(Copenhagen, Denmark)

The first castle I visited in Denmark was the Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød. It goes way, way back in history.  The next castle on my list was Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen (seen from the north entrance above).  While nowhere near as large as Frederiksborg, it was also more “up-to-date” and reflected royal life in the relatively less-distant past.

What surprised me the most about Rosenborg was how much *stuff* the royals had.  The jewels, the knick-knacks, the dishes, the paintings cluttering  up the walls…it all seems to have been kept and even huge castles were not big enough to hold it all.  It was also clear that Asia held a particular fascination for the Danish royal family, as many objects are from Asia and the decor of many rooms can be described as “Asian-inspired”.

Rosenborg was built as a “pleasure palace” (to quote the brochure) by Christian IV in the early 1600s.  As it turns out, it was no longer used as a residence by the 1700s…instead, it was where the kings placed their most treasured possessions.  It became an actual museum by 1838, so that the public could also see these treasures.

There were a few items that disclosed some personality.  Apparently, Frederik III was a bit of a prankster, as he had a special chair that he would encourage guests to use.  Upon being seated, the guest would be grabbed by clamps hidden in the armrests.  The guest would also be soaked in the seat with water running from a holder in the backrest.  It is difficult to think of any current monarchs who might employ a similar device with their guests.  However, I welcome any clarification from readers who have received such treatment from royalty.

The most impressive room was, not surprisingly, the Great Hall.  It is the best lit room and glitters from the shiny tiles and an abundance of gold and silver.  Silver lions protect the thrones, which themselves are made of narwhal tusk and silver.

I’d have to say that the royal crowns were the most impressive items.  These are under heavy security in the basement treasury but I was still able to take extreme close-up photographs of them.  The most ornate is Christian IV’s crown from 1596.  But, like cars, even crowns can be replaced by lighter and sleeker models.  A subsequent display showed Christian V’s crown from 1671 (which remained in use for nearly two centuries) and the queen’s crown dating from 1731.  These looked like they would be much more comfortable to wear, for those so inclined.

While history is interesting, one has to be careful about overdoing it while traveling.  To provide some balance, I visited one of the most famous amusement parks in the world that same evening.  All the details are coming up in my next post!