🇩🇰 Country

Castles in Denmark

49 landmarks in the Castlemap atlas — every one mapped with a photo and its story, 42 with sourced founding dates, ranked by Wikipedia coverage and real readership.

The most famous castle in Denmark is Kronborg Castle, ranked #81 of 7,738 in the world — followed by Christiansborg Palace and Amalienborg.

The Castlemap atlas charts 12 castles, 6 fortresses, 21 palaces & châteaux and 10 ruins in Denmark. They span more than 11 centuries — from Gamleborg (founded 750) to Middelgrundsfortet (c. 1895). Every one is plotted with its photo and story on the interactive castle map of Denmark.

Map of castles in Denmark

On the map they cluster thickest around Roskilde — 29 within a 100 km day trip, then Copenhagen (28) and Næstved (28). The northernmost is Voergaard Castle, the southernmost Sønderborg Castle — about 262 km apart.

Planning a visit? Day-trip guides: Castles near Copenhagen · Castles near Roskilde · Castles near Næstved · Castles near Odense · Castles near Kolding.

See them on the map →

When they were built

Of the 49 landmarks mapped in Denmark, 42 carry a sourced founding date. Most were founded in the 18th century — 10 of them. 15 predate 1500 and 11 were built after 1700.

All 49 castles in Denmark

Kronborg Castle
Castle · 15th century · #81 worldwide · #1 in Denmark
Kronborg is a castle and historical stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark.
Christiansborg Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #111 worldwide · #2 in Denmark
Christiansborg Palace is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark.
Amalienborg
Palace & château · 18th century · #114 worldwide · #3 in Denmark
Amalienborg is the official residence for the Danish royal family and is located in Copenhagen.
Rosenborg Castle
Palace & château · 17th century · #158 worldwide · #4 in Denmark
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example…
Frederiksborg Palace
Palace & château · 17th century · #203 worldwide · #5 in Denmark
Frederiksborg Castle is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the…
Egeskov Castle
Castle · 16th century · #321 worldwide · #6 in Denmark
Egeskov Castle is located near Kværndrup, in the south of the island of Funen, Denmark.
Kastellet
Fortress · 17th century · #7 in Denmark
Kastellet is a citadel located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the best preserved fortresses in Northern Europe.
Hammershus
Ruin · 12th century · #8 in Denmark
Hammershus is a medieval era fortification at Hammeren on the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm.
Fredensborg Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #9 in Denmark
Fredensborg Palace is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand in Denmark.
Charlottenlund Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #10 in Denmark
Charlottenlund Palace is a former summer residence of the Danish royal family located in Charlottenlund, some 10 km north of central Copenhagen,…
Frederiksberg Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #11 in Denmark
Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo.
Koldinghus
Castle · 13th century · #12 in Denmark
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle in the town of Kolding on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula.
Copenhagen Castle
Ruin · 14th century · #13 in Denmark
Copenhagen Castle was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark.
Valdemar's Castle
Palace & château · 17th century · #14 in Denmark
Valdemar's Castle is a manor house situated on the island of Tåsinge near Svendborg in southern Denmark.
Bernstorff Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #15 in Denmark
Bernstorff Palace in Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark, was built in the middle of the 18th century for Foreign Minister Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von…
Spøttrup Borg
Castle · 16th century · #16 in Denmark
Spøttrup Castle is a well-preserved medieval defensive castle in Jutland, Denmark.
Gråsten Palace
Palace & château · 17th century · #17 in Denmark
Gråsten Palace is located at Gråsten in the Jutland region of southern Denmark.
Charlottenborg Palace
Palace & château · 17th century · #18 in Denmark
Charlottenborg Palace is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sønderborg Castle
Castle · 12th century · #19 in Denmark
Sønderborg Castle is located in the town of Sønderborg, Denmark on the island of Als in South Jutland.
Sorgenfri Palace
Palace & château · 18th century · #20 in Denmark
Sorgenfri Palace is a royal residence of the Danish monarch, located in Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, on the east side of Lyngby Kongevej, in the…
Aggersborg
Ruin · 10th century · #21 in Denmark
Aggersborg is the largest of Denmark's former Viking ring fortress, and one of the largest archaeological sites in Denmark.
Augustenborg Palace
Palace & château · 17th century · #22 in Denmark
Augustenborg Palace is a Rococo-style palace in the southwestern part of Augustenborg, Als Island, Denmark, overlooking Augustenborg Fjord.
Schackenborg Castle
Palace & château · #23 in Denmark
Schackenborg Castle is a château located in Møgeltønder Parish, Southern Jutland.
Rosenholm Castle
Palace & château · 16th century · #24 in Denmark
Rosenholm Castle is Denmark's oldest family-owned castle. It is located on Djursland, north of Hornslet and northeast of Aarhus.
Kalø Castle
Ruin · 14th century · #25 in Denmark
Kalø Castle is a ruined castle located in eastern Jutland, in Denmark, 20 km from the city of Aarhus within Mols Bjerge National Park.
