A beautiful avenue along Skælskørfjord leads directly to Borreby, which is one of Denmark’s oldest and best preserved renaissance fortified castles. The main building was erected in 1556 by Christian III’s powerful chancellor, Johan Friis. Borreby is a fortified manor house with a double castle mound, which is why it is referred to as a fortified manor.
 
In the 17th century, Borreby passed into the hands of the Daae family, which, however, ruined itself as a result of a ’mania for alchemy’ and was ultimately obliged to leave house and home. This story has been described by Hans Christian Andersen in ‘The wind tells the story of Valdemar Daae and his daughters’ (1859).

The Carstenschiold family has owned and lived at Borreby since 1783, where there is a large and very fine collection of paintings and exquisite tapestries as well as Danish furniture. If one goes for a walk across the moat, through the gatehouse into the outer courtyard, one will – during the summer months – find Borreby Art Gallery in the former Courthouse and adjoining stables.

The park was laid out in 1750 in the French geometrical style. In the same year, a chapel was established in the west wing.

No public access to the main building, but free public access to the park and courtyard with gallery and exhibition building.
Borreby Herreborg, Borrebyvej 47, Borreby, 4230 Skælskør

Dragsholm Castle is one of Denmark’s oldest worldly buildings. Throughout the last eight hundred years the castle has resided on a small stretch of land known as Lammefjorden. Since the original Castle was built, several refurbishments and re-constructions have taken place. However, throughout the 18th century the building became a stunning baroque building much appreciated in the way that it looks today.

Dragsholm Castle was built in 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde, Peder Sunesen. However with the reformation of 1536 the castle was transferred to the royal crown of Denmark and functioned under the Danish knights and lords and as a state prison. Imprisioned here was James Hepburn, The Earl of Bothwell, for five years prior to his death. To this day it is said that the castle is haunted and the horse carriage that carried his coffin away can still be heard on rare occasions…
Dragsholm Slot, Dragsholm Allé 1, 4534 Hørve

Owners of Fuglsang can be traced back to 1368. In the 17th century, the manor house came into the possession of the Ruder family. They owned it until 1661, when it was taken over by Queen Sofie Amalie. In 1726, however, all Lolland crown property was sold, with Fuglsang coming into the possession of the Neergård family in 1819. They owned the estate until 1947.

Rolf Viggo de Neergård erected the present main building in 1868-69 in the neo-gothic renaissance style. He was married to the composer J.P. Hartmann’s daughter, Bodil. This resulted in many artists, including Carl Nielsen and Edvard Grieg, paying visits to Fuglsang. After her death, Fuglsang was taken over by The Classen Entailed Estate and was a retreat for a number of years.

Today, the musical tradition has been re-established, with The Arts Society holding annual events and stays connected with the arts in the main building. The Storstrøm Chamber Ensemble and the Fuglsang Musical Association also have their home here, which still features the original de Neergård family furnishings.

Round the main building lies the old moat, from which the beautiful garden with its expanses of lawns and rare trees stretches down to the nature area Skejten at Guldborgsund. A popular excursion destination.
In 2007 Fuglsang Museum of Art was erected next to Fuglsang Manor House. 

Fuglsang, Nystedvej 73, 4891 Toreby L.

On the island of Gavnø, at the estuary of the Suså river, lies Gavnø Castle and Park, with many attractive features for visitors. In the Middle Ages, a fortified castle once lay here, from which pirate raids were conducted. But when Margrethe I purchased Gavnø in 1402, the fort was replaced by a nunnery for ‘young ladies of high birth’. The beautiful castle chapel in the south wing dates from that period.

In 1737, Gavnø came into the possession of Otto Thott. He converted the main building into the present, harmonious three-wing rococo castle – highly decorative, with yellow-washed walls and white pilasters. Otto Thott also increased the possessions of Gavnø via purchases and marriage, obtaining the highest post in the realm after the monarch when he became prime minister and privy councillor.

Otto Thott left the estate to the Holger Reedtz family, which took the name Reedtz-Thott. Axel Reedtz-Thott established ‘The Gavnø Trust in 1960, with the aim of preserving the castle with its valuable furnishings in their entirety. This includes, among other things, the largest privately owned collection of paintings in northern Europe open to the public. It is also possible to visit The Danish History of the Fire Service Museum and the park with its exotic butterflies and beautiful flowers. In the spring, the park is a myriad of hundreds and thousands of tulips and other bulb-flowers. This is also why Gavnø is referred to as ‘The Fairy-tale Castle on the Island of Flowers’.

