The Egeskov Castle was built in 1784 near Kværndrup, Denmark. Imagine living in this stunning, Renaissance fortress that is surrounded by a moat. One family calls this home, just as their ancestors have for over 230 years. But you can visit.
The Egeskov Castle was built in 1784 near Kværndrup, Denmark. Imagine living in this stunning, Renaissance fortress that is surrounded by a moat. One family calls this home, just as their ancestors have for over 230 years. But you can visit.
A family estate at Kværndrup, Denmark dates back to 1405. Starting in 1524, Frands Brockenhuus and his wife Anne Tinhuus spent thirty years building the Egeskov Castle on property owned by her parents. In 1784, it was purchased by Henrik Bille. Amazingly, his descendants have lived here for over 230 years. Although much of the surrounding property is now a tourist attraction, the castle has been the home of Michael and Caroline Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille since 1994.
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This narrow path across the moat leads towards some wonderful visual treasures. Architect lovers will enjoy the amazing construction of the Egeskov Castle which includes 66 rooms and 2,062 panes of window glass. Equally amazing is Titania’s Palace, an enormous doll house that contains over 3,000 intricate components. It took 15 years to build this home for the imaginary fairies that lived in the castle’s garden. The young of heart will also enjoy the exhibit of paper cutouts from the 1800s by fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen.
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The Egeskov Castle consists of two buildings with this single point of entry which led to a drawbridge. The logic was that if one of the structures fell to attackers, the family could escape to the other building through tunnels and staircases built inside the walls. The Gate House is on the left and the main residence is on the right.
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According to legend, this castle was named Egeskov, which means “oak forest,” because all of the neighboring trees were cut down to create the pilings needed to secure and elevate the foundation. Since 1554, this Renaissance structure has also been called a water castle because it is entirely surrounded by a moat. The water reaches a depth of 16 feet.
Gade 18, 5772 Kværndrup, Denmark Enlarge/Slideshow See On Map Directions
During the mid-16th century, Denmark was plagued by civil wars plus political and religious upheaval. Therefore, it was common for Dutch noblemen like Frands Brockenhuus to build a fortress to defend their estate and family from attacks. The design of the Egeskov Slot included a wide moat, three foot walls, battlements, arrow slits plus machicolations for dropping stones or scalding oil from the towers onto attackers below.
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The Rose Garden in front of the Egeskov Castle contains over 100 varieties. Unfortunately, it was not in bloom during my visit. There are 15 other named gardens across the 49 acre park. A highlight is the network of groomed hedges, some of which are over 26 feet tall. They date back 280 years. The earliest gardens were designed by Niels Krag the Younger from 1722 until 1740. The garden has been ranked by European Garden & Heritage Network and CNN Travel as one of the finest in Europe and the world.
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There are several rooms inside the Egeskov Castle which are open to the public. They have all been meticulously restored and contain historic furnishings and artifacts plus reproductions. This suit of armour is one of the pieces I enjoyed most. It was commissioned in 1999 by Michael Caroline Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, the castle’s current owner. The mail is an exact replica of the one worn by Frands Brockenhuus in the mid-16th century. The body plate contains over 10,000 metal links.
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Although the centerpiece of the Egeskov Castle park is the slot, the property offers several other museums with fascinating exhibits. They include classic cars, bicycles, motorcycles, aircraft, dolls, fire and rescue equipment and women’s fashions. There is also a collection of modern, colorful paintings by the castle’s current owner, Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille.
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Greeting you outside the museum entrance at the Egeskov Castle park is this Draken Saab F-35. It was the first aircraft designed with delta wings. The Swedish fighter-bomber was manufactured in Linköping in 1955 by Svenska Aeroplan Aktie-Bolag, better known as Saab.
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