Rosenborg Castle

 (A multi-part recap of my recent Scandinavia trip.)

The date was June 5th - not only my Rick Steves tour's last full day in Copenhagen, it was also Constitution Day in Denmark.  Despite this national holiday, on tap for the morning was a visit to the famous Rosenborg Castle.

Rosenborg Castle

Our tour guide Nina told us the Danes don't do much to celebrate Constitution Day.  A few stores might be closed but otherwise, it was business as usual.  As my tour-mates and I gathered that morning and began our walk towards Rosenborg Castle I certainly didn't see many shuttered shops.

The group walking through the Nyhavn District

Rosenborg Castle was built as a summer home for King Christian IV in the 1600s.  His favorite castle, the king spent a lot of time at Rosenborg, even choosing to die there.  Open to the public for tours, it now displayed the Danish crown jewels and lots of King Christian IV memorabilia.

Selfie in motion

My friends and I enjoyed a pleasant morning walk, through the colorful buildings of the Nyhavn district, and then past many retail shops, restaurants and bars.  After about 15 minutes of strolling, our group reassembled under a large brick arch on the corner of two busy streets.  This was the entrance to Rosenborg Castle Gardens.

Window display for Constitution Day

Rosenborg Castle was surrounded by a huge park, called Rosenborg Castle Gardens (also known as "Kings Garden" or "Kongens Have" in Danish.)  Before my tour group could get to the castle, we had to walk through this massive green space.  

Entrance to Rosenborg Gardens

Established in the 17th century as the private gardens of King Christian IV, this area initially provided fruits, vegetables and flowers for the royal household.  Later, the gardens were expanded to include a maze and footpath system with an octagonal summer house in the center.  By 1710, the Royal family began to frequent other accommodations, so the Kings Garden was opened up for public use and enjoyment.

Statue in the park

Currently, Rosenborg Castle Gardens is the oldest and most visited park in Copenhagen.  It features beautifully tended formal gardens, wide tree-lined footpaths, cafes, a playground, and event spaces.  The park is 12 hectares in size, (roughly 29.5 acres) giving plenty of room for people to spread out.

The park is surrounded by a residential area

We passed by a few interesting statues, but I didn't have time to check out who or what they commemorated.  As per my usual tour modus operandi, I just snapped a quick image and ran to catch up with the group.

Beautiful rose garden

The park was surrounded on all sides by colorful residential buildings.  Imagine living just across this street from this lovely park!

Stately row of trees

Then Nina led the group to a large grassy area, and there before us was Rosenborg Castle!   It was quite an impressive sight, rising skyward with its red-brown brick exterior and two tall towers capped by green spires.

The castle!

It was such a grand sight, Nina took the opportunity to gather us together for a group picture.  She chose a great backdrop.  And what a fine looking bunch of travelers! 

Group photo in front of the castle

The castle's front entrance was framed by twin lion sculptures, this mighty beast being a symbol of Denmark.  The country's coat of arms features three blue lions on a golden shield.

Twin lions guard the castle entrance

And of course the castle was surrounded by a wide moat (because what kind of castle would it be if there wasn't a moat?)

And of course it had a moat!

Off to one side of the castle and moat was a large, formal garden surrounded by perfectly shaped box hedges.  This was the castle's rose garden.

Another view of the moat

Nina led our group into this beautiful place.  The garden itself featured low bushes shaped into "X" configurations with flowers planted in between.  Although many of the roses had yet to bloom, a vibrant purple flower was currently the star of the show.

Lovely garden adjacent to the castle

The castle views from this garden were mighty fine!

The purple flowers were beautiful

Castle close-up

Zoomed-in flower photo

At one end of the rose garden was a large statue of a woman.  This was Queen Caroline Amalie, who was married to King Christian VIII and ruled as queen between 1839 and 1848.

Queen Caroline Amalie statue

Queen Caroline Amalie was known for her works of charity, founding a poor house and chairing projects to benefit poor orphans and sick women in childbirth.  She used her position to encourage other female members of the nobility and upper class to pursue philanthropic causes.  Her example made it acceptable for women to seek public and political roles in Danish society. 

A closer look at the statue

Nice castle view from the garden

After spending a few minutes gawking around the garden and taking photos (of course, it was mainly me doing the lions share of the photography!) it was time for our group to head to the castle entrance a meet up with a local guide for our tour.

Waiting outside for our local guide

After a few minutes standing outside the castle, we were introduced to our local guide, Steffen.  He reminded me a bit of the character "Niles" on the TV show Frazier.  The man was fashionably dressed in a beige sportscoat, bright red pants, and loafers without socks.  He looked very European!  

