Visit Frederiksberg Palace and Gardens
Sometimes the best cultural sites are those you discover completely by accident.
I stumbled upon Frederiksberg Palace and the magnificent gardens surrounding it while out running, and was astounded at the picturesque ornamental gardens tucked away inside the very centre of Copenhagen.
You might think it’s hard to ‘stumble upon’ a 64-hectare park, but you’ve clearly never seen me running. With my head down and music pounding in my ears I was amazed to find myself whisked away from the bustling inner-city streets of Copenhagen and jogging among the romantic landscaped gardens.
Begun in the 1690s by Frederik IV (hence the name), the gardens were built as a private Eden to accompany the Frederiksberg Palace, which sits proudly on Valby Hill above the park.
As with the majority of Danish architecture and heritage from this time (see my Klampenborg guide), the palace and gardens were inspired by Frederik’s visits to Italy and France.
Initially designed as ‘cascading terraces’ from the summit of the hill, the gardens were extensively redesigned by the architect P. Petersen in the English landscape garden style in the 1790s. This style presented an idealised view of nature, tamed and neatly trimmed for the elite families of 18th Century Europe.
This is more-or-less the style they are left in to this day, with extensive woodland surrounding the canals and lakes.
Plan by P. Petersen from 1795 of the Romantic landscape garden
Taming Nature
Petersen sculpted winding lawns, boating lakes with fountains, canals, grottos, temples, Chinese pavilions (built as a teahouse to serve the royal family) and summerhouses.
I tried not to be too distracted by the intricate details of Petersen’s park as I meandered along pathways dense with dog walkers and strolling families.
Skaters painted in the park by Paul Gauguin in 1885, the same year the public was given unrestricted access to the park (source).
A place of leisure
After Frederik IV got the ball rolling, the later monarchs of Denmark fell in love with the gardens too. Frederik VI (chances are it would either be a Christian or a Frederik!) would sail the canals and lakes in a private gondola, waving to his admirers on the banks.
It wasn’t until 1885 that the gardens were opened to hoi polloi, and the masses began to enjoy skating the lakes in winter and relaxing with picnics on the vast lawns (The Smørrebrød Lawn), which unfurls like a tablecloth before the ascent up Valby Hill to the palace itself.
The gardens also host the fantastic Copenhagen Zoo (more of this in a forthcoming article - once Corona restrictions have lifted!), founded in 1859 and one of the oldest zoos in Europe.
A fun fact for you is that the zoo kept a male slow worm on display from 1892 to 1946 - a 54 year span which is a record lifetime for lizards.
If you fancy seeing some of the animals (they now have more than slow worms) but don’t have time (or the money to pay the entrance fee!) you can stay inside the gardens and take a stroll past the elephant enclosure.
Frederiksberg Palace
Emerging from my woodland trials, the site of the palace is pretty breathtaking, sitting at the end of a long parade which draws the eye upwards towards its Baroque frontage and the fluttering Danish flag at its centre.
Built between 1699 to 1735, the palace served as the royal family’s summer residence until the mid-19th century. Since then has been the headquarters of the Royal Danish Military Academy and today houses the Army Officers School.
Frederik IV hosted the Russian Czar Peter the Great at Frederiksberg Palace in 1716 and, as mentioned, it was a favourite hangout of Frederick VI who lived there year-round, both as crown prince and as king of Denmark.
Approaching on foot, you can ascend the hill and take in the magnificent view from the top of the terrace. Copenhagen is as flat as a pancake, so the 16 metre Valby Hill gives surprisingly good views over the city.
Being the home of the Army Officers, exploring the building’s interiors is sadly not an option, but you can get a feel for the architecture and surrounding promenade at Søndermarken across Roskildevej by strolling around the palace.
The majestic Frederiksberg Palace rises above the Smørrebrød Lawn on Valby Hill. In the summer the lawn is a favourite spot for Copenhagen locals to enjoy a picnic (Image source)
Some practical info for your trip to Frederiksberg Palace and Gardens
Svendsen's Boat Service (Svendsens Bådfart) operate boat tours across the lakes and canals throughout the summer months. The gardens also host the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society (Haveselskabets Have) near the main entrance.
The gardens are open from 06:00 through 17:00 to 22:00 depending on the season - and completely free!
All of Frederiksberg park is closed for cyclists. Runners are fine though, although be prepared to have to weave past groups of walkers.
Getting there
The palace and gardens are an easy 30 minute stroll (or 10 mins on the bike) from the Central Station - just walk west on Frederiks Alle.