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Why not visit Denmark like royalty! Drive at leisure through Denmark's beautiful country and stay in castles and manor houses at night.

Itinerary

Arrival Kastrup Copenhagen Airport and pick up rental car. Drive from Copenhagen westward through farming countryside and small villages, some of which were founded by Vikings more than a thousand years ago. Upon arrival in Roskilde - until 1417, the capital of Denmark – we recommend a visit to the Viking Ship Museum, containing the remains of 5 Viking vessels which have been salvaged from the bed of Roskilde Fjord, where they were sunk more than a thousand years ago to prevent aggressive intruders gaining access to the town from the sea. After visiting the museum, a short drive to the Town Square, to visit the twin-spired Roskilde Cathedral. The construction of the Cathedral was commenced during the 12th century and additions have been made through the ages, in different architectural styles. The Cathedral is the traditional burial place of Danish monarchs and contains more than 40 royal graves. Continue from Roskilde to Halskov from where you will drive over one of the world’s largest suspension bridges constructed off-shore and arrive on the island of Funen. Drive to Kværndrup and Egeskov Castle, which is the best preserved water fortress in the world, with its rounded towers, double gables, red brick walls, green torrents and spire, built on a foundation of oak piles rammed into a bed of a lake more than 450 years ago. Today it is a family owned castle which has belonged to the family Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille since 1784. Visit the Great Hall which dates back to 1554 as well as the seven adjoining rooms. Enjoy the 40 acres park with hundreds of aromatic plants and herbs and visit the old-timers Museum. Continue to Gudme for afternoon tea/coffee and cake served at Broholm Castle.

Dinner and accommodation at Broholm Castle

Breakfast at Broholm and continue to Odense, Denmark’s third largest city and Hans Christian Andersen’s home town. We recommend a visit to Hans Christian Andersen’s home. The humble house, where Hans Christian Andersen was born in 1805, has been turned into a museum dedicated to the world famous fairy tale writer. Leave Odense and cross the Little Belt waterway to Jutland and make a small detour to Kolding, where you will find the Koldinghus Castle which was built in the middle of the 13th century, and in the centuries that followed was one of Denmark's most important royal castles. In 1808 there was a fire that left the castle in ruins – a romantic relic. Today the castle has been restored and houses a museum which is a centre for cultural activities and special exhibitions of international standing. Continue towards Esbjerg. In Esbjerg, we recommend a visit to the Fisheries and Maritime Musem (entrance not included). Enjoy watching the seals in the Sealarium and the attractive fish and attention-grabbing animals in the aquaria

or learn more about man and the sea in the displays on fisheries, navigation, and nature below the sea surface. Outside in the big open air exhibition, you can explore the maritime atmosphere surrounding genuine wooden fishing boats while the smithy and others work in the old harbour environment. After your visit to Esbjerg, follow the beautiful west coast line of Jutland. West Jutland has some of the most beautiful nature in Denmark. Dunes, heathlands, windswept beaches, inlets, straits, bays and plantations. Arrival in Vemb and Nørre Vosborg Manor.

Dinner and accommodation at Nørre Vosborg Manor

Breakfast at the Manor and continue to Holstebro. We recommend seeing “The Citizens of Holstebro”. From the top of the pedestrian street, the 12 Holstebro citizens look out over the square. Bjørn Nørgaard's The Citizens of Holstebro is a paraphrase of the sculpture group "The Burghers of Calais". The 12 figures are a contemporary version of the 12 disciples of Jesus, and they are a testament of our time to the future. You may also want to pay a visit to Holstebro Art Museum (entrance not included). Holstebro Art Museum is housed in the old luxury villa of the tobacco manufacturer Søren Færch. The museum exhibits Danish and International art and art wares, by for example Astrid Noack and Henry Heerup, as well as graphic art by Picasso, Giacometti and Matisse. Continue your tour to Horsens with great opportunities to find calm and quiet surroundings, conveniently close to the city. In Horsens, nature is never far away. Relax in the calm rolling forests surrounding the river, Gudenåen. Experience the simplicity of island lifestyle, as you watch your own reflection in the clear waters, surrounding the island, Endelave. Dinner and accommodation at Bygholm Park Hotel

Breakfast at the mansion and day to explore the surroundings. We recommend an excursion to Silkeborg where you will be able to cruise the beautiful Silkeborg Lakes with the oldest operative paddle steamer in the world, Hjejlen, or one of it’s sister boats. Situated next to the lakes (and a stop on the cruise) you will find the Sky Mountain (Himmelbjerget), the 3rd highest spot (147 metres) in Denmark (and only in a flat land like Denmark can it be considered a mountain). Return to the mansion for overnight (dinner NOT included this night as we can recommend dinner in Silkeborg or Horsens to avoid rush). Accommodation at Bygholm Park Hotel

Breakfast at the hotel and head north to Århus, the second largest city of Denmark and also known as the City of the Smile. Visit the Old City (Den Gamle By), a fascination open-air collection of completely furnished old Danish town houses with workshops etc. Also possibility to visit the cathedral, the museum of Danish prehistory, Moesgaard or the drive past the Marselisborg Castle in Aarhus, the holiday residence of the Royal Family. When the Royal Family is not in residence there is free admission to the palace park for the public from morning to evening. Departure by ferry from Århus to the tongue of land Sjællands Odde on Sealand. Passing through rural villages and wooded, undulating countryside to Hillerød and the Frederiksborg Castle, the beautifully situated Renaissance building which - like so many others - was built by orders of King Christian IV. Today, Frederiksborg is the home of the Museum of National History, the collection of which includes priceless paintings, silver and porcelain items, furniture and tapestries. The castle chapel houses Denmark’s oldest organ from 1610. Route to Hørve and Dragsholms Castle for afternoon coffee/cake.

Dinner and overnight at Dragsholm Castle

Breakfast at the castle and continue to Helsingør, passing en route Fredensborg Palace, built in 1722, and is now the spring and autumn residence of the Danish Royal Family. A photographic stop is recommendable here. In Helsingør we recommend to visit the imposing Kronborg Castle, which was the setting of 'Hamlet', the dramatic masterpiece by William Shakespeare. After Kronborg, return to Copenhagen along the coastal road, passing through small villages, fashionable resorts and some exclusive residential areas on the way. Along the way a possibility to visit world-famous museum of modern art, Louisiana, or Rungstedlund, situated on the shores of Øresund, 25km north of Copenhagen, next to a tiny picturesque harbour full of colourful leasure boats of all sizes. Rungstedlund was the beautiful family home of Denmark’s most famous female author, Karen Blixen, whose autobiographical book “Out of Africa” became known worldwide when a film was made of it in 1985. The house has been turned into a museum but a great part of it has been left as it was when she lived in it. Continue to Copenhagen Airport Kastrup and drop off rental car.

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