Heading inside the castle

I could tell right away Steffen was going to be an amazing guide.  He was knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.  Steffen led our group down a wide walkway, under an arch, and into Rosenborg Castle.

 

Our guide, Steffen explaining a castle room

Our first stop was the Winter Room, which was currently under renovation.  Even though the place had been demo'd down to the studs and filled with scaffolding, we got a glimpse of the large fireplace that dominated the room.  This chamber was where King Christian IV spent most of the winter months.  Because it was a huge effort to heat every part of the castle, the occupants would withdraw into a small number of rooms and kept only those areas warm.

What a ceiling!

From the torn-apart space of the Winter Room, our tour next stepped into the fabulously ornate Queen's bedroom.  The floor was a checkboard of colorful inlaid marble, the wall paneled in wood, but it was the ceiling that really stole the show.  Full of intricate white stucco sculptures, it was interspersed with beautiful painted artwork.

Ceiling details

And even more ceiling details

And then it was on to Christian IV's bedroom.  This room was just as opulent as you'd expect a king's bedroom to be.  The walls were covered in red and gold tapestries with family portraits hung in between.  The ceiling was exquisitely painted with cherubs and other figures.

The rooms were opulently decorated

Ruling Denmark for 50 years (1588-1648), King Christian IV was a man who lived large.  He was a skilled horseman, avid hunter, spoke several languages, and had a reputation for being a passionate extrovert.  The king was also known for throwing huge banquets and having numerous romantic affairs, fathering 25 children between two wives and three mistresses.

Mirror selfie

The Danes regard King Christian IV as one of their greatest monarchs.  Christian IV reformed the government, rebuilt the army, established a trading post in India, took Kalmar from the Swedes, and captured portions of northern Germany.  The king was also famous for his bravery in battle.

Kim and I look like we're up to no good

A nearby glass case displayed blood-stained clothing worn by Christian IV when he was wounded in a 1644 naval battle against Sweden.  An explosion riddled the king's body with shrapnel.  However, he jumped right back up and carried on, despite having a piece of shrapnel in his eye.  

One of many portraits

Four years later, in 1648, the king died in this very bedroom.  One of the portraits hanging on the wall was of Christian IV in death.  (I thought that was kind of creepy.)

The king's bedroom

While standing in the king's bedroom listening to Steffen, Kim and I noticed our reflection in a nearby gold-framed mirror.  We just couldn't resist trying to capture a selfie of ourselves.  It wasn't the best image I've ever taken, but we giggled about our cleverness anyway.  And someone (Alicia I think) got a photo of Kim and I laughing after the fact.  It looked like we were up to no good!

A hefty door!

Time to see more of Rosenborg Castle!  Next Steffen led us up a narrow, winding staircase to the building's second level.  After walking through a very sturdy wooden door, I emerged into a large hall.  This was the Throne room.

The huge Throne room

The place was enormous!  Tapestries that were amazing works of art covered the walls.  A checkerboard pattern of red, black and white tiles adorned the floor.  The white ceiling was as ornate as the one in the queen's bedroom.  At one end of this grand room sat the king and queen's thrones.

King and queen's thrones

The two thrones were as extravagant as one might imagine for the rulers of a mighty country.  The king's throne was said to have made from "unicorn horn."  In the king's time, this material was believed to bring protection from evil.  (In reality the "unicorn horn" was actually narwhal tusk from Greenland.)  The queen's throne was made of hammered silver.  Two large metal lion sculptures stood in front of the thrones, as if to guard the royals.

Huge tapestries hung from the walls

Because of its size, the throne room was was used for banquets.  As I meandered around the area taking in the sights, I heard noises - people laughing, chatting, dogs barking, even a burp or two.  To make the place come to life, the museum staff had piped in sounds from the king's era.

The tapestry details were stunning!

Boy, were the wall tapestries stunning!  So detailed, they looked like paintings.  There were many talented artisans in the king's time.

Ceiling details

The ceiling was equally as stunning.  The white stucco had been elaborately sculpted into amazing intricate figures.  My photos didn't begin to do it justice.

The royal scepter 

After taking in the Throne room, our last and final stop for the Rosenborg castle tour was a visit to see the Danish crown jewels.  Housed in the castle's basement was the Danish Royal Treasury, a museum and vault containing a collection of jewelry, crowns, scepters, and other precious items used by the royal families.