Vallø Castle
Palace & château · 16th century · #26 in Denmark
Vallø Castle is a manor house located 7 km south of Køge, in Stevns Municipality, on the island of Zealand in Denmark.
Dragsholm Castle
Castle · #27 in Denmark
Dragsholm Castle is a historic building in Zealand, Denmark. For about 800 years there has been a building on the islet by the “drag”.
Middelgrundsfortet
Fortress · 19th century · #28 in Denmark
Middelgrundsfortet, known as Ungdomsøen since 2015, is a sea fort located on an artificial island in the Øresund between Copenhagen and Malmö.
Trekroner Fort
Fortress · 18th century · #29 in Denmark
Trekroner Søfort is a sea fort at the entrance to the Copenhagen harbour. From 1713 until after World War I, Trekroner Fort was part of the…
Vordingborg Castle
Ruin · 12th century · #30 in Denmark
The Vordingborg Castle ruins are located in the town of Vordingborg, Denmark and are the town's most famous attraction.
Flakfortet
Fortress · #31 in Denmark
Flakfortet, meaning sand-shoal fortress, is a sea fort located on the artificially built island of Saltholmrev, in the Øresund between Copenhagen and…
Clausholm Castle
Palace & château · 14th century · #32 in Denmark
Clausholm Castle is a large Danish country house located some 12 km southeast of Randers in eastern Jutland.
Jægerspris Castle
Palace & château · 18th century · #33 in Denmark
Jægerspris Castle, in Jægerspris on the Hornsherred peninsula west of Copenhagen, is a Danish manor house.
Nyborg Castle
Castle · #34 in Denmark
Nyborg Slot is a restored medieval castle in Nyborg on the Danish island of Funen. The castle figures prominently in Danish history.
Aalborghus
Palace & château · 16th century · #35 in Denmark
Aalborghus Castle is a castle in Aalborg, Denmark. It is a half-timbered castle built by King Christian III from 1539 to around 1555 initially as a…
Gavnø Castle
Castle · 18th century · #36 in Denmark
Gavnø Castle is a castle situated near Næstved in the south of the Danish main island of Zealand. The present building dates from the Rococo period.
Gurre Castle
Ruin · 12th century · #37 in Denmark
Gurre Castle was a royal castle situated in North Zealand, Denmark. Its ruins lie on the outskirts of Helsingør, close to the town of Gurre near…
Hvedholm Castle
Castle · 16th century · #38 in Denmark
Hvedholm Castle is an estate and castle located near Faaborg on the island of Funen, Denmark. It is now the site of Hvedholm Slotshotel.
Absalon's Castle
Ruin · 12th century · #39 in Denmark
Absalon's Castle, was a fortification on the island of Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, located at the site of the later Copenhagen Castle and…
Voergaard Castle
Palace & château · 16th century · #40 in Denmark
Voergaard Castle is a moated Renaissance manor house located 10 km north of Dronninglund on the North Jutland peninsula in north-western Denmark.
Antvorskov
Castle · #41 in Denmark
Antvorskov Monastery was the principal Scandinavian monastery of the Catholic Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, located about one kilometer south of…
Søborg Castle
Ruin · 12th century · #42 in Denmark
Søborg Castle is a ruined castle south of Gilleleje in North Zealand, Denmark.
Nordborg Castle
Castle · #43 in Denmark
Nordborg Castle is a small castle which lies on the southern side of Nordborg Lake in Nordborg on the island of Als in Sønderborg Municipality,…
Marienlyst Castle
Palace & château · 16th century · #44 in Denmark
Marienlyst Castle is a palatial residence located in Helsingør, Denmark. It was named after King Frederik V of Denmark's second wife, Juliana Maria,…
Lilleborg
Ruin · 12th century · #45 in Denmark
Lilleborg is a ruined castle in the Almindingen forest in the centre of the Danish island of Bornholm.
Riberhus
Ruin · #46 in Denmark
Riberhus was a royal castle situated on the western outskirts of Ribe, Esbjerg Municipality, Denmark.
Borgring
Fortress · 10th century · #47 in Denmark
Borgring also known as Vallø Borgring, is a Danish Viking ring fortress located near Køge on the island of Zealand.
Borreby Castle
Castle · 16th century · #48 in Denmark
Borreby Castle is a fortified manor house located near Skælskør, Slagelse Municipality, in the south-west corner of the island of Zealand, in eastern…
Gamleborg
Fortress · 8th century · #49 in Denmark
Gamleborg, also known as Gamleborg Viking Fortress, was the first fortification on the Danish island of Bornholm.

Frequently asked questions

How many castles are in Denmark?

The Castlemap atlas maps 49 landmarks (12 castles · 6 fortresses · 21 palaces & châteaux · 10 ruins) in Denmark — a curated selection of well-documented landmarks from Wikidata, not a count of every fortification ever built.

What is the most famous castle in Denmark?

Kronborg Castle, ranked #81 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's fame ranking, founded in the 15th century.

What is the oldest castle in Denmark?

The oldest dated landmark in the atlas in Denmark is Gamleborg, founded 750. Earlier structures may have existed — this is the oldest with a documented founding year.

Where are most of the castles in Denmark?

They cluster thickest around Roskilde — 29 of the atlas's landmarks within 100 km, then Copenhagen (28) and Næstved (28).

Which castles in Denmark are UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

Per Wikidata, 3 of the mapped landmarks hold a UNESCO World Heritage designation — inscribed in their own right or as part of an inscribed ensemble: Kronborg Castle, Aggersborg, Borgring.

How many castles are there in Denmark?