Access to the park and castle from May to August. Admission charge. Guided tours can be booked.
Gavnø Castle, Gavnø 2, 4700 Næstved

In beautifully rolling countryside lies Gisselfeld, with one of the loveliest parks of northern Europe. The three-wing main building was erected by Peder Oxe in 1546-75. As a financial genius he played a vital role in the kingdom, but also amassed many enemies. After dubious legal proceedings against him, his possessions were confiscated by the king and he fled abroad. Eight years later, however, there was a need for him. His possessions were returned, he became a member of the national council (Rigsråd) and subsequently National Steward (Rigshofmester).

In 1699, the place was taken over by the illegitimate son of Christian V, Christian Gyldenløve. In accordance with his will, his grandson Fr. Chr. Danneskiold-Samsøe established a home for unmarried ladies of rank. The main building, however, was exclusively used as a residence for the director, who had to be a Danneskiold-Samsøe. Since 1699, this family has lived at Gisselfeld.

The main building is characterised by the era of transition between the medieval gothic embellished fortified castle and the ostentatious manorial residence of the renaissance. The crenellated gables are the epitome of the typically Danish gothic renaissance. The unusually beautiful park, laid out in the English style in the 1890s, is open to the public. Here there are 375 species of rare trees, greenhouses, fountains and a carp pond from Oxe’s time, where Hans Christian Andersen gained inspiration for ‘The Ugly Duckling’
Gisselfeld Kloster, Gisselfeldvej 12 A, 4690 Haslev

Today, Knuthenborg is best known as a safari park, with exotic animals, plants and rare trees. The vast park was laid out in the 1860s and 1870s by Count Eggert Christopher Knuth, who had entire shiploads of exotic trees imported. He also built the 7.5-km-long and 2-metre-high granite wall with its four fine entrances.

The main building was built as a dower house in 1864. The historicist building, with various additions, eventually became the main building at Knuthenborg.

That the park is now a zoo is pure coincidence. A dealer in animals needed some more space for his animals and contacted Adam W. Knuth. The animals felt so much at home in Knuthenborg’s park that an attempt was made to import exotic animals expressly for the park. Around 1969, the first zebras and antelopes were let out in the park – and today there are more than 50 different species of animals. 

The Knuth family has owned the property since 1681.

The park can be visited by car, cycle or on foot. There are laid-out paths that offer both adults and families with children many unique opportunities to experience the animals. Admission charge.
Knuthenborg, Maribo, 4941 Bandholm

Ledreborg is known from the 16th century was Lejregård, probably named after Lejre, which was the centre of power on Zealand in the Iron Age.

Prime minister John Ludvig von Holstein bought the manor house in 1740 and it became the centre of his possessions which, in 1746, were elevated to the status of county. In 1741-46, Holstein built the present main building on the foundation of a baroque complex from 1663. The romanesque granite main entrance plus certain other features of the original building were retained.

With the alterations and extensions carried out, Ledreborg began to look like a castle. The long, yellow main building in the rococo style has 15 window bays on two floors and is decorated with red pilasters. The original interior in the rococo style from the mid 18th century has been preserved. It features, among other things, rare woven tapestries and beautiful mirrors.

At the same time as the main building was erected, Holstein carried out considerable work on the grounds. He utilised the distinctive terrain of Ledreborg to lay out a terraced baroque garden. This was, however, changed in the first half of the 19th century, when the French style of gardening gave way to the Romantic landscape style. Ledreborg Park is one of the finest in Denmark.

Ledreborg Palace, Ledreborg Allé, 4320 Lejre

Liselund Park is northern Europe’s best-preserved Romantic garden. This fairy-tale complex from the 1790s includes winding paths, woodland lakes and small pavilions, the rolling countryside stretching all the way out to the cliffs of Møns Klint. The most remarkable building in the garden is Liselund Old Castle, which stands virtually unaltered since first built in 1792-93.
 
In 1783, the place was bought by Antoine de la Calmette, who also owned Calmettenborg (Marienborg) on Møn. Deeply fascinated by the philosophy of nature, he established a country idyll – a wonderful garden with a tiny thatched miniature castle – which he called Liselund, after his wife Lisa. The small whitewashed building with its thatched roof is only decorated by a spire and an arcade of columns around the south wing. The interior is also simple and classicist, characterised by symmetry and beautifully painted walls. Unfortunately, the couple died only a few years after its completion. Their son, chamberlain Charles Reinhold de la Calmette, went bankrupt, and Liselund was bought instead by Fr. Raben-Levetzau-Huitfeldt. He allowed widow Martha to live at Liselund until her death in 1877. The estate then passed to Gottlob Rosenkrantz, who built Liselund Ny Slot (new castle) in 1887. In 1938, Rosenkrantz handed over Liselund Old Castle and the garden to an institution under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Today, Liselund Ny Slot is a castle hotel.

Public access to the park all year round.
Liselund Old Castle, Langebjergvej, 4791 Borre, Møn