Viewing the coronation crown

Steffen explained to our group that unlike many other countries, the Danish monarchy has ruled for centuries without being conquered or overthrown by revolution.  Headed by the same family this entire time, it's enabled the crown jewels and other precious items related to royalty to remain within the same hands.  It's unique for a country to posses crown regalia that are so old (some of it over 500 years in age.)

The king's coronation crown

I have to say this room was the highlight of the tour.  I don't think I've ever seen royal crown jewels before.  The jewels and other precious items were displayed in large glass cases.  The gold and precious stones glittered in their spotlights.  Everything was so over-the-top ornate!  The area was very dark, with the displays brightly lit, which made photography difficult, but my cell phone came to the rescue and did a pretty good job.

King and Queen "everyday" crowns

Of all the items on display, my favorite were the crowns.  There were three on display.  The king's coronation crown had it's own case.  It was absolutely encrusted with gold and precious stones.  The crown looked to be very heavy.

They were still mighty fancy

In an adjacent case sat the king and queen's more modern crowns.  These were lighter weight and could be used for "everyday" wear.  These were still as ostentatious as the coronation crown though.

Crown jewels

There was also a large collection of exquisite jewelry worn by the Danish queens.  Brooches, necklaces, earrings, rings - all were made of gold and accented with colorful gemstones.

More fancy jewelry

We were told the Danish royalty regularly borrow jewelry, crowns, and other items from the treasury to wear or use for special occasions.

  

Gold tableware

After emerging from the castle basement back into the bright sunlight, my tour-mates and I bid Steffen farewell and a huge thank you for such a great visit to Rosenborg Castle.

Military barracks outside the castle

Now my tour friends and I had a small amount of free time to use the facilities and take a look at the buildings outside the castle.  There was a huge military barracks adjacent to the castle building.  I assume the place housed the soldiers who stood guard outside Rosenborg Castle, ensuring that no one tried to swipe anything inside. 

Soldiers standing guard

Debbie and I had a grand time walking around the grounds, taking copious photographs.  The morning clouds had nearly cleared and the sun was shining brightly.  So caught up in seeing the area, we neglected to notice when our tour group left.  But then we saw everyone gathering further away in the park and rushed to catch up.  As we approached the group, I saw several ladies attending to Kim, trying to wipe her head.  Oh no, did my friend fall and hurt herself?  Debbie and I rushed over to see what happened.

Ivy-covered house on the castle grounds

The good news - Kim was unhurt.  The bad news - some bird had unleashed a massive dump that landed square on top of her head.  Poor Kim was drenched in bird doo.  It had splattered from her head onto one of her shoulders.  Several ladies in our tour group whipped out wet wipes from their purses and were attempting to clean the icky poop from her hair.  (Kim later remarked she couldn't believe one bird could have stored up so much crap!)

Danish flags flying everywhere

Nina had planned to take our tour group to an indoor food market for lunch.  However, there was no way Kim could go - she needed a shower stat.  My friends and I told Nina to go on without us.  So Debbie, Alicia, and I accompanied Kim back to the hotel so she could clean up.

Hans Christian Andersen's former home is now a gift shop

After a very long shower and a vigorous washing of her sweatshirt in the hotel sink, Kim felt better.  By now it was way past lunchtime and we were both ravenous.  Debbie and Alicia decided to stick around the hotel, so Kim and I ventured out to find some food. 

Creepy Viking

Looking across the canal to the Nyhavn District, Kim and I decided to walk across the street and try one of the many restaurants.  Waiting for pedestrian signal, I watched a steady stream of bikes zipping along the bike lane.  When it was our turn to walk, I almost got hit by a cyclist who decided to take a fast right turn while I was in the crosswalk.  The guy missed me by inches.  I was getting mighty tired of all the aggressive bike riders in Copenhagen! 

Time to check out Nyhavn!

So very hungry, we didn't go far before taking seats at a promising seafood place.  Kim chose her usual fish and chips, but wanting to try a bit of local cuisine I ordered a couple of open-faced sandwiches.  The waiter told me that a glass of akvavit (local Danish schnapps) would go great with my order.  I'm sure the guy was just trying to upsell me, but hey I was on vacation, so why not?

Having lunch on the canal's other side

When our drinks arrived, our waiter produced a triangular shaped glass that was to hold my akvavit.  He said this particular spirit was served ice cold and poured to the very brim.  And true to his word, the waiter filled my glass so full I was afraid it would overflow.  There was many flavors of akvavit to choose from on the menu but I'd opted for the plum.  And, yes it was very tasty!  I had to sip it slowly in order to save some to drink with my lunch.

