castle opened to the public in 1838, and there one could get a tour through the royal family’s history from the time of Christian IV up to the visitor’s own time. Along with the opening, there was a room set up with Frederik VI’s things, even though the king did not die until the following year.

The chronological review and the furnished interiors, which even today are characteristic of Rosenborg, were introduced here for the first time in European museum history. The collection continued to grow, and in the 1960s, the initiative was taken to set up a section at Amalienborg for the newer part of the Royal House. This idea was realised in 1977, and the museum has been housed in rooms at Christian VIII’s Palace since 1994. The line of division between the two sections is set at 1863 so that Rosenborg exhibits the Oldenborg kings and Amalienborg exhibits the Glücksborg monarchs.

References:

Kongehuset.dk

User Reviews

Anastacia (3 years ago)
You can't miss it, especially if you are a foreigner or tourist in Denmark. They have an amazing park outside too where kids can play and you can enjoy fantastic color gardens. You are allowed to sit and picnic on the grass. The castle is located very close to the Botanical Gardens, The Geological Museum and The National Art Gallery.

Eva Milstein-Touesnard (3 years ago)
I absolutely loved this place! I felt it was a bit expensive at first but after going through it, I think it was worth it! It was the perfect size: so much to explore but not too much that you get too tired. I especially loved all the cool old intricate clocks they had, especially the ones that still worked. The top floor is also stunning, it’s a gigantic ballroom with really cool rooms going off of it. Another cool thing is this huge chest that plays music on the hour or every 15 minutes or so (I honestly can’t remember). This is DEFINITELY worth trying to see/hear. It’s amazing to read about it. There’s also all of the royal jewels in the basement which are GORGEOUS. The lighting wasn’t optimal since the building is so old, so the pictures didn’t turn out great.m

Ryan Rothamel (4 years ago)
This was an interesting Castle to visit. It's cool to see how they used to live and what they used to think it was fashionable. You can go downstairs and see something called the treasury where they have all the jewels and wine and swords and weapons. The jewelry was probably my favorite part. I got to see the crown and it was beautiful.

Kendra Lamont (4 years ago)
Really liked this castle. Enjoyed walking through at our own pace. Although you walk through the doorway do not touch the handle..oops. Staff was very nice. Do not forget to go to the basement! Crown jewellery and weaponry very cool.

Sean Geraghty (4 years ago)
Great castle set in a lovely surround of garden right by the botanical gardens. Copenhagen is full of lovely architecture but this was one of my highlights. I never managed to venture inside but the view from afar is fantastic so make sure you view it from inside the park if you are to go. The building itself is grand with lovely architectural features around it.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright joiseyshowaa

Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

Do you know an ancient castle or magnificent church near you?

Why not share it with other people interested in history? You can add your own historic sites and attractions to SpottingHistory.com.

It's absolutely free, easy, and doesn't even need registration!

Upload data

Rosenborg Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

House of the Dragon Filming Locations

Historic Landmarks of Sicily

Rhodes, The Island of Knights

Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

Looks like you are a history fan!