Top 20 Castles in Southern Denmark

A lovely café with delicious cappuccino and cake. In the village, beautiful old houses, but otherwise, more like—well, a place!

The castle itself cannot be visited, but the castle park and the castle church are freely accessible

For classical music lovers, the chamber music festival, which takes place there every summer, is highly recommended. www.hindsgavlfestival.dk

An absolute highlight among Funen's many manor houses and castles. The castle park is a tranquil oasis with mature trees and stunning views of the Little Belt. Also worth seeing is the extensive kitchen garden, which is also used to serve hotel guests. Funen's numerous manor houses are connected by the 660 km long Herregårdsruten (Manor Route). www.herregaardsruten.dk/de/startseite

Tranekær Castle is Denmark's oldest inhabited house and stands out with its location and beautiful red color against the beautiful landscape. Originally built as a strongly fortified castle with a moat and drawbridge, the castle has an extremely favorable location. Secluded and built on a 20-meter high shore, one could previously sail to the foot of the castle from both the east and west sides of Langeland. When traveling on Langeland, one had to pass by the castle. The castle is located on one of the island's many "hat hills." In this way, the terrain provided the castle's inhabitants with considerable protection from the outset. Through the construction of moats and a ring wall, the castle gradually became an almost impregnable fortress. Tranekær Castle is inhabited by the Ahlefeldt-Laurvig family and is today a modern agricultural and forestry operation with an area of 1,733 hectares. The main building and the castle shore are not accessible to the public, but outside the moats, you can walk along a beautiful path where you can see unique trees in the park, including the rare Chinese conifer, the Dawn Redwood. Access to the castle is possible as part of a guided tour, during which the history of the castle and the family is told with wonderful anecdotes. https://www.govisitlangeland.de/langeland/planen-sie-ihre-reise/tranekaer-slot-gdk612254

The whitewashed building consists of three wings enclosing a courtyard. Among the sights worth seeing are the preserved Baroque castle church (Danish: Gråsten Slotskirke) from 1699 and the castle park, laid out in 1700. The chapel and the castle park can be visited from April to October, when the royal family is away. Margrethe II and her family usually stay at Gravenstein Castle between mid-June and early August. Traditionally, the royal family arrives on the yacht Dannebrog, which is moored in front of Sønderborg Castle during the holiday weeks.

Originally built by King Christian IV (1588-1648) and once owned by the Danish naval hero Niels Juel (1629-97), Valdemars Slot is Denmark's largest private residence and the only privately owned royal palace. Located on the island of Tåsinge, the estate is one of Denmark's most scenic spots. The area is home to a diverse range of wildlife, and public hiking trails lead through the forest and along the coast. Further detailed information can be found here: https://www.valdemarsslot.dk/

Nyborg Castle (Danish: Nyborg Slot, also Danehofslottet) is located in the town of Nyborg, about 29 kilometers southeast of Odense on Funen. The castle was built around 1170 by Duke Knud Prislavsen, a nephew of Valdemar the Great, as protection against the Wends. In 1282, Erik V Glipping signed the first Danish charter here. This charter transferred the supreme court from the king to the Danehof, the first Danish parliament, which met at Nyborg Castle. When Erik VII moved to Copenhagen, the castle there became the center of royal power in Denmark until 1416. Nyborg, however, remained another royal residence. The castle was later used as an armory and granary. During the Counts' Feud (1533–1536), the castle was conquered twice. Christian III. He subsequently expanded the castle and fortified it with a large rampart. Christian IV had the castle further expanded in 1607 by the Italian architect Domenicus Badiaz. During the war with Sweden (1658–1660), three-quarters of the castle were destroyed. Part of the building materials were reused in 1722 to rebuild the castle in Odense. Nyborg itself remained a garrison town until 1913. After the garrison was dissolved, the castle was reconstructed by Morgen Clemmensen from 1917 to 1923. Today, the castle houses a museum. Two half-towers and the gatehouse from Erik's time can still be visited. One wing of the former royal palace, including a large ballroom, has been preserved. Three halls depict Nyborg's history during the time of the Danehof, Queen Margaret I, and Christian III. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Nyborg