Drinks are served

Both Kim and I had excellent meals.  The two open-faced sandwiches I'd ordered, shrimp and chicken salad, were quite tasty.  We both lingered over our food and drink, enjoying the atmosphere of the Nyhavn District.  We were seated outdoors, and although there was a bit of chilly wind, it was fun to watch all the people walking along the canal.

Tasting the local akvavit 

Finally finishing up our lunch, it was time to hit the nearby souvenir shops.  Kim and I both wanted to purchase something from Copenhagen.  Lucky for us, we had several places to choose from within a block of our hotel.  One of the souvenir shops proclaimed their building was the former home of famous Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.  Wonder what ol' Hans would think were he alive today, knowing his former home was now a touristy souvenir shop?

The open faced sandwiches were delicious!

Kim opted to purchase a tin of Danish butter cookies from one of the souvenir shops.  Even though they were sold everywhere back in the US, there was something about buying the cookies here in Denmark that appealed to us both.  Taking a break back in the hotel lobby, we both grabbed a cup of tea and dived into the tin.  Kim invited Alicia and Debbie to join us for the cookie break.  And I couldn't forget my Swiss cow Lotti - she had to have a cookie too.

Kim is excited to eat her fish and chips

Kim, Alicia, Debbie, and I decided to make one more trip over to the Strøget shopping area.  I needed more hair conditioner and Alicia wanted to get a few toiletry items.  So after much searching (since most of the health and beauty stores seemed to be closed for the national holiday) we finally located one that was open.  I found a small travel size bottle of conditioner but was having a hard time translating Danish kronor to US dollars.  Ever since I'd arrived in Copenhagen my phone wasn't able to access the internet outside of the hotel Wi-Fi, so I couldn't use a conversion app.  And you had to divide the kronor amount by 15 to get approximate dollar value, which was way too much math for my tiny brain.  So I just bought the conditioner.  Later that evening after seeing my credit card bill, I realized I'd just spent $16 for a tiny bottle of conditioner.  Ugh!  Oh well.....

Even Lotti got to sample a Danish butter cookie

Debbie and Alicia, who didn't have much for lunch besides Kim's butter cookies, were getting really hungry.  So we ducked into an Italian restaurant that Alicia spotted.  Still stuffed from lunch, Kim and I opted to split a Caesar salad.  I can't remember what Alicia and Debbie ate for dinner, but since I took a photo, I do know that they each enjoyed a yummy creme brulee for desert.

People relaxing in a public plaza

There was a second Rick Steves Scandinavia tour two days behind ours.  On our last day in Stockholm, we'd met some of the people in the second tour and - surprise - one of them was a lady named Lori who had been in my Switzerland tour last September.  Kim and I also met a really nice couple from Indiana who we seemed to click with.  

Alicia and Debbie enjoy their creme brulees!

That evening my friends and I were walking back to our hotel when we passed by the plaza where two nights ago, I'd sat listening to my stomach rumble while the Hans Christian Andersen actor told us the tale of the Little Mermaid.  There, sitting on the same building steps was the second RS tour group being entertained by the same actor.  Everyone in the group looked as hungry and impatient as I'd been.  We walked behind the guy playing HCA and waved to our sister tour group.

Tall clock tower

There was one last chore I needed to complete that evening - contacting my cell phone carrier's customer service to fix my internet issue.  Since evening in Copenhagen was morning back home, I had to wait until nighttime to call.  Alicia was having troubles with one of her credit cards, and needed to do the same.  So my friends and I headed back to our hotel early that evening, to pack up for tomorrow's departure and make some phone calls.

Lots of arched entrances

Ugh, was it a hassle to get my phone fixed!  I was on the phone over an hour, and got switched to three different technicians before the third one finally was able to get my internet working again.  Each person I talked with commented "Oh, you have the best international plan."  (Hmmm.....not if I can't get my phone to work!)  I might have gotten a wee bit snippy with the last guy, but all was forgiven once he got things working again.  (And although I won't mention the name of my carrier, let's just say it starts with the letter "V.")  Poor Alicia was having a tough time with her credit card company, and later we commiserated over text messages about our customer service experiences.

Copenhagen, it's been fun!

Lucky for Kim and I, after last night's rowdy celebrations, the city seemed to have a subdued atmosphere this evening.  I assumed everyone was tired (or hung over) from the holiday festivities.  Even the Irish pub across the street was unusually quiet.  That was fine with me, as tomorrow was a travel day.  We were bidding Copenhagen goodbye and heading to the Danish resort island of Ærø.  After three days in the big city, I was more than ready for a little peace and quiet in the country.

Coming in my next post!