So back to the castle....it was very easy to find and just as I was arriving so was a large school group. I guess it must have been part of a history lesson or something like that. Next to the castle are barracks where the Royal Life Guards is garrisoned. While inside the castle, looking out one of the windows, I saw a group of the guards practicing a marching drill along the grounds. The Royal Life Guards still actively guard the castle as well as the current royal residence - Amalienborg Palace.
There are three floors open to the public, but today the third floor was closed. Restoration work is taking place on the facade and perhaps this was the reason it was closed. Inside the castle, you can wander through all the different rooms which house Royal Collections and artifacts providing insight into the royal Danish families dating from the late 16th century to the 19th century. King Christian IV built this castle in 1606-1634 as a summer castle.
I was amazed at how in each room, the ceilings were painted with some type of art. Everything was so ornate. There are many hand-painted handicrafts with intricate detail and other personal objects available to view. The walls were filled with painted portraits of the kings and their family members; some were practically floor to ceiling portraits. It was actually quite fascinating to walk through and imagine exactly how it must have been when it was occupied. Through a separate entrance, you access the basement in which you can find ceremonial arms, including swords, guns and rifles, some of which are adorn in jewels. One of the riding saddles was also on display and I wondered why it was decorated in the manner it was. It didn't look like anything you would want to use for a riding saddle, but then this was a royal saddle and that explained a lot. You can also view crown jewels here including the crown of the Absolute Monarchs used by Kings Christian V to Christian VIII which were made of gold and had different jewels all over it. King Christian III's Sword of State dating back to 1551 is also on display. Just looking at it I think he must have been a very strong man because the sword looks very heavy. It's made of gold and is adorned in jewels.
The castle is situated in Kongens Have (The King's Garden) which is the country's oldest royal garden. The garden looks like the perfect place to relax with a good book. There was an area with a beautiful rose garden. I highly recommend this castle as one to see. I have to say that I enjoyed this castle museum more than the one at Amalienborg Palace, but you do get a better value if you buy the joint ticket - save about $35 Kroner. The only draw back for me, and this may not be a problem for others, was that I couldn't take pictures inside either museum. They wanted to charge an additional $20 Kroner for a picture pass and I thought it was rather lame that they would charge. But I understand that the artifacts housed there are old and fragile and probably wouldn't do well being photographed a million times.
After lunch, I went to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens must be an absolutely breathtaking place in the spring/summer when the flowers are actually in bloom. The gardens have several very large glasshouses which house hundreds of different specimens of flora. Despite not seeing many flowers the garden was worth a visit. It would be a great place to have a bag lunch or perhaps just sit and read a book. And it's free!
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