In addition to Denmark’s royal castles, the many castles and manor houses of the nobility lie like gems in the most scenic of settings. Here every style of architectural history is represented, from the severity of the medieval fort, through Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and French to a merry mixture of them all. These impressive residences recount the story of Denmark’s history, its culture, its architecture and not least its family histories, since in many cases the estates have been in the same family for centuries. For a list of Danish castles and manor houses, please click here .

For centuries the Danish castles stood as residen-ces and power bases for the royal houses, nobility and a narrow élite. At the same time, they provid-ed sanctuaries for great Danish artists, who were invited to take up residence and given a gracious setting for their work. The writer Hans Christian Andersen and the composer Carl Nielsen were frequent guests at castles and manor houses.

Open castles

In earlier times the wrought-iron gates were locked and the great oak doors were thereby closed to the public, but today more than 50 castles and manor houses have opened their doors to visitors, and have formed the society, Danish Castles & Manor Houses.

Out of the 50 or so castles and manor houses, more than 20 now provide accommodation with the fascinating cachet of nobility and heritage. A stay at one of the Danish castles or manor houses is a journey into Denmark’s history. Guests sleep in four-poster beds with stately interiors, in great halls beneath old vaulted ceilings and take strolls in exquisite grounds.

A large number of Danish castles open their gates to stately grounds or grand halls displaying the finest collections of art or antiques. Indeed, many castles are now entirely given over to their status as museums. And it would be difficult to imagine a more atmospheric setting for concerts, exhibitions and cultural happenings than the many Danish castles and manor houses which, over the year, provide halls and castle gardens for such events.