Rosenborg Castle and the Danish Crown Jewels

I believe all castles should have moats, draw bridges, armed guards, and priceless jewels locked in the basement. Earlier this month I spent an excellent final morning in Copenhagen, Denmark, the first city on my Scandanvia trip, at Rosenborg Castle snit had all four of these key features! One reviewer described it as a, “Dutch Renaissance palace & gardens, including a museum housing the crown jewels, with guided tours.” which isn’t really a review but perfectly sums up this pretty castle. 

Sometimes when I am traveling I get lucky and on my morning at Rosenborg I definitely hit the jackpot! With a noon flight I booked a 9am ticket the earliest time available at the castle and arrived a few minutes before it opened.  Due to the new ticketing system only a few dozen are issues every 10 minutes and since I was so punctual I was the first person in the entire place which meant no one was in any of my photos – so awesome!  Apparently in the past many people just went to the straight to the jewels which is why you now have to go to the castle first and since I was moving quite quickly I was also the first person at the treasury to see the Crown Jewels. They were stunning and it was extra special that I got to be the first one there! Make sure to go first thing in the morning (and book ahead of time) to get the same experience! But first, the castle: 

Of all of the royal palaces I have ever been to this is definitely one of the smallest and it makes sense why it was only a royal residence until 1710 before the King moved to a bigger space.  There was a formal tour but with my schedule the timing did not work out so I gave myself the self guided tour of the ground, first, and second floors following along with the maps which nicely pointed out the most famous or interesting thing in each of the rooms. 

After touring the main castle, which was quite pretty though old and dark, I headed down to the Crown Jewels and as many might guess my favorite part was definitely the Schatzkammer. This German word means the treasure chamber and at Rosenberg is located in a locked vault in the basement of the Castle.  I have been to a few other Schatzkammers including the The Imperial Treasury at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna and the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London and whole each collection is unique they are definitely one of my favorite parts of visiting European cities.   This Schatzkammer was massive – with an entire room of porcelain treasures, one of glass, one of weaponry, and the biggest space for the Crown Jewels and the Danish Crown Regalia.  The lighting was pretty dim and no flash was allowed but hopefully these photos capture the gorgeous jewels! 

And while it is a bit strange and not normally my thing I really liked these guns shown below whose plaque says, “A couple of revolvers, made by S. Colt and engraved by G. Young and Joseph Wolf.  Gift 1861 from the President of the United Statues Abraham Lincoln to Frederik VII.” I have been to a lot of countries and seen a lot of items our country has gifted other nations but I think this was my first in seeing something from our esteemed 15th President. 

And a fun fact – the crown jewels are owned by the state but are at the disposal of The Queen. All in all I was at Rosenborg Castle for just over an hour before making my way back through the gardens which were in such gorgeous bloom, back to my hotel, and then off to Finland. Stay tuned for my next travel post coming your way on Thursday!