The splendid Rosenborg Castle in central Copenhagen, no longer a royal residence, is home to some other royal treasures, the Danish Crown Jewels. The stunningly beautiful royal jewels are still used and worn today by the Danish royal family on state occasions.
Rosenborg Castle was built in 1606 as a country summerhouse by Christian IV , evolving into its present condition by 1624. It was used as a royal residence until around 1710. After the reign of Frederik IV, it was only used as a royal residence twice more.The first time was after Christiansborg Palace burned down in 1794, and the second time was during the British attack on Copenhagen in 1801
It is often very humbling when visiting other countries to learn about their impressive history and culture and you rapidly realise you know very little about it. School day history lessons seem to focus on huge empire builders through the centuries and although most of us know that the Danish can lay claim to the Vikings we certainly knew very little else.
The priceless treasures at Rosenberg Castle were gathered together at a time when Denmark struggled with the balance of power in Scandinavia against its close neighbour Sweden. Despite many bloody battles Denmark failed to claim control of territories held by Sweden it believed belong to them. As the years melted away the fighting ceased and much like most of western Europe the two former enemies found peace.
Denmark played its part in World War II and although occupied early by the Nazis it had a brave and significant resitance force. Unlike many other occupied countries most Danish Jews were rescued in 1943 when German authorities ordered their internment as part of the Holocaust.
Rosenberg Castle stands in all its grandeur as a tribute to Denmark’s rich past. Impressive state rooms, art work, tapestries. A small snap shot of Danish history, a place to return to for sure!
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