Frederiksborg Castle: Denmark’s Renaissance Treasure

In this installment of ‘Larger Than Life: Architecture Through the Ages,’ we visit a stunning castle.

Frederiksborg Castle is located on three small islets in Hillerod, about 19 miles north of Copenhagen. Designed in the Flemish and Dutch Renaissance style, the three-winged castle is constructed out of red bricks with light sandstone details, and features towering spires and sweeping gables. The towers, moat, and lake give the four-story building a fairy-tale appearance. LMSpencer/Shutterstock

Set on three islands surrounded by a fairytale-like lake and beautiful gardens in Denmark, Frederiksborg Castle is one of the most magnificent castles in the world and the largest Renaissance complex in Scandinavia. Once the residence of Danish royalty, Frederiksborg Castle is now home to the Danish National History Museum.

Originally, Frederiksborg was a hunting lodge, acquired in 1560 by King Frederik II in Hillerod, north of Copenhagen. Between 1600 and 1620, Frederik’s son, Christian IV, transformed the property into an elegant Renaissance royal palace, which became a royal residence until the next century. Christian IV commissioned sumptuous decorative elements such as the Neptune Fountain and the Marble Gallery to display his status as a powerful and wealthy European monarch.