Frederiksborg Castle brings together a museum, portrait gallery and historic rooms in one place. It houses the Museum of National History and Denmark’s National Portrait Gallery. A visit includes the castle church, the Knights’ Hall, the Audience Chamber, the state rooms and richly furnished rooms. This way, you encounter history not only in the collections, but also in the castle’s own rooms.

The castle and Hillerød’s historic routes

The setting of Frederiksborg also includes the lakes and the castle park, with its Baroque garden, Bath House Castle and idyllic landscape garden. If you would like to explore the area on a circular route, you can include the Søstien: this unsigned trail runs for about 2.4 kilometres around Slotssøen, through the castle and castle gardens, and offers views of Frederiksborg Castle. Along Posen on the Søstien, you’ll find a children’s playground inspired by Hillerød’s history and public toilets. Check the latest information about the facilities before your visit.

Another way to discover Hillerød’s past is the self-guided historic city walk. The 1.5-kilometre route passes through the historic old town and includes 15 historic signs at selected buildings and squares near Frederiksborg Castle. The signs are available in Danish and English. You can tailor the walk to your interests and explore individual stops in the old town, rather than following a set guided tour.

Archaeology at Elværket Hillerød

Exhibitions in the turbine hall at Elværket Hillerød focus on archaeology, as well as the culture and history of North Zealand. One family-friendly exhibition explores historical finds; children can also take part in an archaeology activity and excavate a grave. This offers a chance to see artefacts alongside a hands-on activity. As exhibition content may change, check the current programme before your visit.

Store Dyrehave: Forest history and route choices

At Store Dyrehave, you can explore the landscape on foot or by bicycle along a star-shaped network of paths that forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand. The forest was once royal and used for hunting and horse breeding. A stone wall surrounded it, keeping red deer and horses inside. This history gives today’s network of paths a distinctive historical setting.

For planning, the marked walking routes offer a clear choice of distances: 6.2, 10 and 21.1 kilometres. The 10-kilometre route has picnic, fire and barbecue areas, as well as toilets; its paths are wheelchair- and stroller-friendly. This information applies to this route. There is also a 23-kilometre blue mountain bike trail at Store Dyrehave. In the southern section, it can be extended by a further 9 kilometres in Tokkekøb Hegn. The options therefore differ both in distance and in how you explore the area.

There are other destinations beyond Store Dyrehave, too. Kulsvierstien is a 3.5-kilometre unpaved trail near Hillerød through varied scenery of hills and small lakes. It crosses a hilly dead-ice landscape and offers views of Alsønderup Engsø. The marked Gillelejestien cycle route, also known as Route 33, is 27 kilometres long and runs from Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød to Gilleleje station. Another cycling route starts at the castle, passes through Hillerød and continues to Kongestjernen in Store Dyrehave.

Lakes and getting there

At Teglgårdssøen in Hillerød, there is a bathing area with a small sandy beach and a bathing jetty. A footpath runs around the lake, and there is also an access path to the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Par Force Hunting Landscape in Store Dyrehave. Check the latest notices about the bathing area before swimming. Esrum Sø is also one of the large lakes in Hillerød Municipality and adds to the area’s lake scenery.

To travel from Copenhagen, take the S-train from central stations directly to Hillerød station. From there, you can reach Frederiksborg Castle on foot or by bicycle via the path beside Slotssøen or along Slotsgade; the walk takes about 15 minutes. Bus routes 301 and 302 run from the station to a stop near Frederiksborg Castle and the museum. Check the latest timetables before setting off.

There is a National Park information point at the entrance to Store Dyrehave. Hillerød station is also about 800 metres from the car park on Overdrevsvej for Store Dyrehave. For regional context, Hillerød Municipality is one of five municipalities in Kongernes Nordsjælland National Park. The southern parts of Gribskov and Store Dyrehave are designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Discover more destinations: Skævinge Municipality, Gørløse, Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, Rudersdal Municipality, Allerød Municipality, Frederiksberg, Brøndby Municipality, Furesø Municipality.

For the main travel overview: Capital Region.