The first historical mention of Gavnø is in King Valdemar's census book from 1231 where a 'house on Gavnø' is mentioned. The house was apparently a castle built to defend Denmark's western coasts. In the 15th century, Queen Margaret I opened St Agnes' Priory there, catering for nuns from aristocratic families. The chapel can still be seen in the castle's southern wing although it has since been extended.

In 1737, Count Otto Thott acquired Gavnø. He renovated and substantially extended the castle, creating today's three-winged, yellow-facaded building in the Rococo style where he was able to house his large collections of paintings, manuscripts and books. At his death, his library collection contained over 120,000 volumes, exceeding that of the Danish National Library. The park surrounding the castle is known for its rare trees, rose garden and, above all, its extensive display of bulbs.

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Address

Gavnø 2, Næstved, Denmark
See all sites in Næstved

Details

Founded: 1737
Category: Castles and fortifications in Denmark
Historical period: Absolutism (Denmark)

Rating

4.2/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Troels Eskildsen (2 years ago)
It's a nice park to stroll, but the entrance fee is overpriced. Here are some reasons: - Castle is poorly maintained with limited descriptions of what you see, the smell inside is musty and old. - The tamed animals were a shame, there was only one goat - and it wasn't a mountain goat as described on the sign. You can find other places were the entrance fee of 20€ gives you more value for your money.
Jesper Trasborg (2 years ago)
Very nice garden with pleasant casual atmosphere. Choices and freshness of food in cafe could be better. You can bring you own food and drinks though.
Andrey (2 years ago)
Park looks nice. The open part of castle is rather small. The collection of paintings is interesting, but you should be really fan of that specific style. I think the admission fee is a bit high, comparing to size of the castle and park.
Cristina Caraene (2 years ago)
Very beautiful place, recomand to visit especially if you like flowers. You can have a picnic if you want and children can play on a beautiful playground
Sridhar Jayakumar (2 years ago)
The go fly is a great place but the castle and garden was not spectacular . . The butterfly garden was closed . . There was only a couple of goats in the tamed animals section. . Could just spend the whole day at the go fly instead. .
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